Today Pierre Poilievre posted this Twitter video about opioid policy.

Pierre Poilievre @PierrePoilievre

Everything feels broken. But we can fix it.

The argument in the video is that British Columbia and Alberta are pursuing very different policies on opioids. As it happens, I wrote a detailed rebuttal of this argument last week. Since he’s pressing on with the argument, I’m going to re-share the rebuttal. And I’m taking the paywall down, so that it can be read more easily by anyone who cares to look. Here you go.

Again, the Conservative leader’s central claim is that very recent reductions in opioid fatality in Alberta, to a level of death that was unprecedented before 2020, are due to a repudiation of B.C.’s policy kit, which includes, among many other elements, “safe supply.” My post, below, contains ample proof that Alberta has been putting substantial effort into the policies Poilievre decries.

In other words, he doesn’t have a damned clue what he’s talking about. Or he’s hoping you won’t.

Paul Wells

"Just like they're doing in Alberta"

I’ve been meaning to discuss the federal opposition leader’s scrum in Vancouver last week. The convoy commission and other events keep distracting, but I don’t want to let Pierre Poilievre’s comments pass unremarked. This was Poilievre’s “Everything seems broken” scrum, and a lot of it is worth everyone’s attention. His opening remarks put him on solid e…

3 months ago · 74 likes · 21 comments · Paul Wells

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Paul Wells

Poilievre, Alberta and opioids: update