As debate around the Liberals鈥� drug policy dominated parts of the spring House of Commons sitting, the Conservatives are offering little insight into what approach they would take when it comes to supervised consumption sites.

When asked earlier this month if a future Tory government would look to change the application process for opening such centres, the party鈥檚 addictions critic said she couldn鈥檛 speculate.

鈥淏ut I do think that this has been politicized into a space that is pitting one perspective versus another and that鈥檚 not helpful,鈥� Laila Goodridge said.

At supervised consumption sites, users can inject or inhale drugs under the watch of staff who can intervene in the case of an overdose. The centres also often offer drug testing, clean supplies to prevent the spread of disease and referrals to detox or treatment facilities.

Poilievre has been clear about his opposition to other harm reduction strategies that seek to mitigate the opioid overdose crisis.

Those include decriminalization efforts to help keep users out of jail and 鈥渟afer supply鈥� programs that provide pharmaceutical alternatives to toxic street drugs.

Instead, he wants to offer people 鈥渁 path to a drug-free life鈥� by emphasizing treatment and recovery. In a 2022 opinion piece, Poilievre also promised to create a national distribution program for nasal naloxone to help reverse overdoses.

But what about supervised consumption sites?

Asked for the party鈥檚 position, Goodridge pointed out that the Supreme Court of Canada has already ruled on the matter.

鈥淚 would recommend that you read that,鈥� she said.

In a landmark 2011 decision, the court unanimously ruled that closing the doors of Canada鈥檚 first supervised drug injection site would deprive users of their Charter rights.

The decision kept Insite in operation despite opposition from the then-Conservative government, and the health minister was required to grant an exemption to federal drug laws.

Poilievre鈥檚 office declined to say whether he supports supervised consumption sites or would include them as part of his approach to tackling the toxic drug crisis.

It also wouldn鈥檛 respond to a question about a reported statement by Poilievre at a town hall in northern Ontario in January. The Sault Star reported that he told the crowd he wouldn鈥檛 be prepared to fund supervised consumption sites.

And Poilievre鈥檚 office also didn鈥檛 answer whether he would review any current operations or change the requirements for operators.

鈥淚t sounds like they鈥檙e trying to have it both ways, which you can鈥檛 do,鈥� said University of British Columbia law professor Benjamin Perrin, once an adviser to Harper.

鈥淵ou either support them or you don鈥檛.鈥�

Four years after the Supreme Court decision that prevented it from shutting down Insite, the Harper government passed the Respect for Communities Act.

It required prospective supervised consumption sites to meet a suite of criteria in order to operate, such as tracking crime rates and consulting with local residents and police.

After they were elected, the Liberals passed their own law allowing facilities to open with more ease. There are now 39 supervised consumption sites, according to Health Canada, and another 10 open applications.

Goodridge, an MP from Alberta, noted there are facilities in her home province.

鈥淲e have continued to have supervised consumption sites, recognizing that they are part of the continuum of care in a recovery-oriented system,鈥� she said.

But they 鈥渉ave to be done in a way that takes into account all factors.鈥�

Alberta鈥檚 United Conservative Party government says it鈥檚 shifting focus away from what it calls 鈥渁cute interventions鈥� in favour of putting more resources toward long-term recovery from addictions 鈥� an approach Poilievre applauds.

In Ontario, Premier Doug Ford has pulled funding from some supervised consumption sites and in 2018 said he was 鈥渄ead against鈥� them.

Critics say both provinces are mounting an attack on harm reduction, as an increasingly toxic drug supply drives a staggering death toll. More than 40,000 people have died since federal tracking began in 2016.

Poilievre has noted his opposition to a few specific supervised consumption sites.

Several weeks ago, he asked the federal health minister to refuse an exemption requested by a site in Montreal, citing residents鈥� concerns about its proximity to a school and daycare.

Goodridge said that, 鈥渁s a mom,鈥� she doesn鈥檛 think the centre鈥檚 location is mindful of 鈥渨hat is best for community and community well-being.鈥�

Earlier this year, Poilievre also asked supporters to oppose the proposed opening of a 鈥渘ew drug site鈥� in Richmond, B.C. He accused the Liberals and New Democrats of 鈥減ushing drugs on the Chinese community,鈥� as some members of that community protested the location of the centre.

When it comes to the question of whether any supervised consumption sites should be operating, other Tory MPs have sent mixed messages, critics point out.

Alberta MP Glen Motz told the House of Commons in April that 鈥渢here is no such thing as a safe consumption site,鈥� while B.C.鈥檚 Todd Doherty more recently suggesting in a committee that his party hadn鈥檛 settled on a position.

鈥淣ot one person is talking from the Conservatives, whether it鈥檚 our leader or ourselves, not one of us has said anything about safe consumption sites in any policy, any conversation,鈥� Doherty said, adding he believes 鈥渢here are many tools in the tool box.鈥�

The New Democrats鈥� critic for addictions, Gord Johns, said, 鈥淲e can鈥檛 get an answer out of the Conservatives.鈥�

He added: 鈥淕ood luck.鈥�

Perrin said one way for a future government to get around the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling would be to use the notwithstanding clause.

That allows a government to pass laws that override parts of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for up to five years.

Poilievre has said he would be prepared to use the clause in order to keep convicted killers ineligible for parole for a longer period of time. His office has clarified that any use of that tool would be restricted to criminal justice matters.

鈥淭his is a criminal justice issue,鈥� Perrin said of supervised drug sites.

Poilievre鈥檚 office declined to answer whether they agreed.

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Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press