Comeau ruling defies economic – and common – sense
The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that provinces have the right to erect interprovincial tariff barriers. That’s bad news for Canadian consumers and the health of the national economy.
It is, however, a relief for provinces that for years have allowed fiscal priorities to supersede consumer choice and common economic sense.
In 2012, Gerard Comeau bought 344 bottles of beer, two bottles of whisky and one bottle of other spirits in Quebec, then brought it all back to his home province of New Brunswick. He had done this several times before, even though a 90-year-old law made it illegal. This time, however, Comeau was arrested and fined $292.50.
But the Comeau case was never just about beer. It was essentially about enabling regional economies across the nation to thrive through cross-country expansion.