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

[Claude Gravelle, NDP, Nickel Belt, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I appreciate the member for Okanagan—Coquihalla letting us know about this. However, I want to make sure that he knows that we will be introducing some amendments, and those amendments are about making the wine with 100% Canadian grapes.

How can anybody oppose using 100% Canadian grapes? We cannot oppose that.

Hopefully, the member for Okanagan—Coquihalla is going to accept these amendments, maybe as friendly amendments, and we can put that in the bill. The only people we would be helping if we did that would be the people in the Canadian wine industry.

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

Resuming debate. The hon. member for Newton—North Delta. I would remind the hon. member that I will have to interrupt her at the half hour point, as this would be the end of the time allocated for private members' business.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

I understand, Mr. Speaker.

It is my pleasure today to rise in support of this legislation.

It is interesting how we learn so much. I moved to Canada in 1975. I have taken wine from one province into another without even knowing that I was not supposed to do that. Almost every member in the House whom I have talked to has said they have done the same thing. Every one of us needs to support this bill so that all of us can be made legal. For that reason alone, we need to support the bill.

This is just a hangover from the old Prohibition days. We have accepted that Prohibition is over. Alcohol is sold in every province. It is time to put an end to this archaic piece of legislation that is just sitting there, especially now that it does not serve a purpose and has actually become a barrier.

I am very impressed with the number of wineries right across Canada. When I went through the Niagara area, I saw wonderful wineries. I saw wineries in Quebec. I was even surprised to see wineries way out on the east coast.

B.C. has some of the best wineries anywhere, whether it is Burrowing Owl or Mission Hill. Now I am going to upset people, because I am not going to be able to mention all of them, but we have some amazing wines and wineries.

It just makes common sense that Canadians, as they travel across this beautiful country, should be able not only to imbibe the grape juice while they are visiting those wineries but should also be able to take a bottle or two back home with them for personal consumption.

Wines from some of these wineries—at least, some of my favourite ones—are often not very available in wine stores. They sell out long before it gets out there. Who would not want to buy a case of Mission Hill wine or Burrowing Owl wine, or some of the other wonderful wines we have around the country, and why would we want to stop Canadians from supporting Canadian businesses?

Most of us here understand economics. Economics involves encouraging people to buy Canadian. I have always felt that made common sense.

When people come here from other parts of the world, they are amazed by the quality of wine that Canada is producing. If that is so, then it makes common sense to make it available to Canadians. If colleagues of mine should happen to come to B.C. from Ontario and fall in love with one of the B.C. wines, we do not want to just hold them captive until they just drink themselves silly; we want them to taste the wine and enjoy it. We want them to be able to buy many bottles and take them back to Ontario to share with their friends. That would not only help to support the winery in B.C. but would also help to support Canadian wine all over, because a colleague will serve the wine to a diversity of people--

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

Order. Is the hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country rising on a point of order?

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I just want to clarify something.

My hon. colleague from British Columbia and her colleagues spoke in favour of the bill. It is important for the industry for this legislation to be passed. If we stop debate now, we could have the vote tomorrow. Otherwise, it is going to take several months. It will drop to the bottom of the order of precedence. Is that correct, Mr. Speaker?

[The Acting Speaker, Bruce Stanton]

The Chair does not usually serve the role of clarifying these types of things and it is not really a point of order, but the member does have it right. In fact, we are just actually finished debate on the first hour at third reading and report stage. There is an accommodation of two hours, so what will happen now is that I will read momentarily that this question will go to the bottom of the order of precedence and will make its way back up for the second hour of, again, the combination of report stage and third reading. At that point, the question will be put.

The hon. member for Newton—North Delta will have four minutes remaining for her speech when the House next resumes debate on the question.

The time provided for the consideration of private members' business has now expired, and the order is dropped to the bottom of the order of precedence on the order paper.

The House resumed from May 31 consideration of the motion that Bill C-311, An Act to amend the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (interprovincial importation of wine for personal use), be read the third time and passed.

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill C-311 under private members' business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #270

[The Speaker, Andrew Scheer]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)