Bill C-311 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (interprovincial importation of wine for personal use)

This enactment amends the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act to add an exception allowing individuals to import wine for their personal use to the provision that requires that all imports of intoxicating liquor be made by the province.

Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I introduced my private member's bill calling for an end to wine prohibition in Canada. Bill C-311, if passed by my colleagues, will allow Canadian wineries to sell to Canadians all across this great country, something that the 83-year old prohibition era Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act currently makes illegal.

After I introduced my bill the phone started to ring: CBC Halifax, Niagara This Week, the St. Catharine's Standard and others.

It turns out Nova Scotia is an emerging wine region with roughly 15 wineries. It can produce great wines in places like the Annapolis Valley and elsewhere.

Twenty years ago in British Columbia we had roughly 15 wineries. Today in B.C. we have close to 200. Think about the potential for Nova Scotia.

Ontario Niagara region has close to 16,000 acres planted in grapes. In the province of Quebec there are now close to 50 wineries.

In fact, there are now wineries in every province across Canada.

Ending wine prohibition will help family-owned wineries all across Canada. I hope my colleagues will support Bill C-311.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan—Coquihalla, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-311, An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (interprovincial importation of wine for personal use).

Mr. Speaker, in the year 1928 a prohibition era law was passed and to this day makes it illegal to bring a bottle of wine from one province to another.

Canadians are a law-abiding people who like to follow the law and many share a passion for our great Canadian wines. This passion for wine, along with the hard work of many Canadian families, have resulted in wineries now being located in every province across our great nation.

My bill proposes an amendment to the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act. This amendment would create a personal exemption from the act. This personal exemption would allow individuals to either directly import, send, take, or transport or cause to be imported, sent, taken or transported wine only for personal consumption. This is not for resale or for other commercial use in quantities as permitted by the province in question.

I would like to recognize the member for Kelowna—Lake Country for his ongoing work on this subject. I would also like to thank the many small wineries in my riding of Okanagan—Coquihalla for their invaluable assistance in bringing this matter forward.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)