UCP announces members of safe consumption site review committee
Posted Aug 19, 2019 10:31 am.
Last Updated Aug 20, 2019 4:30 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The United Conservative Government has announced a committee to review the province’s safe consumption sites.
The eight-member panel will be led by former Edmonton Police Chief Rob Knecht.
Other members on the panel include Professor Geri Bemister-Williams, Dr. Charl Els, Joan Hollian, Dr. Rob Tanguay, Dr. Ray Baker, Paul Maxim and Steve Cormack.
The committee will review the consumption sites beginning in September.
“As we committed in our platform, we are moving ahead with a review of supervised consumption sites. We’ve heard Albertans’ concerns about impacts on their homes, businesses and communities. We’ve chosen a panel of experts to listen to Albertans, review the evidence, and report back on their findings,” said Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jason Luan.
The Opposition NDP is criticizing the committee saying all the UCP have done is announce another rigged “review panel”.
“As a matter of morality and a matter of faith, we as a society believe that every person deserves a shot at redemption and deserves to live. Every person. So let’s give them that chance,” said Opposition Critic for Mental Health and Addiction, Heather Sweet. “We already have decades worth of study and evidence that harm reduction provides the best chance, including evidence released by Minister Luan’s own office this summer.”
Sweet fears for the future of the consumption site in Lethbridge.
“If this site closes, there will be death in the streets,” Sweet said. “People will die in alleys, in playgrounds, in yards, in the library. More Alberta families will grieve for a lost loved one. That will be on Premier Kenney and Minister Luan. That will be their fault. Their plan is to let people die and let the citizens of downtown Lethbridge, the people who live and work here, pick up the pieces.”
The committee will hear from citizens, businesses, elected officials, supervised consumption site operators, and key stakeholders. Public engagement will take place over three weeks, in all communities with existing or proposed consumption sites including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge.
