Pubdate: Sat, 09 Mar 2013 Source: Windsor Star (CN ON) Copyright: 2013 The Windsor Star Contact: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501 Author: Mark Kennedy Page: C4 DRUG WAR A FAILURE, CONSERVATIVES TOLD OTTAWA - Canada's conservative movement was warned Friday that America's war on drugs - now being emulated by the Harper government with tough mandatory jail terms - has been an expensive disaster that has stripped millions of people of their civil liberties. The message came from Ron Paul, a former U.S. congressman and failed contender for the Republic presidential nomination last year. Paul delivered the opening address to hundreds of conservatives gathered at an annual conference sponsored by the Manning Centre for Building Democracy. A well-known libertarian who is considered the godfather of the Tea Party, Paul spoke about the many dangers that citizens face when governments intrude into either the economy or their personal lives. "If you believe in liberty, you will protect economic liberty and personal liberty. They are all one and the same." Paul said citizen freedom should extend to "personal behaviour" and "lifestyle." "If we have legalization of religious freedom, some people have this religion or that religion, and some people have no religion. Most people will accept that as rather tolerant. "But when it comes to lifestyle in the last 30 to 40 years, we have spent about five to six trillion dollars enforcing laws which I think make no sense whatsoever, (and) has caused our prisons to have more prisoners than China." Paul blasted the "irrationality of the drug laws that tell people what they can put in their mouths and what they can put in their bodies." "I think the drug war needs (to be) repealed," he said to cheers and applause from many people in the conference centre, a short walk from Parliament Hill. Many of the people attending the conference are fervent supporters of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government. Topics on the conference agenda include the oilpatch and environmental protection, privatization of some health care, foreign policy and aboriginal affairs. Among the ministers appearing at the conference are Jason Kenney (immigration), Maxime Bernier (small business and tourism) and Tony Clement (treasury board). Since first being elected in 2006, the Conservative government has espoused a strong law-and-order agenda which it says is needed to keep criminals off the streets. Critics say it is merely a political tactic to attract votes and some of the measures are an overreach. But the government, with the majority it won in 2011, has pressed ahead. Last fall, the government's new drug laws came into force. The measures, part of the Safe Streets and Communities Act, provide a mandatory six-month jail term for growing as few as six marijuana plants. In his speech, Paul did not make direct reference to that law, but he stressed that America's experience has been awful. He said that as a father and a medical physician, he recognizes that drugs are very dangerous. "But if you compare the so-called illegal drugs to prescription drugs, a lot more people die from prescription drug abuse." Paul said there is far too much regulation. "The government is so much involved. No, you can't smoke a marijuana cigarette but we're going to fill you up with psychotropic drugs. There has to be a better answer. There has to be more common sense." Later, speaking to reporters, Paul declined to speak specifically about Canada, but he then explained why he and others have opposed mandatory sentences in the U.S. "We have wanted it to have more prerogatives from the judges. Because sometimes these mandatory sentences, in the States at least, have put people in prison for life." In his speech, Paul told conservatives that citizens must put a stop to government policies such as this and he said he would do away with things such as the central bank and other economic programs that skew the economy. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom