New Brunswick Treasury Board President Roger Melanson says the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision on the interprovincial beer case confirms that the provinces have the right to regulate for the safety of society.
Melanson says this allows for supply management and protects the revenue from NB Liquor.
“The revenue generated from NB Liquor in New Brunswick is about $170 million annually and that is redistributed in society in the province of New Brunswick,” he notes.
Melanson says those revenues are spent on education, health care, other social programs and on infrastructure projects.
Now that the legal battle has been settled, Melanson says attention can now be turned to the National Internal Trade Group which is taking a closer look at interprovincial trade.