Madam Speaker, I am pleased to participate in the debate at third reading of Bill C-42 and to raise certain arguments.
Many things have been said. My colleagues from the other parties have pointed out the great harm that smoking has done in Canada and in every province. As legislators, the members of this House must be able to promote and adopt laws against the use of tobacco, particularly among the young.
The data given us by anti-smoking organizations are frightening. These statistics have made us aware of this scourge. We are often tempted to think there are fewer smokers. Perhaps there is a reduction in the number of smokers in certain categories of people, for example among adults, but young people are starting to smoke earlier and earlier.
As has already been pointed out, Bill C-42 delays the implementation of certain sections of the Tobacco Act. Members will recall Bill C-71 passed by this House. Bill C-42 has mainly to do with tobacco sponsorships.
The amendments provide for a two-year moratorium on the restrictions governing sponsorships by tobacco companies until October 2000. From the third to the fifth year, the restrictions will apply as initially provided in Bill C-71, that is to say, the name of the company may appear on only 10% of advertising space. It is very important that the public be told that the ban on sponsorships will be total as of October 1, 2003.
The primary purpose of Bill C-42 is to amend the existing Tobacco Act so as to extend the transition deadline before the enforcement of the restrictions already imposed.
The first phase of the bill, which runs for two years after the amendment comes into effect, extends the status quo for promotion both on and off the sites of events and activities that were sponsored by tobacco companies before April 25, 1997.
The second phase, lasting three years after the two years of transition, will again extend the status quo for promotions throughout the site of sponsored events and activities, by permitting the display of product-related brand elements in promotional material.
It will also permit sponsorship promotions on the site of an event as it unfolds or according to other regulatory provisions; and apply the existing 90/10 restriction in the Tobacco Act to sponsorship promotions off site. These promotions will also be permitted in mailings sent directly to adults, in publications whose readership is essentially adult and in bars and taverns where minors are denied access by law.
The third aspect of the amendment is the considerable toughening up of the Tobacco Act in relation to the bill passed in April. Where some might have interpreted the 10% rule as a breach, there is no longer any doubt. We are talking zero tolerance.
This total prohibition will take effect immediately following the five year transition period. At that point, the Tobacco Act will prohibit all promotional sponsorship by tobacco companies. It will also prohibit the appearance of brand elements on permanent facilities or in them.
With such measures, Canada is following the worldwide trend to set more and more restrictions on the sponsorship and promotional activities of tobacco companies. The European Union intends to prohibit all industry sponsorship by 2006. A number of signatory countries have already prohibited all tobacco advertising and sponsorship within their borders. New Zealand, Australia and the United States have—or are heading toward—a total ban. The total ban after October 1, 2003 is therefore ahead of a number of countries, but the extended deadline makes it possible to take a sensible approach which will avoid numerous problems at the international level, for Formula I racing in particular, as well as on the economic level.
That said, the Bloc Quebecois has always been in favour of the key principles relating to health, and the campaign against smoking, particularly among young people, is close to our hearts.
The Bloc Quebecois is in favour of any measure to reduce smoking. We are in favour of measures to raise awareness and to educate people, as well as any measure to help eliminate this scourge that is costing so many lives and creating so many health problems.
It must not be forgotten, however, that health still comes under provincial jurisdiction. It is primarily at this level that health protection measures should be developed and administered.
This brings me to Quebec's existing anti-smoking legislation, which was sponsored by the present health minister. It was passed on June 17, 1998. The proposed legislation was received favourably by the media, health organizations, organizers of sports and cultural events, and the general public.
Quebec's Minister of Health avoided the errors made by the federal government by introducing much more realistic standards to combat smoking. His legislation is tougher but more flexible.
With respect to the ban on sponsorships, the provincial legislation offers event organizers a choice. The first option is to drop all tobacco-related sponsorships by October 1, 2000 and benefit from a financial assistance program for the period up to October 1, 2003, which is the government's solution. The second option is to accept a five-year transition period with restrictions after October 1, 2000 and no financial assistance, as provided for in the federal bill now before us.
Under the bill, sponsorship contracts already concluded with tobacco companies may stand or be renewed until October 1, 2000. Quebec's legislation provides, however, that the value of such contracts may not exceed their maximum value as at June 11, 1998.
Organizers will have until October 1, 2000 to decide which form of transition they prefer. For those who choose the second transition option, the amendment states that sponsorship promotion may continue on the site where an activity is held and during this activity for three more years after October 1, 2000.
Being able to choose between two options, each having its advantages and drawbacks, is another example of a balance between flexibility and rigidity. Naturally, most of the Quebec organizations and even the Canadian anti-smoking associations told us in committee and on other occasions that they would prefer that Bill C-42 or the existing federal anti-smoking legislation be harmonized with the legislation passed by Quebec.
As I mentioned earlier, the application is much stricter, but the adjustment for these sports and cultural events organizations which enjoyed tobacco sponsorships is more flexible because after two years they are prevented from advertising. However, until they can find other sponsors, they can draw on the compensatory fund for support.
The federal government should also have established a compensatory fund. In Quebec, the money in this fund comes from taxes on cigarettes.
Tobacco causes health care problems, it causes loss of life and it is a drain on the economy and on tax revenues, forcing taxpayers to pay for health care.
The Quebec legislation provides for a tax on tobacco. It levies a charge on tobacco companies and users, which goes into the compensatory fund, which, at the moment, helps the organizers of sports and cultural events. These people are very appreciative.
At home, we have the du Maurier international tennis championships, which are known worldwide. Sponsorship is by a tobacco company, and that is not necessarily a good image for the championships. In two years' time, they will have to find another sponsor.
Certain companies agreed to sponsor these sports and cultural events, which generated considerable revenue—$30 million for Quebec—as well as very substantial indirect revenues for the communities hosting them. This measure will make it possible to keep these events in the communities and to generate important revenues for the public.
The Bloc Quebecois asked the federal government to pass this measure and it would not have been necessary to give people another five years to make the transition. Although 10% is not very much, it is still advertising and it is still excessive.
I would like to remind members that the Bloc Quebecois is in favour of Bill C-42 because, in our opinion, it is more balanced than the previous legislation, Bill C-71. As I mentioned, we find it deplorable that the government has taken over a year to understand what we have been saying since the beginning of the debate on Bill C-71.
I need not recall how this bill was rushed through committee stage. We were expected to approve the bill without even hearing from important witnesses who wished to voice their objections to Bill C-71. There were many complications. In any event, that bill was replaced by Bill C-42. One year later, we are therefore no further ahead. All these measures have been delayed by one year, when this could have been wrapped up last year.
As I mentioned earlier, the fight against smoking is one that all of society must wage. It is not easy to change a habit that goes back several generations. But, through these bills, authorities will now have better tools with which to tackle the serious public health problem that smoking represents.