Statement from Ontario PC Transportation Critic Michael Harris on the Wynne Liberals’ road safety cannabis announcement
“In order to properly crack down on drug impaired driving, the Liberals need to provide police with the needed resources to keep our streets safe. Today’s announcement does nothing to accomplish that. The Wynne Liberals have either underestimated, or are willfully blind to how significant the needs of our police forces will be.
“Last week during federal committee hearings, police officers pointed to the challenges they will face enforcing these laws. Ontario Provincial Police Deputy Police Commissioner Rick Barnum has estimated that police will need six to eight months from the time the provincial legislation is in place before police will be ready to enforce the new laws. He also said that the OPP only has 83 officers who are trained to recognize drug-impaired driving, and estimates that they will need up to 500 in order to properly enforce the law.
“The Ontario PCs will continue to listen and consult with law enforcement, public health, and community groups on this issue. We can’t afford to not get this one right.
“I also remain concerned that the Wynne Liberals are rushing forward with these announcements as a cynical tactic to distract from their political corruption trials. Road safety should not come at the expense of politics, and the Wynne Liberals certainly can’t be trusted to get this important public safety issue right. Take a look at the gas plants, the Green Energy Act, or eHealth – they have a record of mismanagement and looking out for their own partisan interests.”