Canada - Liberal party members overwhelmingly vote for decriminalizing drugs

[S.J.B.]

Liberal party members overwhelmingly vote for decriminalizing drugs while Trudeau repeats opposition
Travis Lupick
The Georgia Straight
April 23rd, 2018

The Liberal Party of Canada has voted in favour of removing criminal penalties for the personal possession of drugs.

It?s one of a number of policies that the party selected as priorities at a convention in Halifax on Saturday (April 21).

Members also voted in favour of universal pharmacare, decriminalizing consensual sex work, and expanding medicare to cover mental-health issues.

A total of 15 policies were selected to become official party priorities.

However, a policy's status as a party priority does not mean that party leaders have to include it in the document where it really counts: the party's campaign platform for the next federal election.

Read the full story here.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Sometimes I worry Canada is almost moving too fast. Let me clarify: Canada isn’t moving too fast. But I worry a small vocal minority of constituents who wield significant political power as not part of this. Again, don’t get me wrong, I don’t know how they could be.

Just wanna keep the horse in front of the card so to speak curious to hear from my Canadian siblings

 

[Pickledlemons]

Liberal party members overwhelmingly vote for decriminalizing drugs while Trudeau repeats opposition
Travis Lupick
The Georgia Straight
April 23rd, 2018



Read the full story here.

well thats fantastic

 

[S.J.B.]

Sometimes I worry Canada is almost moving too fast. Let me clarify: Canada isn’t moving too fast. But I worry a small vocal minority of constituents who wield significant political power as not part of this. Again, don’t get me wrong, I don’t know how they could be.

Just wanna keep the horse in front of the card so to speak curious to hear from my Canadian siblings

I don't think that the Liberal Party will include decriminalization as a platform plank in the run-up to the next election. It is still a very new idea in mainstream federal politics here. I think the Liberal Party is rightfully apprehensive about pushing for this right now as they are currently focused on legalizing cannabis which is itself a very radical move to make on the drug policy front. But things are moving quickly - the New Democratic Party (third-place party that has never formed government) will definitely have decriminalization as a platform plank for the first time when the next elections come about. If the Liberal Party wins the next election, and if cannabis legalization has been implemented relatively smoothly by then, perhaps they will start to consider actually implementing decriminalization.

 

[ro4eva]

Wow - I wasn't expecting them to even bring this up. It's definitely a move in the right direction. Good for them.

Members also voted in favour of universal pharmacare, decriminalizing consensual sex work, and expanding medicare to cover mental-health issues.

Excellent.

I don't think that the Liberal Party will include decriminalization as a platform plank in the run-up to the next election. It is still a very new idea in mainstream federal politics here. I think the Liberal Party is rightfully apprehensive about pushing for this right now as they are currently focused on legalizing cannabis which is itself a very radical move to make on the drug policy front.

I think you're right.

If they win the next election, I suspect they'll begin a long-term process to implement a decriminalization of all drugs (not unlike how they did with weed legalization).

I'm guessing they'll remain in power as a minority government post-next election.