Mr. Chair, currently the government is seeking a negotiated settlement of the WTO wine challenge by Australia. There is a concern that the Canadian wine industry will lose the federal excise exemption, which will risk the future of hundreds of wineries and grape growers across Canada.
This is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has a negative impact on winery tourism, is closing retail channels and has created a significant revenue losses for vintners in my riding and across Canada. In light of these two threats, will the government implement an industry-proposed wine grower value-add program to replace the excise exemption?