Heed threatens lawsuit against Yiu over drugs debate
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 10:48 PM PT
CBC News
Kash Heed says his legal team has sent a letter to Gabriel Yiu over the NDP candidate's comments in a Chinese-language news release. (CBC) The B.C. Liberal candidate for Vancouver-Fraserview has threatened legal action against what he calls a smear campaign by his NDP opponent.
Kash Heed, who quit as West Vancouver's chief of police earlier this year, said Tuesday he wants his stand on the issue of illegal drugs to be crystal clear.
Heed was referring to a Chinese-language news release sent out last Friday to various Vancouver media by New Democrat Gabriel Yiu, who's running against Heed in a riding with a major concentration of people of Chinese heritage.
Yiu's release alluded to Heed supporting the legalization of drugs. Voters should be fully informed of Heed's position before heading to the polls on May 12, it said.
Yiu said Tuesday he doesn't believe he played dirty politics by drawing attention to a debate held last Friday on an English-language radio station. Yiu, Heed and the Green party's Jodie Emery participated in the radio debate about drug issues.
Yiu insists Heed's stance includes legalization of drugs. (CBC) "I want to let them [Chinese voters] know that, well, there was a debate and actually it brought up Mr. Heed's record on drugs," Yiu told CBC News
Yiu said the issue of drug legalization is important to the Chinese community. He insisted that Heed's stance does include legalization of drugs and that he's ready for any lawsuit that may come.
Heed said Tuesday he does not support legalizing drugs. His legal team has sent a letter to Yiu threatening legal action if Yiu does not get his facts right.
Fully legalizing drugs would eliminate all penalties for possessing and dealing them. A less drastic measure is to decriminalize possession of small quantities of drugs, meaning violators don't face criminal punishments but can still get the equivalent of a ticket or fine.
"I'm against legalization of any drugs," Heed said. "My position is to have a debate on the other options that are available, and part of it is decriminalizing. Also, part is keeping the current drug laws that we have."
Balanced approaches are needed to combat illegal drugs, including prevention, treatment and enforcement — but not legalization, Heed said.
"I won't let people put their own set of facts out there when the facts are incorrect," he said. "And I will deal with it within the processes that all us to deal with it."
