Ottawa - Garry Breitkreuz, MP for Yorkton-Melville, demanded that Solicitor General Herb Gray impose mandatory HIV testing for all inmates to help stop the spread of AIDS in federal penitentiaries. Gray flatly rejected mandatory HIV/AIDS testing implying it would violate the rights of prisoners. He went on to say that his department was implementing the recommendations of an "expert committee" which advocates handing out free condoms and providing prisoners with bleach so intravenous drug-users can sterilize their needles. "Gray's response showed that he was more interested in doing what is politically correct rather than take real action to protect the lives of guards and inmates under his care." said Breitkreuz.
On November 7, the Vancouver Sun, reporting from Vancouver's annual AIDS Conference, said there are 152 inmates in federal prisons known to be infected with HIV - an alarming 40 percent increase over the past 16 months. "The fact is," said Breitkreuz, "no one knows how many prisoners have AIDS or how many are HIV positive. This is like a ticking time bomb. Maybe it's the Liberal way to solve the overcrowding problem in our prisons."
"Both guards and inmates are concerned about the risk posed to them by inmates with HIV and AIDS," reported Breitkreuz. He used the government's own publications to demonstrate Gray's misdirected sense of priorities. Correctional Service Canada published a 165 page "guide for inmates living with HIV". At the top of page 32 of the guide it states: "You should know that sexual activity between inmates in federal institutions is considered an institutional offence." Then the guide goes on to demonstrate "verbally and pictorially" how to put on one of the government's free condoms.
"Rather than handing out free condoms and guides on how to use them, the Liberal government, for starters, should strictly enforce their own prison rules which say sexual activity between inmates is an institutional offence," demanded Breitkreuz. Gray should also support my Private Member's Bill to make the wilful and reckless transmission of HIV/AIDS a criminal offence. Then he should immediately implement mandatory HIV/AIDS testing for all prison inmates. I believe that counselling and education will help solve the problem, but if you don't know who has this deadly virus then how do you ever know who to counsel?" asked Breitkreuz. "The government is now paying inmates huge sums of money because they did not adequately protect the safety of prisoners under their care. Will the Liberal Government and the taxpayers of Canada now be held libel for huge law-suits by prisoners who contract AIDS while in prison simply because the Minister is afraid to do the right thing?" Solicitor General Herb Gray refused to answer this question.
Back on October 19, 1995, Breitkreuz reported the results of an Access to Information Request which showed Corrections Canada and the Department of Health buy 620,640 condoms for $139,025.10 in just the last year.
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