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Wine without borders

Local MP Dan Albas has his focus set on a better trade agreement for Okanagan wine after his town hall meeting this weekend.

“Right now it is easier to send Okanagan wine to Texas or Tokyo, than Toronto,” said the Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola MP.

The two town hall meetings in the Central Okanagan were a chance for people to bend the MP's ear and outline their issues and concerns.

Albas said that there has not been as much progress as he would like when it comes to Okanagan wine being traded in Canada.

“On Canada’s 150 birthday, it sure would be nice if we could start allowing freer trade,” he said. "And with many of these large trade deals, why would we not want to give that same right of access to Canadians in their own country?”

Albas said Okanagan wineries don't want a handout, but better market access so that if they make a better product, there is a better demand for it.

“If we want to be a global competitive player in wine, you first have to own your own market,” Albas said.

Simply asking other provinces to be part of one country is his answer.

“Either you are open to trade with Canadians or you are not,” he said.

Another concern that many people expressed during the meeting was a pharma care program.

“At the federal level, there has been a lot of discussion around a bulk buying strategy. Because we have 10 different provincial health care systems, rather than putting in different orders, there could be a bulk buy strategy where we could pool the collected purchases to get a greater discount,” he said.

A study conducted by UBC said that this could potentially save the Canadian taxpayer $2 billion, but Albas has some concerns with it becoming a national program.

“Any time you have a national program, there can be a loss of local autonomy,” he said. “Considering health care is a provincial responsibility it is important to have that provincial autonomy so that people can hold their elected officials to account.”

Albas encourages anyone to contact him and said his next town hall will take place in Merritt this spring.



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