Questions Left Unanswered on Open Drug Use Policy at Outreach Center

Ever since Minister Rob Lantz disclosed to the public on November 14 that there was a policy put in place at the Outreach Center sometime ago to allow open drug use, the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of PEI has devoted a significant portion of their allotted time during Question Period to questioning how this policy came about.

The answers coming from Lantz have been less than fully revealing and at times outright contradicting. It’s still hard to figure out if his ministry knew about the policy and condoned it, or if they put a stop to the policy the second they found out about it.

During the most recent Question Period on November 17 it seems the King government decided to come out with a more aggressive strategy in order to try and quell what seems to be a growing scandal. For the past several days members of the government have stayed relatively quiet during questions in regards to the Outreach Center. Perfectly understandable and normal, there should be a sense of shame at a failure this big, but on Friday they were noticeably louder in thumping their desks. It seems part of a new strategy to frame the Opposition in the legislature as opportunistic for seeking answers on this policy, and instead frame the government as altruistic for seeking to help those addicted to illegal drugs.

I don’t know who is responsible for coming up with the political strategy for the King government, but I believe whoever they are that they made a big mistake. The way the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General, Bloyce Thompson, answered questions in regards to this policy was also quite shocking. He was dismissive and at times contemptuous of the questions posed to him and I believe he did great damage to the image of the government.

With the rest of this article I will lay out my reasoning as to why I believe this.

Before that though, it’s important to describe the organizational structure around the Outreach Center so we understand all the possible parties that could be involved in instituting a policy of open drug use on the premises.

A contract was signed with the Adventure Group on March 11, 2022 to run the Outreach Center and provide a list of services to help islanders in need.

Under Schedule A section(2) of this contract the Adventure Group is required to have a monthly meeting with an Advisory Committee that helps guide policy and procedures for the Center. This committee is made up of various stakeholders in the community as well as the Charlottetown Police and the department for Social Development and Housing.

Since the Adventure Group is responsible for the operations in running the Outreach Center, they were most certainly involved in the implementation of a policy allowing clients to openly consume drugs on the premises.

The crux of the issue is this, was the Adventure group alone in implementing this decision? Or did they receive support from the government or the police or both to go ahead with this open use policy? My instincts tell me that it is unlikely the Adventure Group would go ahead without an assurance from the government, but again it seems both Ministers Lantz and Thompson are unwilling to confirm.

If the Adventure Group was solely responsible for implementing this policy, then a criminal investigation by the police should certainly happen. As Thompson confirmed during Question Period, such a policy is illegal, and any police investigation would help expose the extent of any criminal activity that took place. As to the question of whether to prosecute or not, that is another matter, but it’s hard to determine if it’s in the public interest to prosecute if there is no police investigation.

On more than one instance Thompson has stated that it’s not his role to tell police who to charge with crimes. I disagree. The Police Act specifically lists his duties as the “preservation of peace” and “the prevention of crime.” With the rise of violent crime in the area, his number one priority should be to restore law and order and ensure the safety of residents. Allowing open drug use at the Outreach Center has allowed, in the words of Lantz, a “criminal element” to creep into the Center.

Section 3 of the Police Act also allows Thompson to consult, advise and issue directives on all police matters to the Chief of Police in order to preserve the peace and prevent crimes. Therefore, I find this lack of taking responsibility for the rise in crime and lawlessness in the area quite bogus.

The residents near the Outreach Center have suffered for years now, and the testimony some of them provided recently at a recent Health and Social Development committee on October 26th was heartbreaking to watch. This policy of open drug use has exasperated the problem and the residents deserve answers after all they have been put through. The admission by Thompson that neither him nor any members of his office have had a conversation with the Chief of Police about this policy speaks volumes to his character and the integrity of the PEI government. As Johnny Macdonald stated previously in his testimony to this committee, where is the compassion from Thompson for the hurt and suffering the residents have had to endure due to this failed policy of open drug use? Where is the compassion from the Premier for his government’s failure to uphold the law?

Instead of treating this issue with the severity that it deserves, Thompson instead decided to deride Perry, the Opposition Leader, by suggesting drug use at the Center was on the same level as speeding on the highway. When asked if he would launch an investigation into his department about the legality of this policy, Thompson took the opportunity to further deride Perry by mocking the way he phrased his question and as a result dismissed the plight of the residents near the Outreach Center.

It’s clear at this point by the conduct of both Lantz and Thompson that the public is unlikely to get a full truthful account of how this policy of open drug use was allowed at the Center.

In order to restore the integrity of government and restore the faith of the people in the institutions that provide for the safety and well being of residents; the Premier should immediately instruct the Attorney General to exercise his powers under the Police Act section(4) to appoint an investigator to determine the extent of criminality that occurred because of this policy. Furthermore, this investigator should investigate the extent that any members of government, including the Charlottetown Police, were involved in crafting this policy and condoning it’s implementation.