Bill Blair

Wednesday January 13, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Wednesday January 13, 2016 The Blair roach project has won a powerful supporter. Premier Kathleen Wynne said she is pleased Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now Scarborough Southwest MP, to lead the marijuana legalization efforts. ÒI have a lot of respect for Bill Blair. I think that heÕll do a great job and his taking on of that role is the beginning of that national conversation that I said we have to have,Ó Wynne told reporters Monday at QueenÕs Park. The premier added that she was heartened that Blair is embracing her proposal to have cannabis sold through government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario outlets. ÒIÕm encouraged that he had, as a preliminary approach, that he thinks that it might make sense to use a distribution network thatÕs in place, . . . (although thatÕs) not a foregone conclusion,Ó she said. ÒHeÕs got a lot of people to talk to and heÕs got a lot of questions to ask and a lot of decisions to make over the coming months, so I look forward to that conversation.Ó Blair, a rookie MP who is parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, will work with a three-member cabinet team and a soon-to-be-named federal-provincial-territorial task force to develop the policy for legalizing marijuana. On Friday, Blair said Ottawa will look to Colorado and other jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana sales. ÒWe have pretty robust systems of regulation for other intoxicants in this country, mostly overseen by the provinces, and so weÕve already got a model, a framework we can build on here,Ó he said. ÒI think there are certain modifications or adjustments that we may have to make for cannabis as opposed to alcohol, but I think there is already a strong system in place for the control and regulationÓ of marijuana sales here. The police veteran, who himself has never smoked marijuana, pointed out that it is Òvery difficul

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday January 13, 2016

The Blair roach project has won a powerful supporter.

Premier Kathleen Wynne said she is pleased Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked former Toronto police chief Bill Blair, now Scarborough Southwest MP, to lead the marijuana legalization efforts.

“I have a lot of respect for Bill Blair. I think that he’ll do a great job and his taking on of that role is the beginning of that national conversation that I said we have to have,” Wynne told reporters Monday at Queen’s Park.

The premier added that she was heartened that Blair is embracing her proposal to have cannabis sold through government-owned Liquor Control Board of Ontario outlets.

Tuesday July 16, 2013“I’m encouraged that he had, as a preliminary approach, that he thinks that it might make sense to use a distribution network that’s in place, . . . (although that’s) not a foregone conclusion,” she said.

“He’s got a lot of people to talk to and he’s got a lot of questions to ask and a lot of decisions to make over the coming months, so I look forward to that conversation.”

Blair, a rookie MP who is parliamentary secretary to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, will work with a three-member cabinet team and a soon-to-be-named federal-provincial-territorial task force to develop the policy for legalizing marijuana.

On Friday, Blair said Ottawa will look to Colorado and other jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana sales.

“We have pretty robust systems of regulation for other intoxicants in this country, mostly overseen by the provinces, and so we’ve already got a model, a framework we can build on here,” he said.

“I think there are certain modifications or adjustments that we may have to make for cannabis as opposed to alcohol, but I think there is already a strong system in place for the control and regulation” of marijuana sales here.

The police veteran, who himself has never smoked marijuana, pointed out that it is “very difficult” for under-aged Ontarians to buy booze at the LCBO.

“You’re going to come up against a government employee who’s got regulations to enforce and is going to ask for identification and if a person’s under age, they’re not going to be able to buy that,” said Blair. (Source: Toronto Star)

 

Tuesday July 24, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Tuesday July 24, 2012

Toronto police funding ‘huge victory,’ says Mayor Ford

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford declared victory after getting an assurance Monday from the province that funding would continue for a special police unit charged with addressing the root causes of violence.

Funding for the Toronto anti-violence intervention strategy (TAVIS) unit comes from the province, and Ford said Monday that Premier Dalton McGuinty committed to extending that funding on a permanent basis.

“I think that’s a huge victory for the taxpayers of Toronto,” Ford said in brief remarks after a meeting Monday afternoon with the premier and Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair that was called in the wake of a recent spate of violent gun crime in the city.

“I take Mr. McGuinty at his word. He told me straight out and no, there was no BS. I wasn’t going to sit there and listen to it,” Ford said.

“I asked for funding for TAVIS and he said, ‘Yes, we’re going to continue funding TAVIS.’ That’s what the people want. People want to live in this great city, which it is, and people want to come here and create jobs and have a safe environment to create jobs.”

Chief Blair said the funding commitment from the province will allow police to build on what TAVIS has already accomplished and to plan future deployments.

The mayor has previously disparaged youth outreach initiatives as “hug-a-thug” programs, while the premier has said a balanced approach is needed, with a need to invest in both social programs and police initiatives.

In another development, Ford will meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Toronto on Tuesday to discuss gun crime. (Source: CBC News)