Ontario's attorney general loosens liquor rules as B.C.'s attorney general brags about a crackdown
I was just reading a Canadian Press report, which indicated the Ontario government's willingness to loosen liquor laws by the summer.
Ontario attorney general Chris Bentley said that people who attend festivals will have more freedom to wander around with a drink in their hand. There's also talk of extending liquor hours for weddings and charitable events to 2 a.m.
Today on CKNW Radio, I also heard B.C. attorney general Barry Penner praising his government's decision to increase penalties for drivers who blow 0.05 percent blood-alcohol on a breathalyzer.
Those caught between 0.05 and 0.08 face an immediate three-day driving ban and a $200 fine on a first offence. A second offence merits a seven-day ban and a $300 fine. Three times and it's a 30-day ban and a $400 fine—plus they have to get an interlock device on their car ignition, which tests their blood-alcohol level every time they drive for a year.
Restaurant owners say the new rules are killing them financially.
Penner cited a correlation between a drop in drinking-and-driving deaths to the recent crackdown.
Over a five-month period, 22 people died because of drinking and driving, compared to a 10-year average of 41 deaths over the same period of time, according to Penner.
There was no serious exploration during his radio interview whether or not that drop could be linked to a slower economy, safer cars, or other factors.
Former Socred premier W.A.C. Bennett was perhaps the province's most famous teetotaller. His legacy remains with the province today under the B.C. Liberals, just as the Ontario Liberals appear to be moving in an opposite direction.
Comments
9 Comments
HellSlayerAndy
May 23, 2011 at 6:26pm
What to think?
Didn't Gordo campaign about how California had like 8 liquor laws and BC under the NDP had 50 billion liquor laws and he was going to change that?
I toss that out as partisan bait simply because I can come back and tell them that Harcourt bellowed about raising the minimum wage, then appointed a Labour panel and didn't raise the minimum wage.
The game is easy to play when there isn't any REAL opposition going back to ...well WAC Bennett and his coalition of greedy centrists when he came to power through a double ballot.
So if James wanted to spook up votes in the OK and WIN! by making a big deal on tolls on the Coq and the Opposition's legacy, why did she lose, to only have Gordo wake up one morning, see his poll numbers drop and simply abolish the Coq tolls?
Good cop/Bad cop One Two punch...there is no opposition...BC politics is the revenue model of the two Vancouver daily papers...run one at a loss to make it too expensive for an Opposition to ever form.
Morty
May 23, 2011 at 9:44pm
So you're saying that tighter drunk-driving laws are bad because they're hurting the restaurant industry? Without asking for a "serious explanation" as to whether or not _that_ could be linked to, say, a slower economy, or rent, or higher ingredient costs due to oil prices and transportation? Really? I know you don't like the Liberals—neither do I, for that matter—but that argument's just stupid.
Loosening up laws to let you wander around festival grounds with open alcohol? Makes sense. Relaxing drunk driving laws? Not only does it not make sense, it's not even a liquor regulation—it's motor vehicle law. The two have absolutely nothing in common.
Taxpayers R Us
May 24, 2011 at 1:39am
It's another tax, another fee.
Signs of a government which can't do simple political math.
Steve Y
May 24, 2011 at 6:56am
Yeah i love the casual dismissal of halving the number of drunk driving deaths in the province. But one person gets cancer in fort chip and the left goes insane.
Phil
May 24, 2011 at 7:50am
Relaxed liquor laws, yes. Relaxed drunk driving laws, no.
You
May 24, 2011 at 9:25am
Morty has several good points. I agree with the drunk driving laws, and that you're probably right regarding the general costs of everything.
However, it is true that a fair number of people I know won't ever have a drink when they drove. In the old days, one, maybe two (depending on sitting time), but now no one will so much as risk one because everyone is so hand-wavy on how much you have to drink to blow 0.05.
Growing up, I was always told that (with a full license) you could have one drink and still blow below 0.08 and be safe. I think the mentality is just that if 0.08 is one drink, do we have half a beer now to blow below 0.05?
And if I'm getting a $14 meal and a $6 beer, restaurants are now losing 30% of revenue when I stop drinking there. That is a big disruption. Do I think drunk driving laws should be more lax? Hell no. But I'll save my thoughts on other liquor laws for another article.
Does the uncertainty over the new numbers justify getting caught driving under the influence? Not at all. People need to be more careful. Better safe than sorry.
Good idea
May 24, 2011 at 10:54am
Stay home and drink till you pass out. It's awesome and legal.
Doug Gerald
May 24, 2011 at 10:55pm
You may be a little early in your comments.(The real Premier) Rick Thorpe will "step in" and re arrange this issue 10 min after they win the upcoming (around Labour day) election. Also, consider ICBC wanting to raise the rates for a first speeding charge. The chief announced the idea,and the Big Tough Minister Bond let it be known she would put them in their place. While she is the Fireman,methinks, another member of the Libcreds was the arsonist. As former Highways Minister Alex (Bozo) Fraser used to say, people getting bored, have a CRACKDOWN
except just before an election, then GET OF THE BACKS OF THE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WANT GOVERNMENT IN THEIR FACES.
Keerthana K
May 27, 2011 at 11:22am
It's official! I wonder how the laws may change in BC. It was just announced today that Ontario is updating alcohol laws. This means all those unnecessary barriers for events and festivals are eliminated so we can enjoy our summer weather even more! This will improve tourism and local economies.
- Festivals don't need beer tents anymore, people can walk around freely through the event
- Restaurants and bar servers can take drinks on public sidewalks to patios
- Events such as fundraisers and weddings can serve alcohol for an extra hour until 2am
- All-inclusive vacation packages can now be sold in Ontario
- Business owners can give a complimentary drink to customers when celebrating a special occasion like an anniversary