Pallister wants limits lifted on booze runs

WINNIPEG Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is asking his colleagues to eliminate restrictions on interprovincial booze runs.

Ahead of next week’s premiers’ meeting in New Brunswick, Pallister has written to other provincial leaders outlining his priorities.

In the letter obtained by The Canadian Press, Pallister says the provinces should remove their limits on interprovincial transportation of alcohol for personal use.

He says the idea has broad public support, and would show progress in the effort to reduce inter-provincial barriers on other items.

In April, the Supreme Court of Canada upheld a New Brunswick law that fined a man $240 for bringing home a trunk load of beer and liquor from Quebec. The court said provinces have the power to enact laws that restrict commerce if there is another overriding purpose, which in N.B.’S case was the desire to control the supply of alcohol within the province.

Pallister says the premiers should adopt a recommendation to reduce alcohol restrictions from an advisory body called the Regulatory Reconciliation and Co-operation table, set up under the Canada Free Trade Agreement.

“In particular, the recommendation regarding a personal use exemption will address longstanding concerns regarding the transportation of alcoholic beverages across domestic borders by significantly increasing personaluse limits,” Pallister wrote. “I suggest we consider going further by fully removing those limits, a move strongly supported by Canadians from every region of the country.”

Pallister also points to other items that are subject to interprovincial barriers including trucking regulations such as size and weight restrictions, abbatoirs and business registration requirements.