On April 28, 2025, people in Canada will head to the polls for a federal election during a tumultuous time in the country.
Our next government will need to navigate through a number of recent disruptions to the world economy that has included the dismantling of crucial aid programs that support the prevention and treatment of HIV worldwide.
In Canada, provincial governments across the country are defunding and restricting harm reduction services and scaling back on promising evidence-based services that are saving lives.
At present, Canada is the only G7 country with rising HIV rates, with the latest data indicating that there were more than 2,400 new HIV diagnoses reported in 2023, an increase of 35% compared with 2022.
This is our chance to elect a government that upholds and actively promotes health and human rights. Keep visiting here for updates as the parties release their platforms in the coming weeks.
Featured Issues
On Friday, April 11, the HIV Legal Network wrote to the party leaders in the Canadian Federal election with key questions on their party’s positions on issues related to HIV, human rights, and the law. We will be updating this page as we receive responses.
Drug Policy
Canada’s federal government has the jurisdiction to end the failed War on Drugs and greatly increase access to key harm reduction services, including supervised consumption services and safe supply. Decriminalizing activities related to drug use is also a fundamental, necessary step to developing human rights–based drug policy in Canada, and open the door to responsible regulation.
Where the parties stand:
- Bloc Québécois:
- no single response will solve the toxic drug crisis in Canada
- The Bloc Québécois supports Quebec’s provincial overdose prevention action plan
- The federal government should not interfere in this matter and should support Quebec and other provinces in their respective approaches.
- Green Party of Canada
- Supports decriminalizing drug use. “This would remove the need for supervised consumption sites (SCS) to apply for criminal exemptions and allow them to operate like any other health service. We treat addiction as a health issue, not a crime.”
- Supports securing and expanding SCS and would end the burdensome case-by-case approval process and fund SCS nationally, including in provinces that refuse to do so.
- Support regulating all substances under a public health framework, including the access to a safe, screened drug supply and expanding low-barrier substitution therapies.
- Supports the expansion of funding for harm reduction programs that are culturally sensitive and gender-responsive and specifies services tailored for women, Indigenous, Black, and 2SLGBTQ+ people, and shaped with input from those most affected.
The Criminalization of HIV Non-Disclosure
The evidence is clear, and people living with HIV and other experts have spoken: It is long past time for
Canada to reform the laws that criminalize people living with HIV.
The next Government of Canada has the power to, and immediately should, remove HIV non-disclosure from the reach of sexual assault laws, end mandatory sex offender designation, end the deportation of non-citizens following a conviction for HIV non-disclosure, and review all past convictions.
Where the parties stand:
- Bloc Québécois:
- The Bloc is ready to examine the situation at the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
- Green Party of Canada
- The Green Party commits to reforming the Criminal Code in consultation with the HIV sector, in line with key elements of the CCRHC’s Community Consensus Statement.
- Supports removing HIV non-disclosure, exposure, or transmission from the reach of sexual assault laws. “People living with HIV should not face disproportionate punishment or be forced to register as sex offenders due to outdated laws rooted in stigma, not science.”
- Has made a broader commitment to justice reform includes replacing punishment with prevention, especially where public health is concerned.
- The Green Party has not yet committed to ending deportation or reviewing past convictions tied to HIV non-disclosure, but “believe in a fair, compassionate, and evidence-based system. Our approach would always prioritize health, human rights, and dignity over fear or discrimination.”
Questions for Your Candidates
During the campaign, you will likely have opportunities to talk to and ask questions of your local candidates. Most candidates participate in community debates, and they will often come right to your door to ask for your vote. Here are some questions that you can ask them:
- Will you and your government follow the evidence and consensus that the laws criminalizing HIV non-disclosure must be reformed?
- Do you and your government support the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use?
- Will you and your government work to make it easier to access safe supply and safe consumption services?
- Will you and your government commit to properly funding the HIV response, including HIV prevention and support initiatives, in Canada?
Connect on Social Media
Social media can be a great way to connect with candidates and your community. Here are some sample messages that you can share to ask questions of your local politicians and raise awareness among your fellow constituents:
- People living with HIV have waited for far too long. Canada’s next government must end the criminalization of people living with HIV. It’s beyond time for change. #cdnpoli #elxn2025
- Will you work to end the failed War on Drugs @CANDIDATE? I am voting for a candidate that puts forward drug policy that centres the health and human rights of people who use drugs. Will you be the one? #cdnpoli #elxn2025
- Any healthcare platform must address the chronic underfunding of HIV support and prevention programs by successive Canadian governments. Canada is falling behind and transmissions are rising. #cdnpoli #elxn2025
Media Articles
Poilievre defends campaign against critics, will continue to focus on affordability, illegal drugs – April 2, 2025 (Subscriber only)