“The NDP’s drug policies are fueling crime, harming communities, and weakening our position in critical trade negotiations. British Columbians deserve better.”
Sheldon Clare, MLA for Prince George-North Cariboo and Deputy Whip
PRINCE GEORGE, BC: The Prince George RCMP’s seizure of over 700 suspected pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs—including fentanyl and methadone—outside a pharmacy this week is yet another damning indictment of the NDP’s reckless drug policies. Instead of addressing the deadly overdose crisis, the government’s so-called “safe supply” program is fueling the illicit drug trade.
This latest development comes just days after a bombshell leak from the Ministry of Health, released by Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale and Critic for Public Safety. The confidential document confirmed what British Columbians have long suspected: A significant portion of taxpayer-funded opioids are being diverted to the streets, provincially, nationally, and even internationally.
“The NDP’s policies of decriminalization and so-called ‘safe supply’ are driven by ideology, not results,” said Sheldon Clare, MLA for Prince George-North Cariboo. “Instead of reducing overdoses, they are pumping even more dangerous drugs into communities, and even the government’s own reports now admit it.”
Meanwhile, Northern Health nurses have been sounding alarm bells about escalating violence in their workplaces, a crisis exacerbated by the NDP’s failure to control drug-related crime.
“Healthcare workers don’t feel safe, and that’s a direct result of the NDP’s soft-on-crime approach,” said Kiel Giddens, MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie and Critic for Labour. “Instead of enabling a system where taxpayer-funded drugs enrich organized criminals, the NDP Government should be finding ways to make hospitals and clinics safer for workers and patients.”
It’s time to scrap failed policies and put public safety first. “We need a treatment-first approach,” said Rosalyn Bird, MLA for Prince George-Valemount and Critic for Citizens’ Services. “That means responsible harm reduction with a real path to recovery, not government-funded drug trafficking.”
The Prince George drug bust is just the latest sign that BC’s approach is failing—both at home and abroad. With drug policy now a key issue in U.S.-Canada relations, the NDP’s reckless experiment threatens not only public safety but also British Columbia’s standing with its largest trading partner. “The NDP needs to get its head out of the sand and face reality,” said MLA Clare. “Their drug policies are fueling crime, harming communities, and weakening our position in critical trade negotiations. British Columbians deserve better.”
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Media contact:
Jack Alarie, Communications Manager