The Parti Qu?bec has been asking all the right questions but seems satisfied to ignore the answers.
In November of 1995 the Qu?bec provincial government sent out over 5,000 questionnaires to people involved in the health and legal aspects of drugs. The questionnaires were also available on request from the Ministry of Health, and the first question that they asked was “what do you think about the legalization or decriminalization of soft drugs?”
The questionnaires came about because of discussion and comments by the provincial Ministers of Health and Justice. Qu?bec Justice Minister Paul Begin said in the Spring of 1995 that Qu?bec society should hold an open debate upon the issue of marijuana legalization. After the questionnaires had been distributed, Qu?bec Minister of Health Jean Rochon said that he was happy the big question had finally been asked, and added that there would be a public consultation in February of 1996, once the questionnaires had been gathered and analyzed.
The day after the Qu?bec referendum, which was also the day that Parliament first passed the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Jacques Parizeau resigned his position as Premier. He was replaced by Lucien Bouchard, who gave up his position as leader of the federal Bloc Qu?bec to lead the Parti Qu?bec and become Premier.
As well as being a former Conservative MP and a close friend of Brian Mulrouney, Lucien Bouchard is also a true prohibitionist, and all talk of a fair debate about the prohibition of marijuana ended when he became Premier. Bouchard was part of the government that introduced Bill C-85, the father of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. He also gave the Liberals his blessing to pass the final version of the Bill on the day of the Qu?bec Referendum, while the Bloc was boycotting Parliament.
When I asked Bouchard about the former Bill C-7, he just answered that as usual the government of Canada would do anything to compromise the interests of Qu?bec and that the Bloc was opposed to such a harsh bill. The truth is that he allowed the unconstitutional Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to pass Parliament on the day of the Qu?bec Referendum so that he could maintain his popularity among all Qu?becers. I call that having a fifth ace in your hand.
So for now we haven’t heard much in Qu?bec about the results of the questionnaire, and there has been none of the open public debate which was promised by Minister Rochon. Yet we cannot let this small start die on the shelves of the National Library. Quebec MPs have started talking about ending marijuana prohibition, and now is the time to push them into doing something about the problem instead of ignoring the issue for political expediency and out of fear of confrontation.
