FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2018

OTTAWA, ON – Conservative Shadow Minister for Justice, the Honourable Tony Clement and Conservative Shadow Minister for Public Safety, Emergency Preparedness and Border Security, Pierre Paul-Hus released the following statement in response to the Liberal Justice Minister’s claim that marijuana impaired driving charges will have to be decided “on a case-by-case basis”:

“Next week marijuana becomes legal in Canada and it’s clear that Justin Trudeau has rushed ahead to meet a political deadline without a plan to keep Canadians safe on our roads.

“His Justice Minister’s comments on the weekend confirm that there is no conclusive way to determine if someone is driving high. The Drager saliva testers the Liberals have approved have been met with skepticism, causing several police forces, including Vancouver and Ottawa, to refuse to use them. Not only are there serious concerns over the Drager’s ability to function properly in cold weather, but even if impaired driving charges are laid, court challenges are likely to arise due to the lack of a reliable testing method.

“Instead of focusing on how many tax dollars he can squeeze out of his policy, Justin Trudeau needs to listen to scientists, doctors, and law enforcement officials who have said that legalization is being rushed through without proper planning or consideration for the negative consequences, including keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and profits out of the hands of criminals.”