Ottawa appoints 'fentanyl czar'
(Ottawa) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has appointed former RCMP officer Kevin Brosseau to the role of "fentanyl czar." His mission will be to coordinate the fight against the trafficking of the powerful opioid, in line with what Canada promised the White House to temporarily avoid the imposition of tariffs on Canadian imports.
"Today's appointment of Kevin Brosseau as Fentanyl Czar will accelerate Canada's efforts to identify, disrupt and dismantle the fentanyl trade in partnership with the United States," the Prime Minister said in a statement.
Fentanyl is a deadly drug "that has torn apart communities and families across Canada and the United States," and it represents a scourge that "must be eradicated from the face of the Earth," reads the government document announcing the designation.
In addition to having worked for approximately 20 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Kevin Brosseau served as Deputy National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister. The government did not immediately provide details of his mandate and the salary he will receive.
Federal Minister of Public Safety, David McGuinty
"Canada needs a fentanyl czar who will coordinate across agencies, act quickly to address challenges [and] solve this crisis in our communities," Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said in a statement.
Justin Trudeau's government committed on February 3 to designate a "fentanyl czar." This measure is among those put forward by Ottawa to obtain a one-month reprieve on the customs duties that Washington planned to impose on all Canadian imports.
Under the last-minute agreement, Canada has 30 days to tighten border controls — even though less than 1 per cent of fentanyl entering the U.S. comes from the northern border, according to U.S. customs officials.
Since the Canadian government announced its new measures to appease Donald Trump, he has signed two presidential decrees to hit all countries, including Canada, with 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum.
In Paris, where he is participating in an international summit on artificial intelligence, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signaled that Canada will retaliate if these surcharges actually come into effect on March 12, as provided for in the duo of decrees (one on steel, and one on aluminum).
"Today's appointment of Kevin Brosseau as Fentanyl Czar will accelerate Canada's efforts to identify, disrupt and dismantle the fentanyl trade in partnership with the United States," the Prime Minister said in a statement.
Fentanyl is a deadly drug "that has torn apart communities and families across Canada and the United States," and it represents a scourge that "must be eradicated from the face of the Earth," reads the government document announcing the designation.
In addition to having worked for approximately 20 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Kevin Brosseau served as Deputy National Security and Intelligence Advisor to the Prime Minister. The government did not immediately provide details of his mandate and the salary he will receive.
Federal Minister of Public Safety, David McGuinty
"Canada needs a fentanyl czar who will coordinate across agencies, act quickly to address challenges [and] solve this crisis in our communities," Public Safety Minister David McGuinty said in a statement.
Justin Trudeau's government committed on February 3 to designate a "fentanyl czar." This measure is among those put forward by Ottawa to obtain a one-month reprieve on the customs duties that Washington planned to impose on all Canadian imports.
Under the last-minute agreement, Canada has 30 days to tighten border controls — even though less than 1 per cent of fentanyl entering the U.S. comes from the northern border, according to U.S. customs officials.
Since the Canadian government announced its new measures to appease Donald Trump, he has signed two presidential decrees to hit all countries, including Canada, with 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum.
In Paris, where he is participating in an international summit on artificial intelligence, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signaled that Canada will retaliate if these surcharges actually come into effect on March 12, as provided for in the duo of decrees (one on steel, and one on aluminum).
