The PC Opposition says the government is failing to address the current spike in crime and drugs, and has admitted as much.

Helen Conway Ottenheimer says she was taken aback by the comments of Health Minister Tom Osborne on Monday.

‘When I heard the Minister of Health in the media say that we can’t control the sale of drugs in our province—now that to me, that message, I have some serious concerns about, because is that an admission that we basically have failed and we can’t do anything with the sale of drugs?”

The Justice critic was speaking during a briefing to address the five per cent increase in the province’s crime rate last year.

It also came on the heels of the 11th known cocaine-related drug overdose in the past month.

Conway Ottenheimer says the government must make the import and sale of illegal drugs its top priority.