Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of constituents of Saanich—Gulf Islands on an issue that remains one that I know many members of this place would agree is a national crisis, and that is that we continue to see far too many deaths from opioids, by what are essentially fentanyl poisonings.
I want to particularly pay tribute to one of my constituents, Leslie McBain, who lost her son in that crisis and is one of the founders of an extraordinary group of bereaved parents called Moms Stop the Harm. The petitioners are asking the government to consider that it is ineffective to treat those suffering from drug abuse as criminals. They are people in need of medical assistance and mental health supports to help deal with addiction. In other words, incarceration and treating this as a criminal matter has been ineffective, and rehabilitation through treatment programs is urgently needed.