Mr. Speaker, the toxic drug and overdose crisis continues to have an impact on Canadians from coast to coast. People are losing their lives to the ever-changing illegal toxic drug supply. Many are dying because of it, but these are preventable deaths. We need to use everything at our disposal to save lives.
This crisis is complex, and we need to work with all orders of government, partners and stakeholders. We need to listen to our partners and do everything we can to save lives, improve access to health care services and maintain safe communities.
A strict law enforcement-only approach, with no acknowledgement that this is a public health crisis, drove Canada's response to substance use for over a century. Time and again, this has been proven to be ineffective. We hold it to Canadians to work towards solutions. Canadians suffering from addictions need health care, not jail.
This government's commitment to working with all orders of government to find local solutions is unwavering. Working in partnership is what responsible governments do. However, screaming slogans into the void is the only solution Conservatives offer. They like to talk about crimes and disorder, but the actual experts in law enforcement do not agree with them. They have been clear in their support of a comprehensive public health approach to addressing substance use harms. Police are looking for better ways to address community concerns around safety in public spaces, rather than arresting someone for a health care issue.
Cities across Canada are witnessing the compounding effects of the ongoing overdose crisis, with people managing mental health issues, the impacts of the housing shortage and the need for more affordable housing. If the Conservatives cared that much about public drug use, they would not oppose safe consumption sites. When these sites do not exist, the streets and our public spaces become consumption spaces.
There is no single solution to this crisis. It requires a comprehensive response with innovative actions to save more lives, and we are closely monitoring those actions so we can make adjustments along the way. We are working to ensure that Canadians have access to a full range of prevention, risk reduction, treatment and recovery services, as well as the support they need, when and where they need it, while also keeping communities safe. For example, budget 2024 announced a new commitment of $150 million for a fund to support municipalities and indigenous communities. This funding will help provide rapid responses to more heavily affected communities with urgent and critical needs related to the overdose crisis. This is in addition to the billions of dollars we have already committed to combat this crisis.