Mr. Speaker, last week, the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network released a report on injection drug users and the spread of HIV/AIDS. The report indicates that Canada's repressive approach, which treats drug users like offenders, deters these users from making use of public health services.
Does the minister agree that the Controlled Drugs Act is a serious impediment to the establishment of needle exchange centres with safe material that is not infected, a situation which is not compatible with an effective strategy in the fight against AIDS?