Manitoba Provincial Election

[pspeid]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

MB is one of the only places where archaic liquor laws exist & will continue to exist thanks to Manitoba NDP ! They blocked 2 bills from moving forward citing less $ for health care (wrong, tax will still be coming in) & don't want kids to buy vodka w their slurpee! Ridiculous!

This is hurting small business owners who were being opened up to new revenue stream (much needed) & consumer (me & you) convenience!
Some of u hate the PC Party of Manitoba, but this is ridiculous blocking these bills by the NDP. Voice your disapproval now or at election time.

Bill 9 would have permitted existing beer vendors, private wine stores and other liquor retailers to carry the full range of products offered by Liquor Marts.

Bill 30 would have established the framework for a pilot program to allow private retailers such as grocery or convenience stores to sell alcohol.

Greater access to booze isn't really a vital issue for me. Retailers who went into some kind of business without relying on selling booze probably should have worked out their expenses to be able to make a profit by selling whatever they're selling.

IMO this is just another philosophical move by the PC's They don't believe in government ownership of anything, whether it's profitable for government coffers or not, so they try to eliminate it through the death of a thousand cuts.

[wags_in_the_peg]

going to camp for the weekend, 1st go to craft beer shop to get beer, then go to specialty wine store to get certain wine, then go to MLCC store for some Spiced Rum. Yup, makes perfect sense! Yes yes yes I know I can get all at MLCC if they stock what I want, but all 3 places should be like that.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

going to camp for the weekend, 1st go to craft beer shop to get beer, then go to specialty wine store to get certain wine, then go to MLCC store for some Spiced Rum. Yup, makes perfect sense! Yes yes yes I know I can get all at MLCC if they stock what I want, but all 3 places should be like that.

The LC by my place has a very wide selection of craft beer and wine, including some fairly high end products. If convenience is that important to you, why not just make one stop at the LC and pick one of the hundreds of beer and wine products they have in stock!?

[GreyGarden]

I actually like the experience of going to the speciality stores. I totally get that for some people it seems inefficient. But I like going in and chatting with the craft beer guys, and the wine guy who is excited about X bottle, and then finally going to the LC for whatever bottle of whiskey I want. Again, in Ontario, I can’t go to a private wine store. I can go to a restaurant with a “bottle shop” and pay restaurant mark-up for something speciality. It stings when I can get the exact same bottle in Winnipeg from Ellement or Kenaston for half the price.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by GreyGarden

I actually like the experience of going to the speciality stores. I totally get that for some people it seems inefficient. But I like going in and chatting with the craft beer guys, and the wine guy who is excited about X bottle, and then finally going to the LC for whatever bottle of whiskey I want. Again, in Ontario, I can’t go to a private wine store. I can go to a restaurant with a “bottle shop” and pay restaurant mark-up for something speciality. It stings when I can get the exact same bottle in Winnipeg from Ellement or Kenaston for half the price.

I always forget that as bad as Manitoba is, Ontario's liquor systems is in many ways much worse.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

going to camp for the weekend, 1st go to craft beer shop to get beer, then go to specialty wine store to get certain wine, then go to MLCC store for some Spiced Rum. Yup, makes perfect sense! Yes yes yes I know I can get all at MLCC if they stock what I want, but all 3 places should be like that.

When I moved to Alberta originally, this is the one thing that stood out. The fact that there is literally 200 places where one could buy booze privately, instead of relying on 15 government run liquor stores, or beer vendors attached to hotels.

It's far more convenient and no lineups.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by BlackDog204

When I moved to Alberta originally, this is the one thing that stood out. The fact that there is literally 200 places where one could buy booze privately, instead of relying on 15 government run liquor stores, or beer vendors attached to hotels.

It's far more convenient and no lineups.

Cheaper too

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ I don't see that as a priority at all. I don't mind the way liquor marts are set up right now. The government profits and puts the money to good use, and in turn creates good jobs in liquor marts, which are pretty nice places to shop in.

I'm not convinced that the typical model you see in the US and elsewhere of paying someone minimum wage to sit in a grimy liquor store while the owner buys a bigger boat for himself with the profits is really preferable.

After spending time in 7-8 former communist European countries and seeing how free enterprise works (should work) with liquor sales abd where everything is available in grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations it's hard to support what goes on here with govt. run stores! Having govt. run stores that are mostly overstaffed, with workers overpaid relative to anyone else in retail is ridiculous. The provincial govt. would still control the wholesale distribution and profit as it does in Alberta!

The flip side is that people aren't civilized enough here for wide open access in grocery stores or otherwise.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by optimusREIM

Cheaper too

That's a myth, prices on just about every type of liquor are a lot more in Alberta!

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

That's a myth, prices on just about every type of liquor are a lot more in Alberta!

I agree with liquor prices being slightly more expensive (24 of beer about $3.00 more expensive than Manitoba after tax), but I'll willingly pay slightly more, just for the convenience of driving 5 minutes away, rather than drive 10-15 minutes to the nearest beer vendor, or 15 minutes to the nearest MLCC. It also should be noted that most liquor stores are open until 2 AM in Alberta, as opposed to closing at 10 PM (6 PM Sundays and Holidays).

[esquire]

^ Is it really that much of an imposition to buy your liquor before 10 pm? I would not be behind extending hours of LCs... it would force retail employees to work longer hours and in more dangerous work conditions, and to what end? So we can go out and buy a 40 ouncer on a whim at 1 am? I don't see it as a benefit.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Is it really that much of an imposition to buy your liquor before 10 pm? I would not be behind extending hours of LCs... it would force retail employees to work longer hours and in more dangerous work conditions, and to what end? So we can go out and buy a 40 ouncer on a whim at 1 am? I don't see it as a benefit.

But it's okay for taxi drivers, and retail employees who work at 24hr. convenience stores though?

Some how MLCC employees are sacred?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

But it's okay for taxi drivers, and retail employees who work at 24hr. convenience stores though?

Some how MLCC employees are sacred?

That is silliness. So because the retail worker at Sev works around the clock, everyone else should be dealt that hand too?

I'd be fine if 24 hour convenience stores closed down at night. We managed to survive as a society for many years without that. There doesn't even seem to be all that much demand for late night shopping in Winnipeg anyway... few stores are open past 10 pm.

And hell, the local liquor store I used to live near in Edmonton, Ace Liquor on 109 St., closed down at 10 pm. It was not that hard to work around.

[optimusREIM]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

That's a myth, prices on just about every type of liquor are a lot more in Alberta!

In my experience, even if it's not that much less, it's usually less in Alberta. I'm sick of the liquor regime here anyways, run and perpetuated by annoying puritanical do-gooders.

I'm not sure where in Alberta you have shopped for alcohol, but safeway liquors has the same selection as the average LC and I've always found it to be lower prices, plus no PST...

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by borkborkbork

Only half agree.

Our system is one characterized by party discipline and whipped votes. So even if you like your rep, you have to remember that they'll vote the way their party tells them to, and they won't really influence the direction of the government unless they're a cabinet minister.

In other words, I might think that Jon Reyes is a decent guy, but if I don't like the direction the PC party has taken for the province, I shouldn't vote for him as an individual. Like it or not our votes for MLAs are just a means to pick a governing party.

I put this in another chat group regarding the Federal Government but the same could be used in the provinces. The centralization of power within the PM or the Premier's office is making things worse and not better, IMO.

In a healthy democracy, cabinet is the institution that sets policy and should display solidarity with the Prime Minister who is the Chair of Cabinet. Members of the party who are not in cabinet should be free to hold cabinet to account in caucus, in committee, and in the house of commons and not be the trained seals that they obviously are. Votes of confidence (budget) are where the party whip comes out, but other than that the MP's (no matter what party) should be free to probe and question cabinet to hold them to account.

The power of the PMO needs to be burned out to the roots and we need to rewrite our security orders for parliamentarians so that the most mundane of documents that are over classified are able to be discussed in a public forum. We are in danger of losing our democracy, not due to foreign intrusions, but by the concentration of power to a small group of apparatchiks. Actually "Apparatchiks" is the wrong word, this group is properly called "Nomenklatura".

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by esquire

That is silliness. So because the retail worker at Sev works around the clock, everyone else should be dealt that hand too?

I'd be fine if 24 hour convenience stores closed down at night. We managed to survive as a society for many years without that. There doesn't even seem to be all that much demand for late night shopping in Winnipeg anyway... few stores are open past 10 pm.

And hell, the local liquor store I used to live near in Edmonton, Ace Liquor on 109 St., closed down at 10 pm. It was not that hard to work around.

No one in retail should have to work past midnight here.

That said beer vendors are open until 1:00 AM, 1:30 AM, 11:30 PM depending on location, if those retailers stay open that late the demand is there!

[esquire]

Originally Posted by rrskylar

No one in retail should have to work past midnight here.

That said beer vendors are open until 1:00 AM, 1:30 AM, 11:30 PM depending on location, if those retailers stay open that late the demand is there!

Beer vendor is one guy in a cage, and there is usually a bar that's open anyway. LC requires several people and there is obviously no bar attached to it.

[thurmas]

I could not give 2 shits about liquor marts or weed being grown at home. The amount of ERs we have in the province, infrastructure spending and development and tax rates that I care about.

[BlackDog204]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Is it really that much of an imposition to buy your liquor before 10 pm? I would not be behind extending hours of LCs... it would force retail employees to work longer hours and in more dangerous work conditions, and to what end? So we can go out and buy a 40 ouncer on a whim at 1 am? I don't see it as a benefit.

This already happens in Manitoba. There are beer vendors attached to most hotels. They are open until 2:30 AM.

Here in Edmonton, most inner city liquor locations have steel bars, preventing customers from entering after a certain time (after 10 in most places).

[Hecate]

Honestly liquor marts are the worst. I rarely drink but needed a bottle of drambuie and some beer for a gift. There was a line up of like ten people and one cashier with about half a dozen staff walking around doing nothing… then another staff comes out the back and comes towards the tills, yay another one is opening, nope. It’s time for the one cashiers break. She signs out, leaves and the other one signs in. While everyone waited. Then the cashier made me take the beers one by one and hold them for her to scan. She didn’t want to touch them after I had touched them. Seriously the worst customer service I have ever had. Lol.

Then on top of it feeling like you’re entering a prison going in. The local lockport grocery has booze on display and no interrogation to get in.