Finance committee  There are a couple of things. First of all, I want to remind the committee that tobacco products are hidden from public view. There's already a 75% health warning on the pack. I don't think that plain packaging will reduce smoking, but that's another debate. The health minister

Finance committee  There are important issues with the stamp right now. I have right here an illegal pack with a legal stamp on it. What's happening right now is that some of legal stamps are making their way into the hands of illegal traffickers, so consumers who are buying these products see a f

Finance committee  First, let me provide you with some information about the size and scope of illegal tobacco and the links to organized crime. Since I appeared before you in October, new data has been released on the illegal market in Ontario, which has jumped by more than 37%, a 66% increase in

Finance committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. Thank you for this opportunity to appear before the committee. As the chair pointed out, my name is Eric Gagnon and I am the Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs for Imperial Tobacco Canada.

Finance committee  Very shortly, three things. The first one is that they have a bill, Bill 44. We have been advocating for Ontario to do the same thing. Every police officer in Quebec has the right to impose the Tobacco Control Act. That's one. Two, Ontario has introduced a task force and invest

Finance committee  No, I will leave it at that.

Finance committee  First of all, it's hard to evaluate the illegal market, because it's illegal. When you look at the level of taxation in Canada, though.... This number is not coming from us. It's coming from third party groups, and it's public-domain information. I'll give the concrete example of

Finance committee  You have to understand that today, the only way for consumers or law enforcement to compare products is the packaging. Traffickers use old technologies and they cannot copy existing packaging. Health Canada wants to impose two things. It wants to standardize the packages; the mar

Finance committee  Thank you Mr. Chair. Good morning everyone. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to make a presentation before the committee. My name is Eric Gagnon, and I am the head of corporate and regulatory affairs for Imperial Tobacco Canada, the largest legal tobacco manufacturer in