Evidence of meeting #36 for Public Safety and National Security in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was insite.
A video is available from Parliament.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Daryl Kramp
Thank you very much to all of our witnesses today.
With the impending bells, Ms. Ablonczy, you're up. You have about five or six minutes.
November 3rd, 2014 / 5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Thank you, everyone, for appearing.
The committee has heard a great deal of testimony already, and some very strongly held views, some of them directly contradictory, so we have a little bit of sympathy for our minister, who is seeking to sort out the merits of a particular proposal for a supervised injection site. Last week, we heard from the Ottawa Police Association and the Toronto Police Association. They testified that “supervised injection sites perpetuate and encourage heavy, damaging drug use”. They said:
In creating injection sites, we create concentrated trafficking zones. Traffickers will carry only enough drugs to make small but frequent transactions. If stopped by the police, these traffickers will claim immunity, relying on the presumption of innocent possession with a known boundary around the supervised injection site.
They say that supervised injection sites bring “an increase in crime”. They list some of the crimes that they're concerned about and say that the sites “contribute to social and economic deterioration and further victimization where they are located”.
I could go on, but I won't. I'm just asking you, Mr. Stamatakis, whether these observations are in accordance with your own research and your own observations, or whether you would have something different to say.
5:10 p.m.
President, Canadian Police Association
They're very much in accordance with my own observations and the experience of my members. I referred earlier to the incredible amount of discretion that police officers working in the downtown eastside use every day when it comes to enforcement in the downtown eastside. It is very much enforcement related to how to deal with addicts and how to deal with traffickers who are preying upon the addicts, etc.
I think the underlying issue is that addiction does drive a lot of public safety challenges for any community and for enforcement in a community. I wouldn't attribute all of that necessarily to Insite and safe consumption sites, but what a place like Insite or a safe consumption site does is its create an epicentre for that kind of activity and the challenges to occur. I think that if you look at the history of Vancouver going back to 2003 when Insite was established and at what the situation was in 2003 versus what it is today, I'd be hard-pressed to describe to you what the clear benefits have been to having Insite operate in the downtown eastside.
5:10 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Lebow, I take from your testimony that you feel that some of this characterization is simply a way of stigmatizing such an area, that there is the perception more than the reality of danger. I take it, sir, that you would not be averse to a supervised injection site next door to where you and your family live.
5:15 p.m.
Founder, Society of Accredited Senior Agents
—or where my store or office would be either.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Do you think that some of your neighbours or fellow business people where you have your business would feel differently about that?
5:15 p.m.
Founder, Society of Accredited Senior Agents
No. The public perception—word of mouth—is too strong. All the studies of stigma—
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
You don't think that they would have a different opinion than you do about this?
5:15 p.m.
Founder, Society of Accredited Senior Agents
Not when it comes to their own value. No, not if they're owners of property.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
No one in your neighbourhood would object to having a supervised injection site next door?
5:15 p.m.
Founder, Society of Accredited Senior Agents
Oh, they would object, of course. Sorry, I misunderstood you.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Do you feel that their opinion should be taken into account, or only yours?
5:15 p.m.
Founder, Society of Accredited Senior Agents
No. Their opinion matters, very much so.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
The bill allows a minister to gather viewpoints and information from a wide variety of individuals and organizations that would be affected. Do you see a problem with this?
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
Diane Ablonczy Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
The process of gathering opinions and information as outlined in the bill is something that the minister is seeking. Mr. MacPherson, do you see a difficulty or an objection to having input from groups, individuals, and authorities that will have to deal with these sorts of sites?
5:15 p.m.
Executive Director, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
What Bill C-2 doesn't take into account is the tremendous amount of consultation that goes on at the city level through Development Permit Board hearings, and the notification of residents of any new use, whether it be a detox centre, an injection site, or a police department. The community is consulted on all of these things. It's a tremendous amount of work at the local level.
5:15 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Daryl Kramp
The committee meeting will be abbreviated today due to the bells ringing.
On behalf of the entire committee, we thank our witnesses for appearing here today. We thank you for your testimony. Please, travel safely.
The meeting is adjourned.