The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Ensuring that all Canadians are genuinely equal before the law starting by creating a dedicated federal transfer for 'judicare', modelled on the Canada Health Transfer, that would allow legal aid programs to expand the range of services they provide to Canadians who can't otherwise afford a lawyer; Ending the criminalization of public health challenges like substance abuse by decriminalizing possession of marijuana and other soft drugs, targeting addictions instead of addicts by funding substance abuse and harm reduction programs, and legalizing the exchange of needles in federal penitentiaries, as called for by the Corrections Investigator. Allowing provinces to make decisions about how to regulate marijuana, similar to alcohol, and whether to require the registration of long-guns. Addressing the significant over-representation of Aboriginal Peoples in the criminal justice system by implementing the recommendations of numerous inquiries over the years. Increasing the number of community police officers in Canadian communities. _ Compiled from a news release from the Office of Niki Ashton
