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On September 2, 1986, Ontario’s provincial Advisory Committee on Liquor Regulations – which had been put together by Liberal Consumer Minister Monte Kwinter to consider revisions to Ontario’s drinking laws – commenced hearings. On the first day of the hearings, Ontario’s socialist New Democratic Party (NDP) issued a policy statement calling for a ban on the advertising of beer, wine, and liquor both on TV and radio, and in printed media. The NDP said that, after unemployment, excessive alcohol consumption was “the number one social problem in society”.
As a result of the NDP’s pro-censorship proposal, on September 9, 1986, Wayne McLean, host of AM980’s Hotline talk show asked his listeners: Should there be a ban on alcohol advertising, and does advertising cause an increase in consumption?
Freedom Party president Robert Metz called in, followed – during a rapid-fire poll – by Freedom Party member Gord Mood. Both opposed censorship, and advocated individual freedom.
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