Madam Speaker, I give a shout-out to Kaylee Erickson, who was really behind this petition which reached almost 1,000 signatures. The petition says that the crime rate in Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies continues to rise and poses a significant threat to public safety and community well-being. Many residents in the cities of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George and surrounding communities feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods due to the increase in drive-by shootings and drug-related crime. They state that rural communities should not have to accept the violent, financial, societal and economic consequences of the government's lack of action in addressing crime.
The petition asks the government to repeal soft-on-crime catch-and-release policies; end the decriminalization of hard drugs; stop the tax-funded handout of hard drugs; and, lastly, invest money in treatment and recovery and bring our loved ones home, drug-free.