Jaffer used anti-drug rhetoric in his electioneering
Police reportedly charged former Edmonton-Strathcona Tory Rahim Jaffer with drunk driving and possession of cocaine on Sept. 11. Authorities are said to have stopped him as he drove through Caledon, Ont., about an hour and twenty minutes from Angus, hometown of his wife, Simcoe-Grey Tory MP Helena Guergis. Guergis has since released a terse statement, saying only that she “[takes] this very seriously” but won’t be making further comments until more information comes out. As the Edmonton Journal points out, Jaffer, who lost to the NDP Linda Duncan in last year’s election, used anti-drug rhetoric in his electioneering. “In the run-up to the election, Jaffer’s campaign took out an advertisement on 630 CHED radio that made reference to remarks NDP leader Jack Layton made in 2003 about his appreciation of marijuana,” writes Karen Kleiss. “Edmontonians understand how difficult it is to make sure our children make the right choices, especially on serious issues like drug use,” the ad went.