moved for leave to introduce Bill C-431, An Act to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to introduce this private member's bill that would amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act so that we send a message about the substances that are on schedule 1. I assume those substances will be changed according to the government's announcement this year which would add methamphetamine to the schedule 1 group of substances, which would include heroin and cocaine.
The possession of those drugs come with a lifetime sentence as a maximum but they have no minimum. My bill would make it a minimum of two years for a first offence and five years for a second offence. This would send a message to our courts that we need a minimum sentence and that we need to take these kinds of incidents seriously. It also sends a message to our communities that we are prepared to stand before them and protect them from the criminals who are involved with these kinds of substances. It would also for trafficking, importation and exportation.
As well, the bill talks about when the methamphetamine labs are in the vicinity of underage children that they will be recognized in the court of law.
Those are the two ingredients in the bill. I encourage all members to support this private member's bill.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)