B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad urges end to carbon tax and drug decriminalization during Chilliwack rally

“Just last week, Bonnie Henry was in Ottawa, arguing…to expand the safe supply program,” Rustad said. “This is a government that just believes for a youth that is an addict, just give them fentanyl, not give them recovery. Just give them fentanyl. It’s crazy to think that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Last week, Premier David Eby told reporters in Ottawa that he disagrees with Dr. Henry’s position in which she told a federal committee that decriminalizing hard drugs would prevent toxic drug deaths. Eby has characterized Henry’s stance as a non-starter, according to published reports.

However, toxic drug deaths continue to spiral out of control in British Columbia. The B.C. Coroners Service reports that in the eight years since the public-health emergency was declared, 14,582 people in the province have died from toxic drugs, including 763 in the first four months of this year.

Rustad said decriminalization is not working in British Columbia.

“We will get rid of decriminalization, and we’re going to get rid of this safe supply because there is no such thing as a safe supply of hard drugs,” Rustad said to loud applause. “All that drug decriminalization has done is taken tools away from the police. If you got a suspected dealer and you’ve got cars coming and going, the police can no longer stop a car and seize the drugs and use it as evidence to go after the dealers. You’re taking the tools away from police. If you got somebody who’s sitting in the doorway, smoking crack, smoking fentanyl, the police can’t do anything about it because it’s decriminalized.”

Image: John Rustad / B.C. Conservative Party Leader John Rustad talks to attendees during his visit to Chilliwack Friday night at Atchelitz Hall.

Rustad said there are instances across B.C. of patients doing drugs inside hospitals, and suggested this is what Dr. Henry wants.

In addition disagreeing with Dr. Henry’s stance on drug decriminalization, Rustad argued British Columbia is the lone province in all of North America, possibly the world, that has clung to its vaccine mandate for health care workers.

“One of the things we will do for sure, as a Conservative government, is find a new officer for health. Bonnie Henry will no longer be working in our government,” Rustad said. “I mean, we’re the only jurisdiction in North America, as a matter of fact, I think we’re the only jurisdiction in the world, that still has this [vaccine mandate]. So what science are we following that every other jurisdiction isn’t? We’re going to get rid of these mandates, we’re going to hire back our health care workers.”

Rustad also touched on the $8 billion deficit he said the B.C. NDP government is incurring on an annual basis, saying the current NDP government has grown the size of the public sector from 270,000 employees to 400,000 employees.

“And you wonder why you’re not getting a break on your taxes,” Rustad said. “That’s close to a 50 per cent increase in the public service. Can anyone say we’ve had a 50 per cent increase in services?”

by Mike Vanden Bosch

B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad urges end to carbon tax and drug decriminalization during Chilliwack rally

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