Mr. Speaker, this is a tragic public health crisis, and it is impacting people deeply across this country. My heart goes out to those people who have been impacted by this public health crisis.
Our government remains fully committed to addressing this public health crisis, using every tool at our disposal to save lives and keep communities safe. We have taken unprecedented action since 2017, action that has been informed by evidence and the experiences of those who have been most affected.
It is clear there is no one-size-fits-all approach. We are committed to a comprehensive, collaborative and evidence-based substance policy approach that includes prevention, enforcement, treatment and harm reduction.
Too often, ideological approaches have gotten in the way of real progress, which inhibits the science. The toxic drug and overdose crisis is a public health issue. It is not a criminal justice issue. We do recognize that public safety must be maintained while we use a public health approach to address this crisis.
Let us be clear that B.C. asked for this pilot project, and we granted its amendment request to make sure law enforcement has additional tools to address the public safety issues while we continue to take a public health approach to addressing the toxic drug and overdose crisis. We all want the same thing, which is for people and communities to be safe and secure and for health care to be available to those who need it. We will continue to work with B.C. and to listen to concerns raised by all partners to make sure this exemption works seamlessly within the province's broader public health approach.
Law enforcement leaders in Canada support a public health approach. They know we cannot arrest our way out of this health crisis. British Columbia's exemption continues to be supported by rigorous monitoring and third party evaluation to gather evidence and data on its impacts and outcomes and to identify effective mitigation measures for any unintended consequences.
I will repeat that we are committed to a comprehensive approach that protects public health and maintains public safety. We will keep working with provinces and territories, municipalities, organizations, other partners and everyone involved to make sure we bring this public health crisis to an end.