Time to treat fentanyl mass production like mass murder says MP, echoing his party's leader

Life sentences for dealers

Photo: Contributed

Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

Over the weekend, Canada received welcome news of a 30-day reprieve from anticipated U.S. tariffs—25% on Canadian goods and 10% on Canadian energy exports to the United States.

The 30-day reprieve prevents Canadian counter-tariffs from taking effect, which would have raised costs for already-struggling Canadian consumers buying U.S. imports.
In response to U.S. President Donald Trump's demands, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced several border-related measures to secure this tariff reprieve.

“I just had a good call with President Trump,” said Trudeau. “Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan—reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border.

"In addition, Canada is making new commitments to appoint a fentanyl czar, we will list cartels as terrorists, ensure 24/7 eyes on the border, launch a Canada-U.S. joint strike force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering. I have also signed a new intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl and we will be backing it with $200 million.”

Those measures mark a significant shift in the government's approach and represent Trudeau's first serious acknowledgment the fentanyl crisis demands more urgent and forceful federal action.

Critics have noted it took pressure from Trump to compel Trudeau to act on this crisis. However, from my perspective, enhanced border security and increased vigilance should be a non-partisan initiative all Canadians can support.

Fentanyl and opioids pose a grave public health crisis. Since 2016, approximately 49,000 Canadians have lost their lives to opioid overdoses, a tragic 200% increase over the period.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced new measures to address the opioid crisis that he would implement if (his party is elected to government and) he becomes prime minister. These measures include imposing mandatory life sentences on anyone (convicted of being) involved in the trafficking, production and distribution of more than 40 milligrams of fentanyl. He also proposed mandatory prison sentences of 15 years for traffickers (convicted of being) caught with between 20 mg to 40 mg of fentanyl.

Adding some context to those numbers, 80% of accidental opioid deaths in Canada involve fentanyl. It takes just two milligrams of fentanyl to kill someone. That means just 40 mg of fentanyl is enough to kill 20 people.

Conservatives believe it is time to treat mass fentanyl production like mass murder. We must make efforts to stop the flow of drugs that are killing far too many of our loved ones.

My question this week:

Should fentanyl trafficking be treated more like mass murder, with mandatory prison sentences, as proposed in the Conservative plan, or do you think this approach goes too far?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

MP lays out how Conservatives want to respond to U.S. tariffs threat

Tory tariff response

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Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

The House of Commons remains prorogued until March 24.

Unless there is an earlier recall or some other unexpected scenario, the House will convene under the next Liberal Party leader, who will serve as prime minister—albeit potentially briefly—until an election is called.

The next Liberal Party leader remains unknown. Earlier this week, rumours circulated in Ottawa that the Trudeau government is preparing a major tariff response plan—similar in scale to pandemic measures—should the United States follow through on its threat to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian exports.

While speculation about hypothetical responses based on rumours serves little purpose, the concern about these potential tariffs is very real.

The question of how best to respond weighs heavily on many. While the official Opposition has a duty to question the government's political program as part of its challenge function, given the circumstances of where a snap election is conceivable, we have a responsibility to also offer solutions for Canadians to consider. I want to share several key objectives that our Conservative opposition believes deserve careful consideration.

To be clear, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre supports retaliating against U.S. tariffs, if necessary. However, the Conservative position is also clear, we have to be pinpointed and surgical in our response. As Poilievre stated, “We’re both going to lose, as Americans and Canadians, if we get in a trade war,” adding; “We can buy elsewhere to maximize the impact on Americans and minimize the impact on Canadians.”

Poilievre also made it clear a Conservative plan would target American products and services Canada doesn’t need or can make “in-house,” which is an important consideration to mitigate the impact on Canadians.

The Conservative tariff response plan would also include an emergency “bring-it-home” tax cut to stimulate economic growth in Canada, increased efforts to reduce and eliminate inter-provincial trade barriers, as well as to approve and expedite resource and energy projects as quickly as possible, including a plan to repeal the Liberal government’s Bill C-69.

Diversifying trade, particularly in our resource sector not only provides more economic opportunities it also means that by having a lesser dependence on large trading partners we can be less affected by tariff situations in the future.

From my own perspective, I believe the next seven to 10 days will be pivotal in gaining a better understanding of what potential tariffs against Canada might look like. I also believe we should not lose sight of the fact that in many sectors, Canadians can, and do, compete against some of the very best in the world.

To be at our very best, we need a competitive regulatory environment that encourages investment and innovation and at the risk of sounding political, I believe over the Trudeau government era we have lost much of that by imposing many politically based regulatory burdens on ourselves that none of our major trading partners follow.

This week, I have one question:

How concerned are you about the potential impact of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods exported to the United States—and the resulting retaliatory tariffs on U.S. imports to Canada?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Albas says he supports his party leader's call for an end to prorogation of Parliament

MP laments prorogation

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Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

Typically, at this time of year, MPs would be back in Ottawa for the House of Commons' first sitting of 2025.

This year, however, the House of Commons is not in session, having been prorogued by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Jan. 6 when he announced his resignation under pressure from the Liberal caucus. The prorogation will last 77 days—the second longest in recent history, surpassed only by former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien's 82-day prorogation in 2003.

The purpose of the current prorogation is solely to provide the Liberal Party time and political cover to select a new leader. This self-serving action means there are no opportunities to officially question the government and hold it accountable for matters of concern to Canadians. Moreover, all bills and legislation, including Private Members' Bills, have come to a standstill, halting progress in many important areas.

This "crisis" comes at a critical time, as the new U.S. administration under President Donald Trump continues to threaten Canada with potential 25% tariffs on Canadian products (entering the U.S). In response to that threat, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre issued the following statement regarding potential U.S. tariffs:

"Canada is facing a critical challenge. On Feb. 1 we are facing the risk of unjustified 25% tariffs by our largest trading partner that would have damaging consequences across our country. Our American counterparts say they want to stop the illegal flow of drugs and other criminal activity at our border. The Liberal government admits their weak border is a problem.

"That is why they announced a multibillion-dollar border plan—a plan they cannot fund because they shut down Parliament, preventing MPs and Senators from authorizing the funds. We also need retaliatory tariffs, something that requires urgent Parliamentary consideration. Yet, Liberals have shut Parliament in the middle of this crisis. Canada has never been so weak, and things have never been so out of control. Liberals are putting themselves and their leadership politics ahead of the country."

The Conservative leader stated clearly: "Conservatives are calling for Trudeau to reopen Parliament now to pass new border controls, agree on trade retaliation, and prepare a plan to rescue Canada's weak economy. The prime minister has the power to ask the Governor General to cut short prorogation and get our Parliament working. Open Parliament. Take back control. Put Canada first."

For the record, I strongly support Poilievre's call for Parliament to be recalled immediately.

While my support for this position may not surprise you, let me explain why it's crucial. The federal government has a vital duty to protect all Canadians' interests in this "crisis." With a Liberal leadership contest underway, several candidates are using the tariff threat as a political opportunity—advocating positions that conflict with current federal government strategy.

Under our Canadian political system, the winner of the Liberal leadership race will automatically become prime minister—without being elected to this role by Canadian voters. Instead, it will be only Liberal supporters who participate in their leadership election who will get to decide, despite the decision having very real impacts on every Canadian.

This is precisely why an election is critically needed—the Liberals have prioritized their political survival over the national interest. Not only have they refused to call an election but by proroguing Parliament, they have severely limited Canada's ability to elect a new government with a strong mandate to address this crisis.

That person (who become Liberal leader and prime minister) may not even be currently elected, with no mandate from the public and no seat to be held accountable in the House of Commons.

My question this week:

How concerned are you about Canada's ability to respond to the potential of 25% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative P for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Liberals vowed not to prorogue Parliament but have done so...twice

Proroguing Parliament

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Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP Dan Albas

During the 2015 election campaign, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party platform included a promise not to use prorogation to "avoid difficult political circumstances."

Trudeau has broken that promise twice. The first breach occurred in August 2020, when he prorogued Parliament to halt Parliamentary committee investigations into the WE Charity situation—despite the House of Commons not even being in session at the time.

The second prorogation occurred on Jan. 6. Facing internal pressure from the Liberal caucus, Trudeau announced his resignation. The prorogation gives the Liberal Party time, and political cover, to select a new leader.

While this arrangement benefits the Liberal Party, it comes at a cost to Canadians. The House of Commons shutdown means there are no opportunities to officially question the government or hold it accountable. Additionally, all bills and legislation, including private members' bills, ground to a halt, preventing any progress in those areas.

Unfortunately, many important issues affecting Canadians cannot be addressed while the House of Commons is prorogued. Let me provide an example.
This week, we learned of an alarming situation involving international students with valid Canadian study permits.

According to data from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada, nearly 50,000 international students failed to attend their enrolled college or university programs during a two-month period in spring 2024. That raises serious questions. If those international students who were approved to study in Canada are not attending their enrolled classes, what activities are they pursuing instead?

What's also troubling is the information only came to light because of a recent federal compliance requirement mandating post-secondary institutions report those numbers twice yearly. Without that mandatory reporting requirement, it appears few, if any, post-secondary institutions voluntarily (would have) disclosed this information or expressed concern about it.

The RCMP has acknowledged concerns about smuggling networks that exploit student visas for illegal border crossings.

What's particularly concerning is the new reporting system contradicts Statistics Canada's own numbers, which show a significantly larger population of foreign nationals studying in Canada than the IRCC has reported.

Those statistical discrepancies could be investigated by a Parliamentary committee, but since the House of Commons is prorogued, we lack any means to question the government or hold it accountable for the inconsistencies and other serious issues.

My question this week:

How concerned are you about the current prorogation of Parliament?

I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll-free 1-800-665-8711.

Dan Albas is the Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.