Yes, Mr. Speaker. On Bill C-42 I thought I might go over the Liberal record on tobacco. This is a summary of all the things that have happened since I have been in the House, since 1993.
First, the government reduced prices to combat smuggling. Second, it caved in on plain packaging. Third, it passed Bill C-71. It weakened Bill C-71 by giving in to Grand Prix racing, and with the ongoing weakening from other sponsorship groups the result is Bill C-42.
It is very instructive to look at what has been the result of these measures. It is not that tough to do. One can actually go and look at statistics on tobacco consumption in Canada as I have done.
The statistics I will be presenting today will be very specific for Canada since 1991. The reduction of tobacco smoking in 1991 was 6.16%. This trend had been going on for many years. In 1993 it dropped to 3.49%. In 1994 for the first time in 30 years it went up to 9.20%. I want this to be plain. This is total market for tobacco. That includes tobacco smuggled and tobacco used in Canada. Some would look at statistics and say we do anything we want with them. If the U.S. statistics are compared with the Canadian statistics they have been in lock step for those 30 years.
In 1994 the Canadian statistics took a dramatic jump. The jump was directed, and Statistics Canada shows this plainly, at our youth. The bill is weakening a pretty good bill, Bill C-71, which Reformers supported. I am proud to say Reformers were able to actually prevent procedural wrangling on that bill.
Bill C-71 was directed at youth. It allowed advertising to still go toward adults who had already made the decision to smoke. In adult only publications and in bars it was quite legitimate for tobacco companies to advertise. That took away from the tobacco companies a tremendous lever, the lever of court challenge that would make Bill C-71 no longer legal. We now have a bill which groups involved in health are saying is a weakening.
I will end my speech now so that we can carry on and vote on Bill C-42.