Marsi cho, Mr. Speaker. In my Member's statement, I talked about cannabis and alcohol. My main reason for making the Member's statement is many constituents have come forward to see me during my whole time as MLA and complain about the bootleggers. I have a question for the Minister of Finance. I have some questions. My first question is: can the GNWT make laws to limit the purchase and possession of alcohol? Thank you.
Masi. Minister of Finance.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I share the Member's concern with the amount of alcohol that is sold across the Northwest Territories, consumed across the Northwest Territories. We all know in this Chamber that, of all the things that have ever been brought into the Northwest Territories and distributed amongst our people, alcohol is probably the one that has done the most damage. I think we need to find ways that we can deal with it. However, there have been situations in the past where they have tried to ration the sale of alcohol. I think those were reversed, but, if there are opportunities for us to do what we can to limit the amount of alcohol that gets into the hands of our people, then I think we should all be on board with this.
I am also seeing the issues with it. I know that I have had many discussions with the RCMP, and the RCMP themselves, particularly one corporal who had a discussion with me, said that it was very difficult to go through the whole process of actually charging a bootlegger; getting a person to buy alcohol for you is just one step, and there are many other steps. I want to ask the Minister: I wonder, I recognize how late in the term we are, but if the Minister could start the department looking at maybe having initial discussions of perhaps surveying the people of the NWT, to have some key questions in there on a way to restrict the amount of alcohol an individual can purchase or possess at one time?
I cannot commit the next government to anything, but I will have a conversation with the officials, see if there is an opportunity where we could do a bit of a questionnaire or some consultation on how far the people in the Northwest Territories want to take this. I commend communities across the Northwest Territories who have voted to become dry communities because they, too, recognize the effects of alcohol in their community and they are trying to do what they can to combat that. I think we should provide some type of support to those individuals who want to fight the amount of alcohol that is sold to the people of the Northwest Territories.
The restrictions or the prohibition of alcohol does not seem to work, and we all know that. That is one, I think one, tool that the communities have done out of desperation, but they themselves have made the law to restrict alcohol. Yet, they are watching what is happening in the community, and it's largely because the bootlegger has no limit to what he can purchase, absolutely no limit at all. So, if there were some sort of a limit, and I am sure that most of the people of the Northwest Territories will agree, with the harmful effects of alcohol, that I think that this limitation has to be territorial. It cannot be left up to the communities to restrict or to limit and so on. I know we have limits in some communities and so on now and prohibition in others, yet this bootlegging continues, so I would like to ask the Minister if there is a way that he could start discussions with his department to harmonize the alcohol act and the Cannabis Products Act in order to put restrictions on both of those substances.
We all realize that cannabis was just recently legalized and that there will be an opportunity for a review, and it would certainly make sense to look at those elements that are within the GNWT's control as part of that overall review. There will be a review. There should be a review that's done on this, and we could probably take advantage of that time to do a review of the overall cannabis/alcohol that's within GNWT control.
Oral questions. Member for Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Recently, around the time when cannabis became legal, I also know that it's legal for the RCMP to pull an individual over in a vehicle without having cause to do so, just to check. If it is possible to restrict the amount of alcohol that an individual has, I think that we will actually curb a lot of the bootlegging. I think we would be able to even reduce bootlegging in half. What's happening right now, I think it would be a good thing. I'd like to ask the Minister if there is any possible way to begin discussions, recognizing again that we're very late in our term, to begin the process of asking the department to look at a legal way to limit the alcohol for the purchaser for the entire NWT instead of by a community-by-community thing?
First of all, a lot of times this winter in the news reports we saw pictures and stories being filed of alcohol that is being seized going into some of the communities. I commend the RCMP for the work that they're doing. I commend those who have reported that. I don't recall seeing a winter where there has been so many pictures and stories posted of alcohol being seized. That is a start. We are late in this Assembly, but it's never too late to start the discussion on what we can do going forward. I will have a conversation with the department on maybe coming up with ways that we can work on this going forward, and possibly some advice we can provide to the next Assembly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Oral questions. Member for Yellowknife North.
