Pubdate: Fri, 28 Oct 2005
Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB)
Copyright: 2005 Winnipeg Free Press
Contact:  http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502
Author: Mia Rabson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?241 (Methamphetamine - Canada)

CRYSTAL METH, GANG CRIME ON DOER'S HIT LIST

House Kicks Off Six-Week Session

THE provincial government outlined its plans for the next 12 months
yesterday, promising everything from more police and prosecutors to
protection from a flu pandemic to cash for inner city housing.

Premier Gary Doer said his seventh speech from the throne, which
kicked off a six-week sitting of the legislature, "builds Manitoba for
the future" and "enhances the protection of citizens to face the
challenges of today."

Among a handful of new initiatives presented in the speech was a
strategy to combat the growing problem of crystal methamphetamine in
Manitoba by improving treatment programs and limiting access to the
ingredients used to make it, namely farm fertilizers and
over-the-counter cold remedies.

Crystal meth, a street drug growing in popularity because it's cheap
and made in kitchens with a variety of easy-to-get ingredients, has
also been recognized as one of the most dangerous drugs available
because it is highly addictive and can cause permanent defects in
users, including brain damage.

The province also plans to crack down on the rise of gun crime and
street gangs in this province, mainly by adding more police and
prosecutors to go after gangs, but also by improving programs aimed at
keeping kids from joining gangs in the first place. Attorney General
Gord Mackintosh is expected to outline the details of the plan today.
The throne speech also promised to adjust public health legislation to
ensure the chief medical officer of health has the powers needed to
act swiftly in the event of a flu pandemic. Doer said existing
legislation is 98 per cent effective but needs "tweaking" in a few
places to make sure the chain of command and responsibilities are more
clear.

And Doer promised to dedicate to inner-city housing every cent the
province earns from selling its land to create the Waverley West
subdivision. Doer said that sale will net the province a minimum of
$20 million.

The only tax cut promised by Doer was a further 10 per cent reduction
in education property taxes for farmers. To date, the NDP has reduced
the education tax on farmland by 60 per cent.

"Hopefully that will signal to (farmers) that while we can't deal with
all the economic obstacles they have faced in the last two very
unusual years for weather, this will provide some support to them,"
said Doer.

Ron Bell, president of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities,
praised the reduction but urged the province to lower small business
taxes as well. He said small businesses in rural communities suffer
along with farmers during poor crop years or crises like the BSE
situation. When farmers don't have spare cash, businesses don't make
money.

Tory Leader Stuart Murray said he was disappointed at the lack of tax
cuts and economic drivers for a province which has become the highest
taxed in the country.

"There was nothing on competitiveness, nothing on job strategy," said
Murray. "This government woke up to give a throne speech and then they
hit the snooze button. It's unfortunate for Manitobans."

Business leaders were also concerned about the province's plan to do a
"limited review" of the Employment Standards Act for the first time in
30 years.

Labour Minister Nancy Allan said the working world and the
demographics of the family have changed, and she said a limited
"family friendly" review was in order after 30 years. "There are more
part-time workers and you also have more single-parent households,"
she said. "It isn't the case any more where families are a mom and dad
and three children with the dad as the primary wage-earner."
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake