Madam Speaker, it is not often that the member for Winnipeg North and I agree on something. In this case, saving lives is critical.
In my riding of Courtenay—Alberni in particular, as a result of 20 deaths last year in this small community due to deadly carfentanil, Inspector Brian Hunter from the RCMP brought the community, the mayor and council of the city of Port Alberni, Island Health, and front-line resources together to have a conversation about how to move forward. Island Health Medical Health Officer Dr. Paul Hasselback said that the need for an overdose prevention site, which he cannot legally call a safe injection site, was as great in the Alberni Valley as it was in other British Columbian communities. He said, “We are now in a crisis, state of emergency, or a public health emergency in the state of British Columbia.” They reacted in the most positive way in what they could do.
The Port Alberni Shelter Society and Island Health, with the support of city council, have implemented an overdose prevention site in Port Alberni in response to Vancouver Island's public health emergency with fentanyl. The medical health officer raised concerns around two of the Senate amendments in the bill, which impose an unnecessary administration duty on the operation of the site. We know amendment three, offering a person using a supervised consumption site alternative pharmaceutical therapy before the person consumes a controlled substance, is key. We know it is important, but we also know it is likely not constitutional and it is unnecessary. As we know, these sites already offer treatment options that are part of harm-reduction facilities.
Does the member support these amendments or does he want to move forward with what is in place now?