On June 30, 2026, MP for Winnipeg Centre, Leah Gazan, issued the following statement
On June 21, 2026, MP Gazan issued the following statement on National Indigenous Peoples Day
Statement from MP Leah Gazan on Winnipeg Police Drug Sweeps
Statement from MP Leah Gazan on Winnipeg Police Drug Sweeps
As the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre, I was taken off guard after frontline organizations contacted me after the commencement of the 10-day action planned by the City of Winnipeg Police to respond to open drug use and drug trafficking. As the elected official for Winnipeg Centre, it is critical that all levels of government engage in open dialogue about concerns in our community. Although that did not occur, I am hopeful that this will not happen in the future. If we are to find collaborative solutions to look after the health and safety concerns in our community, we must ensure that everyone is at the table. This includes organizations that are on the frontlines of this crisis, neighbourhood associations, and people with living and lived experience.
I acknowledge that there have been growing safety concerns in Winnipeg Centre since the pandemic. Many of us have watched this public health crisis escalate, seeing more individuals lost to the toxic drug supply and increasing risks to public safety. As a resident of Winnipeg Centre, I see the impacts of this crisis on my doorstep, and I want to address this crisis. I want everyone to feel safe, and that will only occur by working together to implement solutions that are backed by evidence. This means supporting practices that are rooted in both public safety and public health.
Research has repeatedly shown that the drug crisis is caused by overlapping issues, such as poverty, houselessness, trauma, addiction, isolation and unmet mental health needs. In fact, experts have underscored that the toxic drug crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in recent history. These impacts became alarmingly clear with the announcement of an HIV public health emergency in Manitoba in May. Manitoban public health officials have reported that the rapid increase in HIV rates has been driven by drug consumption without safe supplies, homelessness and inequality in medical systems.
This is a public health and safety emergency - the only way to solve it is with an evidence-based public health and safety response. Trying to solve the crisis through punitive measures has proven ineffective. This is because many of the people struggling on our streets are living with the most complex mental health and trauma that stems from histories of violence, including institutional violence. In fact, many have already lived a life of punishment. As a result, escalating punishment for drug use often does not serve as a deterrent. More often, punishment pushes those struggling further into vulnerability and isolation.
As someone who lives in the area where these sweeps are taking place, I can tell you the current sweeps are not increasing safety. Using a tough-on-crime approach to a public health and safety crisis only pushes those most vulnerable further to the margins and reduces the visibility of the crisis without making any long-term progress. We have to make sure that we address public safety issues while ensuring that those who are struggling feel safe going to places where they can receive support. The current strategy is not only costly, but not backed by evidence on how to best tackle the current drug, mental health and safety crisis.
Over five years ago, Health Canada’s Expert Task Force on Substance Use provided governments with recommendations on how to best respond to the drug crisis. It is time that we implement Health Canada’s Expert Task Force recommendations, which call for decriminalizing personal drug possession, regularizing and minimizing the unregulated drug market, and providing a full spectrum of supports for people who use or have used drugs.
I remain committed to working with all levels of government, the justice system, frontline organizations, individuals with living and lived experiences, and neighbourhood associations to develop a response that holds public safety and public health at the same time. Let us join together and invest in creating a community that is safe for everyone.
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MP Leah Gazan
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On June 16, 2026, NDP Indigenous Affairs Critic Leah Gazan issued the following statement on Bill C-37: