Ottawa, ON — The Hon. Rob Moore, Conservative Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General of Canada, released the following statement on the introduction of his Bill C-394, the Stronger Sentences for Safer Streets Act:

“After nine years of Justin Trudeau, drug overdoses are killing 22 Canadians every day. Since the Liberals formed Government, 42,000 Canadians have died from drug overdoses. A shocking 82% of these deaths involve fentanyl, marking a 44% increase of fentanyl-related drug overdoses since 2016. The criminals responsible for this death and disorder should face jail sentences that reflect the harm done to society.

“Criminals who produce, import and export drugs like fentanyl are benefitting from Justin Trudeau’s soft-on-crime policies like Bill C-5, which eliminated mandatory jail time for criminals convicted of producing drugs like fentanyl and meth in our communities, and for those who are moving these dangerous drugs across the border.

“The Stronger Sentences for Safer Streets Act reverses some of the damage done by the Liberals’ Bill C-5 which removed deterrents for drug dealers who target vulnerable Canadians and terrorize our streets. This Bill amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to reinstate sentences that Trudeau eliminated, specifically mandatory jail time for criminals who produce, import and export dangerous drugs like meth, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl.

“This Bill targets the criminals who are fuelling the opioid crisis and making money off an industry that is built on pain, misery and death. Liberal laws that weakened sentences for producers, importers and exporters of dangerous drugs have not reduced drug deaths in Canada. Instead, these soft-on-crime policies have only emboldened criminals who prey on vulnerable Canadians suffering from addiction.

“This common sense Bill will combat crime and crack down on criminals who are peddling poison in our communities. Only Conservatives will bring home safe streets across Canada.”