Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I agree with one thing. I believe that today drug addiction is a health problem and not a criminal problem. Individual addicts in this country, in this day, are driven to becoming criminals because of being addicted. I could cite case after case that I have been involved with which would prove that.
I believe that Bill C-13 is part of the answer for research and that is why I support it.
The question of whether Bill C-13 is a provincial responsibility or a federal responsibility is an interesting one. I think the federal government has a responsibility to participate in research. If it does, and if it helps addicted people, if it helps people with Lou Gehrig's disease, I for one will not be involved in any discussion as to whether this is a provincial or a federal issue. I for one will be saying to the government “Let's just get the job done and stop squabbling about who has ownership”.
In the case of British Columbia, there are very few people who do not know that I have no use whatsoever for the provincial government of British Columbia, the NDP. It has taken our province into the lower depths of the economy and everything else. However, when it comes down to a sloppy government like that trying to help with health care, I support it if it helps people with various diseases like ALS or even drug addiction.
I am no friend of these guys across the way here either, the Liberals, but when it comes to the federal government trying to help or the federal government properly putting funds into research, I have no problem whatsoever with it and I would not take sides. The only side I will take is that of the victim or someone waiting for us as politicians to get off the fight of provincial and federal and get on to the fight of trying to help others.