QUESTION PERIOD — Industry
Interprovincial Trade
June 3, 2026
Government leader, your government has repeatedly promised to create a “One Canadian Economy.” You even established a dedicated cabinet position to advance that goal. Yet more than a year later, Canada remains far from having a truly integrated domestic market.
I could go on and on, but, in fact, one of the most obvious opportunities for reducing internal trade barriers — interprovincial alcohol sales — has seen little meaningful progress.
Senator Moreau, why has your government failed to deliver on this important economic commitment, one that could strengthen Canada’s economic resilience and unblock billions of dollars in economic activity?
I will repeat the answer that the Honourable Minister LeBlanc provided to you when he was here in this very chamber. He said that all barriers for which the federal government is responsible have already been abolished, so it’s not accurate to say that there are barriers the federal government is concerned about that still exist. They have all been abolished.
That may be your presentation or your perspective, but we still see tremendous barriers and a lack of economic cohesiveness. The government should not point a finger at the provinces but do something.
There is something very specific. You have the tools. Conservative MP Dan Albas’s Bill C-262 would allow Canada Post to ship alcohol directly to consumers across provincial boundaries. The federal government could do a lot, even by ensuring that a bill that is ready to be applied will be.
You’re well aware that, for instance, alcohol sales in Ontario fall under the mandate of the LCBO. In Quebec, it’s the Société des alcools du Québec.
I’m not saying that there are no barriers anymore, but most of them are barriers related to the provinces. We don’t want to point a finger at the provinces because we want to work with provincial governments on this matter, but there is still work to be done at the provincial level to ensure that the flow is broadly open.
