By rdnewsNOW staff

Local MPs pledge to support cities seeking help with growing drug crisis

Nov 6, 2018 | 11:21 AM

A pair of MPs from central Alberta are offering their support to the City of Red Deer and the AUMA Mid-Sized Cities Mayors Caucus in their plans to lobby the provincial and federal governments for help in dealing with the country’s growing drug crisis.

Red Deer-Lacombe MP Blaine Calkins and Red Deer-Mountain View Earl Dreeshen spoke in support of those efforts, with Calkins noting communities in the province are indeed struggling to find solutions.

“The opioid crisis facing our nation is growing even more rapidly in central Alberta and our municipal governments need help,” says Calkins in a press release. “Justin Trudeau’s failed economic policies and anti-pipeline rhetoric have hurt our communities and only exacerbated these issues. The Liberal government can and absolutely should be supporting the efforts of the Mid-Sized Cities Mayors Caucus to find solutions to the issues of drug addiction and homelessness.”

“Our communities are dealing with increased taxes, increased crime, legalization of cannabis and the carbon tax,” added Dreeshen. “There is only one tax payer and they are being taxed to death to pay for flawed government policies and out of control spending.”

“In Red Deer we are dealing with serious addictions and homelessness issues,” continues Dreeshen. “It’s time the Federal Government listened to the mid-sized cities in our province and provide them with the necessary support. It’s time they step up and do the right thing.”

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Both Calkins and Dreeshen say they welcome an opportunity to meet with Red Deer City Council to discuss the issues and more clearly identify areas in which they can assist.

Last month, the mayors of Alberta’s 22 mid-sized cities signed letters to the provincial and federal goverments calling for more help in battling the growing drug crisis in our province.