OTTAWA – The federal NDP is challenging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s assertion that he wants to make things more fair for those charged with pot possession only after marijuana becomes legal in Canada.
New Democrat leader Tom Mulcair says his party has repeatedly called for an amnesty on charges for possessing small amounts of pot, but nothing has been done.
Mulcair notes Trudeau admitted to smoking pot as a sitting MP and faced no consequences, and yet doesn’t seem to care about Canadians who face charges while the law remains in place.
READ MORE: Justin Trudeau says his father used connections to get late brother out of pot charges
Trudeau shared a story Monday night during a Vice News interview about the time his late brother Michel found himself facing marijuana possession charges.
Trudeau says his father, former prime minister Pierre Trudeau, was able to bring the family’s resources to bear on the problem, including turning to friends in the legal community to help make the charges go away.
Trudeau admits that other Canadians, including marginalized people, are nonetheless treated unfairly in the legal system despite the fact “Canada is supposed to be fair for everybody.”