Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Honourable Members will already know that the House of Commons is considering proposed legislation which, if enacted, would amend the Canada Food and Drugs Act to require that health warning labels are placed on alcohol beverage containers sold in Canada. I wish to assure the House today that the Government of the Northwest Territories will be taking a leadership role in encouraging the passage of this bill.
Since 1992, Mr. Speaker, our NWT Liquor Commission has had a policy which requires health warning labels to be placed on products sold in liquor stores within our jurisdiction. We have found warning labels effective in raising awareness of the risks associated with alcohol consumption, and they have become a key component of our broader health promotion strategy.
There are only two Canadian jurisdictions to establish a warning label program for liquor products. We are one, the Yukon is the other.
Bill C-222 would require similar labels to be placed on alcohol beverage containers sold all across Canada. The warning would advise consumers that alcohol consumption impairs their ability to operate machinery or to drive. It would also indicate that alcohol consumption may cause health problems or cause birth defects during pregnancy.
Mr. Speaker, Bill C-222 has now received second reading in the House of Commons and has been referred to the Standing Committee on Health for public hearings.
Frankly, we have been shocked and dismayed by some of the arguments that opponents of this bill have raised at public hearings to date. The industry lobby has suggested that warning labels are ineffective and costly. Our experience in the Northwest Territories has been the exact opposite.
I am pleased to confirm that we will be sharing that experience with the Members of Parliament who are now reviewing Bill C-222. On Thursday, May 9th, my honourable colleague from Inuvik, Mr. Floyd Roland, will be leading a three-person delegation to Ottawa to appear at public hearings on Parliament Hill.
Mr. Roland and the officials accompanying him, will tell the standing committee that the Northwest Territories fully supports the passage of Bill C-222 and they will be taking direct aim at some of the misinformation that has been provided by lobby groups who claim that liquor product labelling is ineffective and unimportant.
Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that has implications for people and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Passage of Bill C-222 will not only provide consistency in the message given to Canadians about the risks of alcohol abuse, but it will also shift the onus for funding the costs of liquor labelling to the industry, where many northerners feel it belongs.
Mr. Speaker, when the Premier gave his opening statement, he indicated that this government will ensure that northerners' views are fully represented at the national levels. On the matter of health warning labels and the review of Bill C-222, I can assure you that we will be heard. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
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