I cannot believe what I am hearing across the aisle, Mr. Speaker, but last year alone, over 2,200 British Columbians died from toxic drugs, which is more than six lives every single day. The Liberals could have used the budget to shut down the failed experiment, but, for some unknown reason, they did not; instead, they let it continue while Canadians keep dying.
However, it does not end in B.C. The Minister of Health is approving supervised drug consumption sites across the country, including next to day cares, schools and playgrounds. Parents should never have to walk their children past people smoking fentanyl in broad daylight. Children should never find used needles in their playgrounds. Health Canada's own data shows that the most used substance at these federally approved sites is fentanyl. Nearly every second visit consists of fentanyl use.
How is this safe? It is unbelievable that the Liberals actually consider this safe.
It is not just the Conservatives who are saying this, but law enforcement is sounding the alarm as well. In a letter sent to the Liberal government earlier this year, the chief of the Ottawa Police warned that a federally approved supervised drug site in downtown Ottawa has become the focal point of community safety concerns. He reported an escalation in open drug use, aggressive behaviour and public intoxication in the neighbourhood. This is right in the middle of a community.
I walked down those streets as well, and it is unbelievable, yet the Liberal government consistently turns a blind eye to this. Law enforcement warned that the impacts have become so serious that nearby child care centres have been shut down over safety concerns.