Pierre Poilievre spoke to supporters in Nanaimo Wednesday afternoon, touching on topics like bail reform, healthcare and affordability. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

CAMPAIGN STOP

Conservative leader drives home plans for bail reform during stop in Nanaimo

Mar 15, 2023 | 4:36 PM

NANAIMO — Bail reform and tackling the growing drug toxicity crisis was top of mind for Pierre Poilievre during a stop on the central Island.

The federal Conservative Party leader met with supporters at the Nanaimo Fish and Game Protective Association on Nanaimo Lakes Rd. on Wednesday, March 15, looking to garner support for a party which narrowly missed being elected in the riding in 2021.

In an interview with NanaimoNewsNOW prior to the event, Poilievre said a Conservative government would look to immediately reform the criminal justice system by dealing with repeat, violent offenders.

‘”A Poilievre government would repeal the broken Liberal bail system and replace it with a common sense rule that every repeat violent offender who is newly arrested for a violent offence will stay behind bars until their trial is held and their sentence is complete.”

Poilievre arrived at the event just before 4:30 p.m., approximately an hour after the posted start time. Some people who attended left, impatient, prior to his arrival.

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During his 30 minute opening speech, he spoke at length about how it’s time for Ottawa to “start pinching their pennies”, and promised his government would save a dollar for every dollar spent.

The standing-room-only crowd broke into wild cheers a few times in his speech, specifically when Poilievre spoke about defunding the CBC, and prohibiting any of his MP’s from participating in anything to do with the World Economic Forum.

He also spoke about bill C-11, the proposed bill which would require digital media platforms to provide a certain amount of Canadian content.

“They want to manipulate the algorithms of the internet to determine what appears on your YouTube or your Facebook feed, so they can push through woke messages that are approved by the Liberal establishment in Ottawa.”

He said the 37 million citizens of Canada should be able to decide what they want to see on the internet.

His visit comes three days after a local Nanaimo businessman was shot in the stomach attempting to retrieve stolen tools from an encampment and a rash of other crimes involving people with extensive criminal records.

Poilievre cited data from Vancouver where 40 people accounted for roughly 6,300 incidents in the city, demonstrating a small number of people being caught, then released, were the source for a large volume of crime.

In speaking with supporters Wednesday, Poilievre also said his government, should they win election in 2025, would not only join a current class action law suit with B.C., but also launch a separate round of legal action against major pharmaceutical companies.

It’s a move he forecasts could bring upwards of $44 billion into addressing the drug toxicity crisis.

“[Pharmaceutical companies] flooded our continent with these deadly, addictive drugs, they should be forced to pay the price of recovery and treatment. In the mean time, a Poilievre government will divert money away from bureaucracy, activists, academics and others who have caused the problem towards front line treatment and recovery.”

He added more funding is needed to support facilities with treatment beds, counsellors, detox centres and other avenues to ensure people suffering from addiction can return to their communities clean and with a life plan in place.

A large crowd gathered at the event prior to Poilievre’s arrival, held along Nanaimo Lakes Rd. on Wednesday afternoon. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Poilievre was joined by Nanaimo-Ladysmith candidate from the 2021 election, Tamara Kronis.

Kronis lost to current NDP MP Lisa Marie Barron by 1,281 votes thanks in large part due to a swell in support for the People’s Party of Canada (PPC).

Poilievre wouldn’t confirm whether Kronis would run again in the next federal election, slated for fall 2025, however Kronis told NanaimoNewsNOW she would run again “if the party will have me.”

However, messaging from the party on a number of topics, according to Poilievre, is appealing to voters across the political spectrum.

A platform he’s presented includes cutting income taxes and lowering prices on many items by eliminating carbon tax increases and inflationary deficits.

“There’s a war on work in Canada right now, you work hard and you lose more and more money to clawbacks and taxes, it penalizes hard-working waitresses, barbers, welders and others, they’re doing the nation’s work.”

The visit from Poilievre is the second to Nanaimo from a federal party leader in 2023.

NDP leader Jagmeet Singh held a series of roundtables on Vancouver Island, including in Qualicum Beach and Nanaimo, in late January focused on healthcare reform.

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