Thank you all for coming today.
Mr. Westcott, I've read your presentation and at one point you say:
Arbitrary and anachronistic regulatory product category definitions used to classify alcohol products for either taxation purposes or for access to various retail sales channels have fueled an increase in these various alternatives to distillation. Many regulators have been slow to react to these market changes.
First, I would like some examples of the slow reactions to market changes other than interprovincial transfers, which we've talked about already.
Second, you say:
...CFIA has [been] shown to be so ineffective in enforcing non-misleading labeling prohibitions that the provinces of Ontario and Quebec adopted their own beverage alcohol labeling standards....
I'm wondering if you can enlighten us a little more on both of those issues, because our goal is actually to come up with recommendations to the minister to make your industry a little more competitive. Could you address those two and give us specific things you would like changed, so we can help you?