Council approves report on liquor law changes

DENISE RIDEOUT

Iqaluit city council has put its rubber stamp of approval on a report outlining residents’ opinions on proposed changes to liquor laws in Nunavut.

Last week’s approval comes almost three months after Mayor John Matthews presented the report to a committee of MLAs reviewing the Nunavut Liquor Act.

The committee was gathering comments on proposed changes to the liquor laws, including allowing more liberal access to alcohol and lowering import fees.

When Matthews presented the committee with Iqaluit’s perspective on the liqour laws on June 25, city council had not yet passed the report. But Matthews wanted to make sure Iqaluit got to have its say.

He told the committee that Iqaluit residents came out staunchly opposing the Liquor Licencing Board’s recommendation that Nunavummiut should have more liberal access to alcohol within their communities. They also opposed the recommendation that the Nunavut government lower the current import fees on alcohol.

At a meeting on Sept. 15, city council voted to accept the report and forward the recommendations to the Liquor Act review committee.

But the vote wasn’t unanimous. Councillor Chris Wilson was opposed to accepting the report.
Wilson wasn’t convinced city council had to actually take a stance on the Liquor Board’s recommendations. That’s because residents’ position, not council’s, is what is most relevant, he said.
“I don’t feel council has to take a position. I never did,” Wilson said.

Wilson was also wary of passing off the report as an accurate picture of Iqalungmiut’s views on alcohol. He said only 40 people turned out for the public consultation – hardly representative of the population.

Councillor Keith Irving took a different stance. “I agree wholeheartedly with the report and its recommendations and it accurately represents the feelings of Iqaluit residents,” Irving said.
When Wilson suggested council shouldn’t get too involved in the alcohol debate, Councillor GlennWilliams jumped into the discussion.

He said council is already involved with alcohol issues, as its Continuum of Care program runs several drug and alcohol abuse programs.

Williams suggested council pass the report, but add a recommendation that the Nunavut government establish an alcohol rehabilitation centre.

“We don’t have a place where people can go for counselling. We don’t have a place for people to go sober up, other than going to the drunk tank [at the police detachment],” he said.