John Cummins promises to allow beer and wine sales in convenience stores

In a refreshing break from the increasingly bitter battle leading to the May 14 provincial election, B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins has given voters something to ‘cheer’ about.

On a Tuesday afternoon custom-made for a B.C. brewski – scorching temperatures and a Vancouver Canucks playoff game – Cummins unveiled a crowd-pleasing platform plan in the form of widely available beer and wine.

“We’ll make life more convenient and affordable for British Columbians, and help grow the economy by removing restrictions on the sale of beer and wine in convenience stores,.” Cummins promised at a sizzling campaign stop in Kelowna.

“A BC Conservative government would give British Columbians more choice to buy beer and wine and take the special interests out of liquor sales by allowing the sale of beer and wine in British Columbia’s convenience stores.”

Populist election promises around alcohol have been a feature of elections past and present, and Cummins has galloped his way into familiar territory with this campaign announcement.

“I think it’s an idea whose time has come,” says Cummins. “Certainly we intend to allow corner stores and grocery stores to sell wine and beer.

“You can do it elsewhere, and in some remote communities.

“If you go to Bellingham and you want to have a barbecue, you go to the grocery storesand buy the hot dogs, the buns, the mustard, the relish, and a case of beer, and you’re ready to go.”

Other political parties contacted by The Province were less enthusiastic about getting on the beer bandwagon.

“We have a mix of public and private stores that works,” said a B.C. Liberal spokesman. “We have no plans to change the policy.

“Many small business owners have invested significantly in their operations and any changes would hurt them.

“And before any policy change could even be considered there would need to be extensive conversations with the police to ensure public safety.”

NDP MLA Maurine Karagianis said simply changing one piece of the alcohol strategy won’t fix the problem

“It’s a very complicated business,” said Karagianis. “Our liquor policy needs a complete overhaul.

“You can’t simply isolate one aspect and think it’s going to resolve everything.

“In rural areas and small towns in B.C., there are opportunites to puchase liquor in some grocery stores.”

A B.C. Green Party spokesman said the party has yet to devise an alcohol-sales strategy, and said party members would have to be contacted before a policy could be developed.

As for Cummins, he said the Conservatives “would modernize liquor laws and “increase convenience, freedom and choice for British Columbians.

“We believe in getting BC back to basics,” promised Cummins, “and that means putting more decision making abilities in the hands of local British Columbians.”