Canadian grapes are a little bit freer after the premiers of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia committed to what they called 鈥渇ull and easy鈥� online purchasing of wine within their three provinces. But one MP says the new agreement doesn鈥檛 go far enough.
After a premiers meeting in Whitehorse on Friday, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said that, 鈥渨ithin a number of days, so very soon, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario 鈥� is going to be launching an e-commerce site that will allow people in Ontario to buy wine from Quebec and British Columbia directly.鈥�
Wynne said she鈥檚 been working on the change since B.C. Premier Christy Clark brought her a bottle of Osoyoos wine in 2013, to highlight what Clark called 鈥渂yzantine鈥� regulations preventing Ontarians from online ordering from B.C.鈥檚 300+ wineries.
Clark thanked Wynne for her work.
鈥淭o change liquor laws in Ontario is not an easy task,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a byzantine system that鈥檚 grown up over the years and I don鈥檛 envy Premier Wynne having to take it on, but I certainly do admire the tenacity she鈥檚 brought to it.鈥�
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard called it 鈥済reat news for our producers and consumers鈥� and said it was done in the 鈥渟pirit of free trade.鈥�
Couillard was asked why consumers still won鈥檛 be able to order wine online directly from producers. He said that the mandate of the Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) is being reviewed and 鈥渨e are definitely moving in that direction鈥� but that he didn鈥檛 want to wait 鈥渢wo or three years鈥� to start opening up interprovincial wine sales.
He said other provinces are welcome to join the program too, adding that Nova Scotia seems 鈥渜uite interested.鈥�
All three premiers said the online ordering is an example of 鈥渇reer trade,鈥� although Clark suggested it鈥檚 only a partial win. 鈥淲e have not freed the grapes completely, but they are freer,鈥� she said.
Conservative MP Dan Albas, who put forward the failed in Parliament last month, commended Clark for pushing her counterparts to open up interprovincial trade, but said he is disappointed by Friday鈥檚 announcement.
鈥淚t鈥檚 progress but disappointing,鈥� said the MP who represents the winery-laden riding of Central Okanagan鈥擲imilkameen鈥擭icola.
鈥淚t does not support the true free trade of wine,鈥� he added.
Albas said that the LCBO in Ontario recently began allowing consumers to order cases of wine from B.C. vintners, but the process is slow, inconvenient and expensive.
Even if the new e-commerce site is an improvement, Albas said 鈥淐onservatives contend it鈥檚 a Canadian right to be able to trade with other Canadians.鈥�
Albas said consumers in any province should be allowed to contact wineries and have the product delivered to their houses without a provincial middleman like the LCBO or SAQ.
One of the main benefits, in his view, is the potential for Canadian producers to use the domestic markets to 鈥渟cale up鈥� to sizes that would make them competitive internationally.
鈥淲e have amazing quality of wines,鈥� Albas said. 鈥淏ut our industry, compared to most mature wine-producing countries, is extremely small in comparison.鈥� He said seven of 10 bottles currently sold in Canada are imported.
Albas said it 鈥渄rives Canadians crazy鈥� that, at a time when Canada is pushing for free trade with other countries, they don鈥檛 have free trade with each other.
Premier Clark made a similar point. 鈥淚f we can鈥檛 be free traders amongst us, consumers can鈥檛 win, taxpayers can鈥檛 win and our businesses and our industries can鈥檛 win,鈥� she said.
Earlier at the press conference, Yukon Premier Darrell Pasloski also praised free trade.
鈥淚鈥檓 really concerned about the protectionist messages that we鈥檙e hearing from south of the border, from the United States, from both presidential candidates,鈥� he said.
鈥淣ow more than ever we need to really work hard to ensure we鈥檙e creating the best opportunity for freer trade in our country,鈥� Pasloski added.
He said free trade grows the economy, 鈥減rovides better opportunities to businesses and the benefit to consumers is always keeping prices competitive or lower.鈥�
