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Former Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell is urging his Victoria counterpart to push ahead with plans for a safe injection site, no matter which party forms the next government in Ottawa.
Campbell – now a Liberal senator – was reacting to Comments made by Stephen Harper, who has said a Conservative government would close down the Vancouver safe injection site and would not give approval to any other locations.
Campbell and Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe toured homeless shelters, a needle exchange and a drop-in centre for the homeless on Friday.
Campbell is championing a proposed safe injection site for Victoria, which would be the second in North America – after the one on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
FROM SEPT. 15, 2003: Safe injection site opens
The former Vancouver mayor led the campaign to establish the Vancouver site in 2003. And he says he would defy any government that tried to shut it down – even if it meant breaking the law.
"Quite frankly, as long as I had the money from the health care board, I wouldn't really care if I had the permission from Ottawa. What are you going to charge me with?
"I mean, you don't charge the people who are on the street with drugs now. I mean there's so many of them. What are you going to charge me with?
"They come in here, where they're off the street, they're not going to die, they're going to get help. What do you charge me with?"
FROM SEPT. 23, 2004: Safe injection site saving lives: report
With 1,500 intravenous drug users, the city of Victoria has applied for permission from Ottawa to set up a safe injection site. But Mayor Lowe was less outspoken about how he'd react to a Conservative government, saying he has to work with whomever is elected.
The city's chief medical health officer says if the federal program is scrapped, the city would obey the law. Dr. Richard Stanwick says he would look for other ways to offer clinical support to addicts.
Earlier, the Conservative candidate in Victoria publicly opposed Harper's position on drug policy. Robin Baird says he supports Victoria's bid for a safe injection site, and is not afraid to lobby for it.
"All I can say is as your MP and as a member of a party that believes in free votes, then I plan to do what's right for this community, no matter what the party leader says."
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