Alberta officials have issued an ultimatum to the federal government: repeal lenient drug prosecution policies or allow the province to take control of the prosecutions.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Justice Mickey Amery sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and federal Justice Minister Arif Virani outlining their concerns and demands.
“Unfortunately, the problem of drugs and drug-related crime in Canada has been seriously exacerbated by policies adopted by the federal government,” reads the joint letter.
The provincial leaders added that the United States is exploiting the problems. They said that the federal government and its prosecutors’ failure to address the fentanyl crisis in Canada has led to President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently pledged to impose life sentences for large fentanyl dealers. He also called to deport temporary residents involved in violent or hate crimes.
Of particular concern to Smith and Amery is a directive issued in 2020 by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, which instructs prosecutors to divert minor drug cases from the courts. The province argues this policy has allowed serious criminal activity to persist unchecked.
The letter also called for the repeal of Bill C-5. The bill removed mandatory minimum penalties for drug trafficking, drug importing or exporting and drug production, with the goal of addressing disproportionately high incarceration rates for black and Indigenous Canadians.
Ron Moore, a New Brunswick Conservative MP, previously tabled Bill C-394, the Stronger Sentences for Safer Streets Act, which would re-introduce mandatory minimum jail sentences for some drug offences.
The letter outlined five ways Bill C-5 has increased harm to Canadians, including “continuing to emphasize an approach to drug possession that fails to address the death, disorder, and victimization caused by the drug-crime nexus, by focusing narrowly on diversionary measures.”
Alberta’s government argued that Bill C-5 has resulted in police and other justice partners being unable to tackle crimes effectively.
“Instead of facing real consequences, drug dealers are able to prey upon our most vulnerable populations knowing that if caught, their charges are likely to be dismissed,” reads the letter. “Even if charges are not dismissed, drug dealers might only face a conditional sentence order, allowing them to continue to profit from illegal activities from the comfort of their home.”
While Bill C-5 doesn’t address the bail system, Trudeau has similarly faced backlash for bail reforms that have led to increased re-offenders.
True North previously compiled a list of alleged re-offenders, many of whom were out on bail.
More recently, a Hungarian man with nearly 400 charges against him remains in Canada.
“397 strikes, you’re out! But woke Liberals’ catch-and-release, hug-a-thug laws turn him loose to terrorize our people,” said Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.
The Toronto Police Association previously blasted Trudeau and the Liberals for tabling public safety reforms as their government descended into chaos.
“Our members have lost faith in @JustinTrudeau’s government to do the right thing for the right reasons. Time to resign and leave the critically important public safety issues to someone else,” said the association.
Previously released crime statistics highlighted that Canada’s population-adjusted violent and property crime rate surpassed the United States last year.
Federal policies resulting in poor prosecution of drug offences are leading to Canadians dying in the street, according to Smith and Amery.
They made specific demands to Trudeau and his justice minister.
First, they demanded Virani repeal the 2020 PPSC directive. Smith and Amery also demanded Bill C-5 be repealed immediately, along with the reintroduction of mandatory minimum sentences for drug traffickers. They also called to eliminate conditional sentences for offences involving trafficking and importation of controlled substances.
“If these steps are not taken immediately, Alberta must be given federal funding to permanently take over all CDSA [Controlled Drugs and Substances Act] prosecutions,” concludes the letter.
