Mr. Speaker, we learn so much every day from the Chair and we appreciate that.
My colleague asked me to comment on two things. One was how seriously I think the government is taking this matter of health hazards associated with these attempts to diminish cigarette smuggling. I think the government is serious about the problem. There has been an attempt to address it vigorously. The only problem is that I do not believe this way of addressing it is the most effective. I do not think it was well thought through. I do think the costs of this particular approach outweigh the benefits and that there can be some changes to the legislation which will make it much more effective in addressing the problem.
All of us in this House including those on the government side are concerned that we not have a problem of cigarette smuggling in the country. We know the disruption and the social cost but we have to make sure that what happens to stamp out one fire does not start a bunch of others.
The second thing mentioned by my colleague was banning cigarette advertising. This has not been talked about too much in the House. I guess my comments to start us thinking about advertising are these.
The goal of advertising is to create a need, to create a desire. In simple terms, why are we allowing an activity that creates a need and a desire in our citizens to use a product that is very harmful to them personally, has an enormous social cost and an enormous economic cost?
We need to sit down and do a cost benefit analysis on that. Yes, it does create some jobs and that is good, but at what cost? It seems to me that when we are so eager to legislate, to make moves to change social policies and social structures, this is an area that we really have not considered as seriously as we could.
I would suggest that it would certainly be an appropriate use of the legislative powers of the House to diminish activities that create a need and a desire for a very harmful product for Canadians and for Canadian youth.