Alberta premier wants federal government to do more about opioid imports

CALGARY — Alberta’s premier says Ottawa needs to do more to clamp down on opioid drug imports from places such as China.

Jason Kenney says the Liberal government made a big mistake when it abolished minimum sentences for serious narcotic offences and illegal possession of firearms.

He says Alberta would be happy to help look into a jump in gun violence in Calgary, which he believes is likely related to criminal drug activity and drug gangs engaged in turf warfare.

Kenney suggests the gun problem wouldn’t be as bad if the federal government acted to prevent the importation of opioids such as fentanyl from China.

He says the U.S. Congress voted to impose sanctions on China if the Asian country didn’t crack down on fentanyl factories that are exporting product to North America.

Kenney says Canada should do the same and find ways to cut down on drugs being smuggled into the country instead of focusing on firearm bans which criminals tend to ignore.

“I’d like to see them beef up the Canada Border Services Agency, to stop the importation of illegal opioids. That is the poison that is being commodified by those drug gangs,” Kenney said Tuesday.

“I say tough mandatory, minimum sentences for those folks and better interdiction of those drugs in addition to the kind of anti-gang youth programs that already exist.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2020

The Canadian Press