Kamloops MLA Ward Stamer disagrees with US liquor ban but will support Conservative policy
Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer says he still believes British Columbians should decide for themselves whether to boycott American liquor, but will back his party's decision to keep the ban.
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Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer says he personally disagrees with BC's ban on American liquor but will support the Conservative party's decision to keep it in place, according to Castanet.
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has said American liquor will remain banned in BC until the trade war between Canada and the United States is resolved, something Doerkson told media he does not see ending soon. The BC Conservative government is set to be sworn in on November 20, 2026.
What Stamer said
Stamer told Castanet on November 6, 2026 that he still believes British Columbians should decide for themselves whether to boycott American liquor. "It's an emotional issue, unfortunately," he said. "I tried to be fairly pragmatic about it."
He will back the party's decision even so.
Before the election, in July 2026, Stamer had floated the idea of removing the liquor ban as a gesture of good faith and a negotiating tactic. This came when Stamer and several other BC Conservative MLAs met with US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and other American officials. The government position, as stated by Doerkson, keeps the ban until the trade war ends.
The tariff concern
Stamer pointed to what he called a consequence of the provincial liquor bans. Canada exports more alcohol to the United States than it imports from that country, and he said the bans imposed by BC and most other provinces led to US retaliatory measures.
"There are consequences with what happened, because now we have a 50 per cent tariff on a product that we were exporting that we didn't have in the past," Stamer told Castanet.
He said he is not opposed to British Columbians choosing on their own to avoid buying US products. "If people would rather not just use their pocketbook and not buy the U.S. booze, I'm fine with it."
What he wants to focus on
Stamer told Castanet he supports the party's plan to remove provincial sales tax from Canadian beer, wine and spirits as a way to provide relief to British Columbians affected by US-Canada trade tensions.
He said his priority going forward is reducing interprovincial trade barriers so Canadian alcohol producers can sell freely across provincial lines. "That's what we're going to be working on, is trying to bring down those interprovincial boundaries, so that our makers of wine and beer and spirits can trade freely across interprovincial lines, and we'll let the Americans figure out their own stuff."
Residents who want to follow how the new Conservative government handles trade-related decisions can track the government's promises at /bc/provincial-2026/tracker.
Questions this story answers
What did Ward Stamer say about the US liquor ban?
Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer told Castanet on November 6, 2026 that he still disagrees with BC's ban on American liquor and believes British Columbians should decide for themselves whether to boycott US products. He said it is 'an emotional issue' and that he tried to be 'pragmatic about it.' Despite his personal view, he said he will support his party's decision to keep the ban in place.
What is BC's current policy on American liquor?
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has said American liquor will remain banned in BC until the trade war between Canada and the United States is resolved, according to Castanet. The ban was put in place by the previous BC NDP government as a response to US tariffs on Canadian goods. Doerkson has said he does not see the trade war ending soon.
What is the 50 percent tariff Stamer mentioned?
Stamer told Castanet that the provincial liquor bans imposed by BC and most other provinces prompted retaliatory tariffs and restrictions from the US side. He said: 'There are consequences with what happened, because now we have a 50 per cent tariff on a product that we were exporting that we didn't have in the past.' He was referring to US tariffs on Canadian alcohol exports.
What did Stamer say about PST on Canadian alcohol?
Stamer told Castanet he supports his party's plan to remove provincial sales tax from sales of Canadian beer, wine and spirits. He described this as another way to provide tariff relief to British Columbians affected by the US-Canada trade dispute.
What did Stamer say about interprovincial trade barriers?
Stamer told Castanet he wants to focus on reducing interprovincial trade barriers so that Canadian alcohol producers can sell their products more easily across provincial borders. He said: 'That's what we're going to be working on, is trying to bring down those interprovincial boundaries, so that our makers of wine and beer and spirits can trade freely across interprovincial lines, and we'll let the Americans figure out their own stuff.'
What position did Stamer take before the election on the liquor ban?
In July 2026, while the Conservatives were still in opposition, Stamer floated the idea of removing the liquor ban as a gesture of good faith and a negotiating tactic. This happened when he and several other BC Conservative MLAs met with US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra and other American officials, according to Castanet.
Who is Ward Stamer?
Ward Stamer is the Conservative MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson, elected in the October 24, 2026 BC provincial election. He represents a district in the BC Interior that includes Kamloops and surrounding areas. His candidate page is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/ward-stamer.
When is the new Conservative government sworn in?
The BC Conservative government is set to be sworn in on November 20, 2026. After that date, Stamer and other MLAs will begin work in the new government. The candidate page for premier-designate Lorne Doerkson is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/lorne-doerkson.
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