Methinks CBC is well aware that I am spoiling the Premier's Good Times in the Martimes this week N'esy Pas?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/carbon-tax-premiers-thursday-1.4752747

Ontario joins Saskatchewan in opposing federal carbon tax plan

B.C., Quebec disagree, saying pricing carbon hasn't hurt their booming economies  

(YEA RIGHT SO SAYS TRUDEAU'S MINIONS N'ESY PAS?)

Janyce McGregor · CBC News · Posted: Jul 19, 2018 4:00 AM ET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/friday-booze-limits-deal-1.4754541

Provinces agree to raise personal exemption for interprovincial booze sales

Individuals could bring 6 cases of beer, 2 cases of wine, 6 litres of spirits across a provincial border

Janyce McGregor · CBC News · Posted: Jul 20, 2018 4:00 AM E

933 Comments

Commenting is now closed for this story.





 
George Abbott

Newfoundland and Labrador reluctant? Let's put it all in perspective here. It costs over $500.00 return by ferry or air from the island of Newfoundland just to Nova Scotia. Who in their right mind would want to go to the mainland to purchase booze and bring it back to Newfoundland. Don't make sense to me. Dwight Ball, get your head out of the sand. You have bigger fish to fry.

bill barber

@George Abbott angle is geographically disconnected from other provinces thus it is difficult for folks to take advantage of beer deals between provinces such a NB,Quebec,Ontario etc.

bill barber

@bill barber
Nfld.

Wil Brown

@George Abbott - Not if you are in Labrador. It's a 15 minute drive from LabWest to Fermont.

Annabelle Murphy

@George Abbott Absolutely unbelievable that Dwight Ball would be against free trade between provinces. How does he ever expect to sell power to the west with this attitude?

George Abbott

@Wil Brown
Hey Wil, listen up. I was referring to the Island of Newfoundland, no mention of Labrador. Be more attentive when reading before responding.

Wil Brown

@George Abbott

Then don't begin your post with "Newfoundland and Labrador reluctant?".

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David R. Amos
@George Abbott "You have bigger fish to fry."

YUP Me Too

Methinks I should post my first reply to you today again within this comment thread as a double check on CBC's ethics because they obviously block me all the time. The first time I did this in another comment thread of yours I was in a hurry and on the phone so I misspelled a few words and left out some info. However CBC has not blocked it thus far Nesy Pas?

FYI when I refreshed the web page to see if anyone had responded to me your "Most Liked" thread was already gone. However I did manage to save my reply which was as follows:


David R. Amos
"Content disabled."
@George Abbott "Who is monitoring and policing this?"

Methinks the RCMP and the OPP have been busy running for coffee and donuts to bother monitor anything that may have negative ramifications for the politicians who oversee their paychecks and pensions N'esy Pas?

David R. Amos

@Annabelle Murphy "Absolutely unbelievable that Dwight Ball would be against free trade between provinces"

Methinks everybody knows that Dwight Ball is just following Dominic Leblanc's orders because by the end of 2019 his liberal party will be toast on "The Rock". I have not doubt he is just looking for some lucrative appointment to retire on. I bet he would liked to be addressed as Ambassador Ball to wherever. Nobody can deny that Harper did it with it with his pals such as Gordy Campbell to the UK, Patty Binns to Ireland and David Alward and Gary Dower to the USA when things got too hot for them in NB, PEI, BC, SK and BC . Furthermore Trudeau the Younger has already done it with his MP cohorts Dion and McCallum N'esy Pas?

 
George Abbott

Who polices this policy anyway? Are they just blowing into the wind?

Michael G. L. Geraldson

@George Abbott
I've asked myself the same thing. I've crossed interprovincial borders hundreds of times in my life and have never been stopped or know anybody who has. This is just policy for the sake of policy.

Al. Dunn

@Michael G. L. Geraldson Ask Gerard Comeau and the New Brunswick govt, eager to protect their taxation.

Rick Nash

@George Abbott Every so often someone gets busted, to be made an examlple of.

David R. Amos

@George Abbott "Who polices this policy anyway?

Methinks you must have noticed that as soon as i replied to your "Most Liked' Comment thread it went "POOF" so fast it would make Premier Gallant's head spin Nesy Pas?

FYI when I refresed the webpage to see if anyone had responded to me you thread was already gone However I did mange to save my reply which was as follows:

"Who is monitoring and policing this?"

Methinks the RCMP and the OPP have been busy running for coffee and donuts to bother monitor anything that may have negative ramifications for the politicians who oversee their paychecks and pensions N'esy Pas?

David R. Amos

@Michael G. L. Geraldson "This is just policy for the sake of policy."

NOPE This all about taxation

 
Toni Scarfone

How about we simply remove all restriction on intra provincial commerce. It is one of the things that makes living in canada so expensive.

Art Rowe

@Toni Scarfone
These clowns cannot see that. But they want us to unite against the US and trade restrictions and tariffs.
I say start at home!

Neil Gregory

@Art Rowe

It really doesn't matter where we start, just as long as we gt started.

David R. Amos

@Toni Scarfone "How about we simply remove all restriction on intra provincial commerce."

Methinks that would be too easy. Plus many old liberal buddies could be put out of work after the liberals went to all the trouble to create a job for them.

The Ex cop pals of the Public Safety Minister Stephen Horsman in the Contraband Enforcement Unit are a very good example when it comes to cross border issues and taxation in NB versus other provinces N'esy Pas?

http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/news/statement/renderer.2016.02.2016-02-11_2.html

Phil Simpson

@David R. Amos - Any true Liberal minded person would cheer for more open trade between all provinces.
It is the protectionist, and traditionalist Conservative minded people who build "walls" to guard their economies from being exposed.
Adam Smith, who is universally recognized as the founding father of our western democratic economic systems of capatalism was a staunch Liberal in his beliefs, and a well read Liberal philosopher.

David Allan

@Toni Scarfone

"How about we simply remove all restriction on intra provincial commerce. It is one of the things that makes living in canada so expensive."

There are no restrictions on interprovincial commerce.

These are individual exemptions, not commercial ones.

Matt Stevens (AKA peace.order.government)

@Toni Scarfone

Intra provincial connotes within the province.

That pedantry aside, restrictions on booze from another province have zero to do with the cost of living in this country.

David R. Amos

@Phil Simpson "Any true Liberal minded person" ???

Methinks you have no Idea who I am to sing Adam Smith praises to me. Perhaps you should Google me sometime N'esy Pas?

Bob Loblaw

@Phil Simpson "Adam Smith, who is universally recognized as the founding father of our western democratic economic systems of capatalism was a staunch Liberal in his beliefs, and a well read Liberal philosopher."

Adam Smith's Classical Liberalism is nothing like contemporary Welfare Liberalism. His Liberalism is more like Libertarianism, which is usually thought of as a pretty far right political philosophy, although there are left-Libertarians.

Phil Simpson

@Bob Loblaw - You need to study a bit more of Adam Smith, because what you claim is way off the mark.
Without Adam Smith's progressive, revolutionary work in economic systems, we might not have achieved the western "liberal" democratic economic system that we live within.
Libertarian?... Could hardly be further from the truth.
Don't get me wrong though, as I acknowledge the necessity of Conservative, protectionist, traditionalist society values as well.
Conservatives need Liberals, and Liberals need Conservatives, as neither is the correct choice at all times. They are complimentary facets of society, rather than antagonistic enemies that some would prefer to paint them in partisan blindness.

David R. Amos

@Phil Simpson Methinks the best work the wacko Adam Smith did was die on my birthday N'esy Pas?

David R. Amos

@Phil Simpson Have you ever heard of my debates in Fundy Royal since 2004?

https://www.google.com/search?q=fundy+royal+debate&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b

 
Neil Gregory

"Manitoba premier says provincial trade barriers need to be eliminated."

This has to be one of the very few times I agree with something a right-wing, Conservative says.

David R. Amos

@Neil Gregory "This has to be one of the very few times I agree with something a right-wing, Conservative says"

Methinks anytime a politician yaps abut reducing red tape and taxation everybody agrees no matter the colour of their political coat. To disagree would be a political faux pas particularly before an electionN'esy Pas?

Frank Knowles

@Artie Gibson
Maybe you should take time to read the constitution and not just cherry pick one section out of context. Lets continue shall we.

Section 122 The Customs and Excise Laws of each Province shall, subject to the Provisions of this Act, continue in force until altered by the Parliament of Canada

You see there were provisions in the constitution to allow provinces to keep and maintain laws regarding this very thing.

You'll also want to look up the legislation/regulations surrounding the repeal of prohibition in which each province was allowed to establish their own individual rules regarding liqour sales, consumption, and importation.

But hey, you did win the Cherry Picker award of the day.

David R. Amos 

@Frank Knowles "But hey, you did win the Cherry Picker award of the day."

NOPE Methinks you deserve the award.

Whereas New Brunswick does not have a Constitution we defer to the federal one. New Brunswick's not so clever lawyers failed to point that out that fact to the Supreme Court but I certainly did to all the judges I encountered in the Federal Court since I ran in the election of the 42nd Parliament. Whereas I just received another revised judgement from the Federal Court of Appeal on my birthday Premier Gallant and his minions know I have earned the right to put my application before the Supreme Court before the next provincial election N'esy Pas?





 
Dale Boire

As is being done in both Alberta and Manitoba there should not be any limits on what Canadians can buy in their own country.

David R. Amos

@Dale Boire I agree

Andrew Hillman

@David R. Amos
you forgot you N'esy pas here, non? (I guess it doesn't fit)

Andrew Hillman

@Andrew Hillman
*your. Can't we edit anymore?

David R. Amos 

Methinks it not wise for a stoner to tease me N'esy Pas?

CBC claims these are our words N'esy Pas?

@Andrew Hillman
So, according to what Neil says here, when I go to the LCBO to legally purchase marijuana, they will in all likelihood ask for ID, which they plan to keep in a database? That scares me. What if that data gets into the hands of the US government - will they allow me into the country? What if I want to join the Armed Forces, or work toward becoming a policeman - will that data be shared? I don't trust governments collecting such data on me.

Andrew Hillman

@Bob Foley Pragmatically speaking, that's the best answer. But it still makes me uncomfortable. I'm not a huge user, but my daughter is. I fear for her.

David R. Amos

@Andrew Hillman "Can't we edit anymore?"

Methinks you regret that fact about now N'esy Pas?

 
steve curtis

This a joke and a disgrace. I'll take and bring whatever I want in the country that is Canada.

Al. Dunn

@steve curtis Meanwhile the prime minister
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/400-bottles-of-wine-on-the-plane-federal-politicians-have-access-to-limitless-alcohol-on-government-flights

David R. Amos

@Al. Dunn Thanks for the chuckle.. That article begs the obvious question Methinks Harper and now Trudeau should have been arrested every time they landed in New Brunswick lugging all that booze across our provincial border N'esy Pas?

 
Rhiannon Simms

Curious--What is the yearly cost for the bureaucracy to manage and enforce 'inter-provincial trade barriers'.

Axe it and save us the money. We need less government.

Clayton McCann

@Rhiannon Simms You know not of what you speak. You need less hospital care? You need fewer doctors? You need less potholes filled? You need crumbling infrastructure? You need fewer protections for people preyed upon by big business and banks? You need less police? Fire departments? Ambulance? You don't need (or want) pharmacare? You don't want public defenders? Prisons? Parole officers? You don't want free and open elections? You don't need schools for your children? Universities for young adults? You don't need clean drinking water? The list could go on, but you probably don't need it to, not at this point, hey?

David R. Amos

@Rhiannon Simms I wholeheartedly concur

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David R. Amos

@Clayton McCann Methinks you post comments just like one of the overpaid under-worked bureaucrats whom Ms Simms and I are not very fond of N'esy Pas?

 
Michael G. L. Geraldson

Had it not been for Mr Comeau's case I likely would have never known there were restrictions in the first place. He was instrumental in bringing this issue to the forefront and eventually enabling these proposed changes which are long overdue. Even though he lost the court case he can take comfort in the fact that common sense may finally prevail.

David R. Amos

@Michael G. L. Geraldson Methinks you are obviously not from the very highly taxed province of New Brunswick N'esy Pas?

 
Jackson Thomson

There must be no provincial trade barriers, period.

David R. Amos

@Jackson Thomson I agree

david robertson

Free Trade in Canada? These people spend hours talking about Trade and this is what we get! And the CBC thinks its BIG BIG news. Really. What a JOKE.

robert omally

@david robertson ...and open comments on it too!

Rick Nash

@david robertson This is big news given the premiers are actually wasting taxpayer's dollars on this turf battle of protectionism over booze sales and monies going into each province's coffers. Agreed it's a joke to us common folk but very serious business due to the revenues each province receives from booze.

David R. Amos

@david robertson "Really. What a JOKE."

YUP

David R. Amos

@Rick Nash Welcome to the Circus

 
Maurice Vogel

The fact that there are any limitations on alcohol sold within the borders of same country is absurd.

David R. Amos

@Maurice Vogel Methinks folks should question the decision of the Supreme Court about the issue bur we can't their decision is final. The only way to fix things now is vote out office the politicians who appointed their lawyer pals to be judges. Then after a few years perhaps we may get some ethical people on the benches instead political operatives N'esy Pas?

 
Eric Tattersall

The Manitoba Premier has it right. Eliminate provincial trade barriers completely. After all, we are one Canada, aren't we? We have enough problems with the US--why make problems for ourselves.

David R. Amos

@Eric Tattersall Methinks greedy businessmen in Ontario and Quebec created the problem when their political buddies created our Federal Constitution. Then Trudeau the Elder made matters much worse for New Brunswick in 1982 N'esy Pas?

 
Rick Nash

This article highlights the inane meddling of government in a once moral and religious temperance movement of the early 1900's, morphed into a legalized form of mobster-like adjudication of revenues divied up by each province. The boss leaders meet to discuss how they can increase their monies and yet ramp up revenues, eyeing jealously cross-turf sales potentials.
This article highlights a template of similar interference by the provincial governments in the soon-to-be legalized marijuana market. Why are citizens tolerant to more government meddling?

David R. Amos 

@Rick Nash "Why are citizens tolerant to more government meddling?"

Methinks the answer is simple . In a nutshell folks don't give a damn because everybody knows the governments are infinitely corrupt long before our grandfathers were born. Folks just want to have some fun and enjoy their lives. No matter what the governments did many folks were just happy to buy some booze highly taxed or otherwise in order to escape the madness for a while. In short order our grandchildren can get stoned if they wish on highly taxed government regulated weed and escape the madness just like our forefathers. I smoke way too much overtaxed tobacco to keep myself jolly so I should not judge anyone N'esy Pas?







 
Mar Pell

Canada is fighting for free trade while at the same time provinces refuse to free exchanges from province to province.

Artie Gibson

@Mar Pell

It is illegal for the provinces to charge tariffs on interprovincial goods.

@https://en.wikipedia.org/.../Section_121_of_the_Constitution_Act,_1867

@Section 121. All Articles of the Growth, Produce, or Manufacture of any one of the Provinces shall, from and after the Union, be admitted free into each of the other Provinces.

David R. Amos

@Artie Gibson Methinks some folks must have noticed by now that this "News" Item has reversed a CBC trend Obviously it has been edited to a shorter form with the original with much info removed N'esy Pas?

 

David MacKinnon

damn nice of the premiers, it means that they think we the people are mature enough to choose our own beer, now if they could fix the health care system that would be significant.

David R. Amos

@David MacKinnon Dream on

  

Nicolas Krinis

Let's fix healthcare first. It needs fixing and badly. Beer should be on the bottom of the list.

David R. Amos

@Nicolas Krinis Methinks before the politicians fix heathcare shouldn't they finally give me a healthcare card? Otherwise I see no need to care N'esy Pas?

  

Manny Fredrick

They just can't let it go, why are there still restrictions?

greg howard

@Manny Fredrick $$$$$$$ talks! Taxes, taxes, taxes!

Paul Hansen

@greg howard: Yes...taxes that help pay for health care, roads, sewer and water treatment facilities, education, social services, policing and many other things far more important than the price of booze.

David R. Amos

@greg howard You nailed it

David R. Amos

@Paul Hansen Methinks that lots of taxpaying folks who don't give a damn abut the price of booze or dope would agree that you talk just like a bureaucrat looking for a raise N'esy Pas?

 

Peter Ray

In other words, STILL NO FREE TRADE within Canada.

How utterly silly.

David R. Amos

@Peter Ray YUP

 
sue black

Sure gives comfort they are working on such weighty matters.Lord forbid they would tackle things like deteriorating health care,millions of seniors in poverty,lack of affordable housing...... Gotta take care of those corporate backers!

David R. Amos

@sue black YUP

 
Russell Smith

If free trade between countries is so good for the economy, as most politicians and economists would have us believe, why on earth do they not believe the same is true for trade between the provinces/territories? It makes no sense.

David R. Amos

@Russell Smith "It makes no sense."

Methinks if a politician or one of their buddies or a bureaucrat can benefit from it then nothing to make any sense N'esy Pas?

  

Buddy Hepburn

Big F-----g deal...we are supposed to be ONE COUNTRY and there should not be any borders that prohibit the sale of product from one province to another. If we can't do this in Canada, how does anyone propose that we have FREE TRADE PRACTICES with the world

Fwayne watson

@Buddy Hepburn Is there not a WTO complaint? Normally these things never change in your life time.

David R. Amos

@Buddy Hepburn Welcome to the Circus Buddy

I warms my heart to see that CBC allowed a fellow citizen post his indignation

 
Angela Beer

I should be able to buy whatever I want wherever I want in my own country. It’ll make buying Canadian only a lot easier and less expensive.

David R. Amos

@Angela Beer "It’ll make buying Canadian only a lot easier and less expensive."

Well put

 
Findlay McCoy

I shake my head when I cross the border and come back with 30 beers for $15 US.....astounding the tax gouging we encounter.

Peter Hill

@Findlay McCoy
The astounding part is the world class healthcare we get for a little bit of tax.

Findlay McCoy

@Peter Hill -"little" bit of tax.....hmmm, you must be rolling in it.

David R. Amos

@Peter Hill "The astounding part is the world class healthcare we get for a little bit of tax."

Methinks you talk just like a politician or a bureaucrat who works for one N'esy Pas?

David R. Amos

@David R. Amos If so can you talk Premier Gallant and his minions into finally giving me a healthcare card?

Richard Riel

Cut government non productive bureaucracy. Open barriers.

David R. Amos

@Richard Riel I concur

 
Jack Hill

Can you imagine all of the governors of the US getting together once per year, and the only result of this tax funded vacation is increasing alcohol transportation across some state borders by 3 cases?

What a sad pathetic country Canada has become.

What a failure Canadians have become.

Break the country up.

David R. Amos

@Jack Hill Methinks many folks can't imagine all of the governors of the US getting together once per year and agreeing on anything N'esy Pas?

David R. Amos

@David Allan "Learn your history."

Methinks my old history books tell me if were not for Louis Riel The crooked businessmen in Trudeau The Younger's stomping ground would have sold Western Canada to the Yankees not long after Confederation. They forgot all about the folks who lived on the land. Small wonder why their descendants did not want to have a Pow Wow with the Premiers this week N'esy Pas?

Recent History

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/premiers-nb-indigenous-1.4751565

 

Ashley Zacharias

Do we all live in the same country or not?

Section 121 of Canada's Constitution Act of 1867: "121. All Articles of the Growth, Produce, or Manufacture of any one of the Provinces shall, from and after the Union, be admitted free into each of the other Provinces."

Canada's courts have contorted themselves into ridiculous postures to rule that those words don't mean what they say clearly and directly. Any restriction on the transportation of any amount of goods and products from one province to the other is unconstitutional. Period.

David R. Amos

@Ashley Zacharias "Canada's courts have contorted themselves into ridiculous postures to rule that those words don't mean what they say clearly and directly."

Methinks everybody "In the Know" knows that I have been busy proving your opinion to be true for many years N'esy Pas?

Google the following

David Amos Federal Court

 
Gregg Butler

Eliminate the barriers period.

David R. Amos

@Gregg Butler Methinks most folks do agree and that it ain't rocket science to understand and to do it would cost the taxpayers nothing N'esy Pas?

 Cole Trickle

If free trade is so good why are the provinces so against it?

David R. Amos

@Cole Trickle Taxation

Elias Snodgrass

So - The country whining about trade barriers imposed by others - still is determined to keep it's own inter provincial trade barriers in place

How very 'Progressive'

Dave Ryan

@Ian Smyth It is not like they are lifting the trade barriers everywhere else, now is it?

David R. Amos

@Dave Ryan Methinks folks in Russia and North Korea may disagree with you N'esy Pas?

Ontario joins Saskatchewan in opposing federal carbon tax plan

B.C., Quebec disagree, saying pricing carbon hasn't hurt their booming economies

Janyce McGregor · CBC News · Posted: Jul 19, 2018 4:00 AM ET 

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe talk with reporters as Canadian premiers meet in New Brunswick on Thursday. Ford and Moe have agreed to fight the federal government's plan to impose a carbon tax. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday that Ontario will intervene in support of Saskatchewan's court reference case, challenging the federal government's right to impose a carbon tax on provinces that don't comply with its climate change plan.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has been trying to find allies in his fight against Justin Trudeau's Liberal government's climate change policies. Ford said their new alliance will "send a clear message."

Politics News

Saskatchewan premier has an ally in Ontario on carbon fight

00:00 07:34 

 Scott Moe talks to Power & Politics about his opposition to the federal carbon tax. 7:34

To meet Canada's international commitments, the federal government has threatened to bring in a carbon tax in any province that doesn't implement an effective form of carbon pricing to reduce its emissions.

• Analysis
  Doug Ford tilts the table away from Trudeau's agenda

Saskatchewan launched a reference case at its Court of Appeal, questioning the federal government's jurisdiction to do that.

The two premiers met and enjoyed a campfire together on Wednesday evening, after arriving in Saint Andrews, N.B. for two days of Council of the Federation talks.

Ford said they were on "the exact same page," vowing to "use every tool at our disposal" and rally opposition to carbon pricing among their provincial and territorial colleagues.

• Saskatchewan heads into premier's meeting with new allies in fight against carbon tax

Moe called carbon taxes "an ineffective policy that simply does not reduce emissions," saying it moves jobs and opportunities to other parts of the world instead. Ottawa's plan fails to recognize the diversity of the Canadian economy, he said.

"We have two provinces in compliance, we have two provinces in court and we have the rest of the country not meeting the federal carbon tax backstop," Moe said.

Doug Ford joins Sask. in carbon tax lawsuit vs. Ottawa

00:00 02:42

 Ontario premier, Sask. counterpart Moe make announcement at premiers' meeting in New Brunswick 2:42

It's not clear which two provinces Moe is referring to as being in compliance. The deadline for provinces to have their plans in place is in September. Alberta and B.C. already have a carbon tax.

Quebec and Ontario chose a different way to reduce carbon emissions: participating in a "cap and trade" carbon market where polluters purchase credits, offering a financial incentive to use clean technology.

Under Ford's leadership, Ontario will pull out of the carbon market, leaving the province's businesses to wonder what will happen to several billion dollars worth of carbon credits they'd already purchased.
The premiers of both B.C. and Quebec spoke out in favour of carbon pricing Thursday.

"The carbon tax has not had the negative impact on our economy that others fear," B.C.'s John Horgan said, saying people should look at his booming economy as evidence of the advantage B.C. had in being an early adherent to taxing pollution.

Couillard said he likes the idea of carbon markets better than carbon taxes, and he doesn't share Ford's view that they don't work.

"We are in Quebec a living example of the fact that you can have co-existing carbon pricing and strong economic development. We have record levels of growth," he said.

'Lose-lose'

Reached in Hamilton, Ont., Thursday, federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna called the Ford government's recent actions "sad," saying that cutting programs that fund the green technologies that reduce emissions won't save people money.

"It's lose-lose: on the environment, lose on the economy," she said. Nevertheless, the federal government is moving forward, she said.

"Our government is all in on climate action."

Manitoba was reluctant to sign on to the federal government's plan until recently. It sought a legal opinion on the federal government's jurisdiction, but did not go as far as Saskatchewan has in initiating a court reference.

The legal advice said the federal government has the jurisdictional authority to impose a carbon tax, but also suggested that if a province had an alternative plan that would accomplish the same policy goal, it may succeed in arguing Ottawa does not have the right to interfere with its preferred mechanism to reduce carbon emissions.

This view has not been tested in court.

Politics News

Gallant on Carbon Tax fight with Ottawa

00:00 01:17

 NB Premier Brian Gallant is the chair of the Premiers meeting Thursday 1:17

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, the chair and host of this year's summer gathering of premiers, said he was monitoring Saskatchewan's case to see what will happen, but "what we're told is that the province's case will not stand up. That is the advice that we have been hearing."

Gallant's government has an emissions reduction plan, but it's been criticized as inadequate by the federal government. The premier said that McKenna "has more challenges with other provinces."
"I would respectfully suggest to her that she focus on that," he said.

Will others follow Ford and Moe's lead?

A federal carbon tax was supposed to be a last resort, imposed only if a province didn't implement adequate policies of its own.

Other provinces are wrestling with different climate change strategies that may or may not result in enough reductions to meet Canada's national goals.

Ford and Moe are trying to stir up dissent, but no one else has joined their fight, yet.

3592 Comments

Commenting is now closed for this story.

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Provinces agree to raise personal exemption for interprovincial booze sales

Individuals could bring 6 cases of beer, 2 cases of wine, 6 litres of spirits across a provincial border

Janyce McGregor · CBC News · Posted: Jul 20, 2018 4:00 AM ET

CBC News

Manitoba premier says provincial trade barriers need to be eliminated

00:00 04:48

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister speaks with CBC's Hannah Thibedeau ahead of the Council of the Federation talks in New Brunswick 4:48

The amount of liquor individuals can bring across a provincial boundary for personal use is set to double, following a deal struck at the Council of the Federation meetings late Thursday in Saint Andrews, N.B.

Canada's provinces and territories, which have jurisdiction over the sale of alcohol, formed a working group on alcoholic beverages last year after they were unable to agree on how to liberalize liquor sales before the rest of the text of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement took effect last summer.

That working group reported back earlier this month and made seven recommendations, including the doubling of the personal exemption limit that sets how much beer, wine and spirits an individual can transport across a provincial boundary for his or her own consumption.

Currently, two provinces, Alberta and Manitoba, have no limits whatsoever. The rest have a confusing array of restrictions and limits.

Three jurisdictions — New Brunswick, the Northwest Territories, and Newfoundland and Labrador — have very low limits, making it illegal to cross a provincial boundary with anything but small amounts of liquor.

In the remaining eight jurisdictions, the personal exemption limits are similar, usually:

• Nine litres of wine (or a standard case).
• Three litres of spirits.
• 24.6 litres of beer (or three standard cases of 24). 

Under a deal hammered out late Thursday evening between provincial officials, these limits will double, to:

• 18 litres of wine (or two cases).
• six litres of spirits.
• 49.2 litres of beer (six standard cases of 24).

In the three jurisdictions that have lower exemptions to start, their limits will rise to the level of the other eight provinces and territories, meaning the change is more dramatic for those three.

Yukon, Newfoundland and Labrador reluctant

Premiers considered these recommendations during their meetings on economic and trade issues Thursday.

But they were unable to reach a deal during the day. New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, the chair and host of this year's summer premiers meeting, told reporters late afternoon that a deal was close, but more work remained.

That work unfolded through the evening. Sources from at least two provinces have confirmed to CBC News that Yukon and Newfoundland and Labrador were the holdouts.

• Premiers wrap talks on economy, will get more talks with PM

• Still wrapped in red tape one year in, internal trade deal is a dud so far

As a province with a very low limit, Newfoundland and Labrador would be making a large shift to sign on to the doubling proposal.

In Yukon's case, this negotiation came at a difficult time: the territory is in the process of modernizing its liquor act, and it had significant social responsibility concerns that could be exacerbated by making it easier to bring alcohol into the territory.

Some liquor control boards had warned provincial governments of potential lost sales and tax revenue if it becomes easier to shop across provincial and territorial boundaries.

Manitoba, whose premier, Brian Pallister, appeared on CBC News Network Thursday morning holding a can of beer and endorsing change, was insistent that Canada's liquor trade be more free. Pallister wrote to his fellow premiers before the meeting began to lobby for a decision when they met this week.

Gallant was also keen to make a breakthrough this week, in order to be able to show tangible progress on an interprovincial trade issue he'd identified as a priority.

Although New Brunswick took one of its residents all the way to the Supreme Court to argue in favour of its jurisdiction over setting liquor limits, the current Liberal government is not opposed to liquor sales liberalization per se.

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• Supreme Court rules provinces can limit amount of alcohol crossing their borders

Gallant said he has no problem with raising limits, but provincial officials advised proceeding with the court case to defend New Brunswick's jurisdiction to regulate in this area.

Announcement expected Friday

The working group presented another option to the premiers: eliminating all limits whatsoever, as Manitoba and Alberta have already done voluntarily. But this option was not endorsed.

The other six recommendations set to be adopted are neither prescriptive nor controversial, and will have fewer practical consequences for consumers. They concern listing practices, e-commerce portals, and other changes to pricing and sales practices at liquor control boards.

New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant is the current chair of the Council of the Federation. He's been pushing for a deal to liberalize liquor sales this week. (Andrew Vaughan/Canadian Press)

The recommendations do not affect online direct-to-consumer sales, the restrictions for which remain unchanged.

This move also does not apply to businesses with commercial liquor licenses, which have their own separate sets of rules.

In Thursday night's deal, provinces and territories have agreed to amend their necessary legislation or regulations within 18 months, meaning that by 2020 it should be easier for Canadian consumers to browse for booze across interprovincial borders.

It's expected to go to the premiers early in their deliberations on Friday morning for their final approval. An announcement could follow shortly after.

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