John Lohr’s NSLC Policy Wrong Direction for Nova Scotia Families

Progressive Conservative Leadership candidate, John Lohr, claims to be for: people, the economy, and returning integrity to Government, however today’s policy announcement released by his campaign is anything but. By doing away with the public sale of alcohol in Nova Scotia, Mr. Lohr would be throwing away decades of social responsibility experience and would kill hundreds of good paying jobs throughout Nova Scotia.

In 2017, the Progressive Conservatives almost unseated Stephen McNeil and the Liberal Party. Today, John Lohr is proposing tired old policies that undermine the PC’s effort last year to support working families in rural Nova Scotia.

“This is 180 degrees opposite of what the PC’s said to my members before the spring election,” said NSGEU President. Jason MacLean. “The NSLC wasn’t even part of their platform. I sat with PC Leader Jamie Baillie and other MLA’s who supported these jobs in their communities. I find it odd that someone who wants to be a leader would pronounce this kind of policy without any consultation with stakeholders, public health experts or even what could be his future caucus” added MacLean.

According to MADD Canada, alcohol consumption is linked to numerous medical conditions. It’s a contributing factor to injuries, impairments, and deaths caused by impaired driving, homicides, suicides, fires, etc.. As well, the World Health Organization, the US Centre for Disease Control, and the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health all agree public control is the best way to minimize the adverse health effects of alcohol.

“If Mr. Lohr is truly for people, the economy, and returning integrity to Government, today’s announcement is certainly contrary to that commitment. His policy will put more people at risk, it will drive jobs out of our rural communities and unilateral decisions like this do nothing to bring integrity back to Government.” said MacLean.