I was startled to read that federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson had slammed the Senate for not pushing through legislation implementing mandatory jail terms for drug producers. Kim Bolan's article quoted him as saying he had been calling on Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to "do something this summer about the holdup we have in the Canadian Senate." The implication, of course, is that the Liberals in the Senate have somehow delayed passage of this bill.
It would be useful for the minister to know the facts. Bill C-15 was introduced in the House of Commons Feb. 27. It passed the House on third reading June 8. Incidentally, the Liberals supported it.
Clearly, the minister was in no great hurry to have it passed and, indeed, a previous iteration of this bill, C-26, died on the order paper with the calling of the last election.
