Conservative MP Ron Cannan (left) hails from Kelowna, smack dab in the middle of B.C.'s wine country. He stood up in the House of Commons today to announce a) That there's a Conservative Wine Caucus (who knew?) and b) that the Conservative Wine Caucus thinks it would be a good idea if we could knock down some interprovincial trade barriers that prevent wineries in one province from selling direct to consumers in another. Here's Cannan in his own words:
Mr. Ron Cannan (Kelowna—Lake Country, CPC): Mr. Speaker, it is time to bring Canada's wine laws into the 21st century. From coast to coast we can boast of award-winning wineries, many of them in my home province of beautiful British Columbia in the Okanagan Valley. Unfortunately, the current law makes it illegal for Canadian vintners to ship that wine directly to consumers out of province. I know it is hard to believe. That is why I have tabled Motion No. 601 which supports amending the act. With the help of the Minister of Agriculture, the Minister and MP for Okanagan—Coquihalla, and our Conservative Wine Caucus, we are working to find a way to allow for a personal exemption for direct consumer purchasing. Grassroots support is really ramping up with a writing campaign, and a new website called FreeMyGrapes.ca. I encourage you check out FreeMyGrapes.ca. Let us relax this archaic 1928 interprovincial trade barrier and create a win-win for Canadian wine producers and Canadian consumers. Cheers.
Surely this is something the country can unite together on!
The opposition parties have one too: it's the “whine caucus” made with vintage sour grapes.