Let’s remove EU liquor ban in Nunavut, minister tells MLAs

If Nunavummiut hope to buy European wine, spirits or beer through the territory’s own liquor commission again, now’s the time to put pressure on their MLA.

That’s after Fred Schell, the South Baffin MLA, who is now Nunavut’s minister of human resources, said this week in the Nunavut legislature that his 2010 motion to ban the purchase of alcohol products from European Union-member states deserved “sober second thought.”

Schell proposed the ban to protest the EU’s import ban on seal products.

But since 2010, European nations have suffered their own losses, Schell said.

“It is wry in the extreme that Greece is oozing the financial wealth into the water closet,” Schell told the assembly, tongue in cheek, March 6. “The French, Italians, and Spaniards are whining and not dining. The Dutch are knocking in their hinies and need a stout helping hand to keep their heads above water.”

Nunavut’s liquor ban “has brought a whole continent to its knees,” Schell said, to the laughter of his fellow members.

“If a member were to introduce a motion to assist our assistant Commonwealth countries and to rescind the motion with respect to the moratorium on the purchase of EU liquor by the Nunavut Liquor Commission, I would certainly support this motion,” Schell said, more seriously.

Schell said that, given the government officials’ efforts to work with their European counterparts on the sealing matter, it’s important to remove any barriers to business.

“By rescinding the motion and therefore, removing a potential retort to our actions by European leaders and officials, we’ll be able to maximize our impact while minimizing opposition to our trade deal,” he said.

So far, no member has come forward with such a motion.