WESTON BACKS HARPER ON DRUG SENTENCING

John Weston, the Conservative candidate in West Vancouver-Sunshine
Coast-Sea-to-Sky Country, welcomed leader Stephen Harper's call for
mandatory minimum prison sentences of at least two years for people
convicted of serious drug offences. Harper, speaking in Burnaby
Saturday, called for the mandatory minimum sentences for anyone
convicted of trafficking, importing, exporting or manufacturing drugs
such as heroin, cocaine, crystal meth and large amounts (over 3 kg) of
marijuana or hashish.

"Unfortunately, we can't take safe communities for granted anymore,"
Weston said in a release. "Our families are deeply concerned about the
spread of drugs from inner cities to suburbs to even more rural areas,
and a Conservative government will work hard to fight this scourge."

Weston announced he is assembling a group of experts on crime to
tackle the problem.

"The Liberal government ignored the increase in crime that stems from
drug dealing," Weston continued. "The Conservatives want to take
action and crack down on the criminals who deal drugs in our
communities."

In addition to mandatory minimum sentences Harper also announced the
Conservatives would ban house arrest sentencing for serious drug
crimes; introduce higher fines for drug dealers and producers, based
on the street value of drugs; make the chemical ingredients of crystal
meth harder to obtain; introduce a drug prevention strategy focused on
youth.