Starting this fall, the provincial government will start a major public consultation process as part of a province-wide liquor policy review. This will be the first time BC’s liquor laws have been reviewed since 1999, and the first review that includes a public consultation process.
Last month, the Ministry of Justice started reviewing what they called “BC’s outdated and inefficient liquor laws” by asking for feedback from major stakeholders, more than 10,000 liquor licensees, and liquor agency stories.
I know many British Columbians have a lot of opinions and our government is open to hearing them.”
– John Yap
Parliamentary Secretary
for Liquor Policy Reform
The government had noted several laws that it deemed to be “limitations to convenience and economic activity,” including prohibiting minors that are accompanied by a parent or guardian into pubs that serve food during daytime hours, not allowing wines and local liquor to be sold at farmers’ markets, not allowing establishments like spas to be eligible for licensing permits, and taking upwards of a year to obtain a licence for bars and pubs.
John Yap, the Parliamentary Secretary for Liquor Policy Reform, will be taking charge on the review, gathering feedback, and meeting with local populations and associations throughout September and October.
“I know many British Columbians have a lot of opinions and our government is open to hearing them as we move forward in this process,” said Yap, according to Business in Vancouver.
Yap is expected to submit a final report on the liquor policy review by Nov. 25 to attorney general Suzanne Anton, which will be made public.
“Right now, some of BC’s liquor laws go back many years,” said Anton in a public statement. “. . . we are looking to make practical and responsible changes which promote consumer convenience and economic growth in the province, with a strong eye to maintaining public safety and protecting the health of our citizens.
According to Dr. Rob Gordon, director of the school of criminology at SFU, BC’s liquor laws, which have been called Draconian, have been heavily policed by government policy for two main reasons: morality and revenue.
“They wanted to effectively control access to the labour force so that people would not be able to drink themselves into a stupor, and related to that was the access on the part of Aboriginal peoples,” said Gordon.
He continued, “And then of course there is the revenue issue. Currently, the provincial liquor stores yield significant revenue for government. Government also controls wholesales. It’s less a moral objection there, more a revenue issue.
“The question is, should that be privatized, and the major objection that comes back is well, no, because that’s a significant source of revenue for the government and we would have to make that up in some way.”
Liquor sales currently result in over $1 billion each year in revenue for the provincial government.
When asked whether a completely privatized model like that seen in Alberta would be feasible in BC, Gordon said, “Yes, absolutely. I think what we have is an absurd situation.”
He explained that the approach Europe and the United States have taken treats liquor no differently than any other commodity in a grocery store.
“Wine and beer and liquor are all available in supermarkets,” said Gordon. “You can go into a small corner store in a Parisian suburb for example and buy a bottle of wine, buy beer, buy whatever spirits you want to buy, along with tea and sugar and milk and apples.”
In her statement, Anton reiterated the desire for public feedback: “Once the public consultation process begins in September, British Columbians can let us know how they would like to see BC’s liquor laws reformed.”
