Queen's Park Politics

[Innsertnamehere]

https://www.thestar.com/politics/lcb...um=Recommended

good article on the LCBO Union's chances in their strike.. it's an uphill battle, I think.

[FrostyMug]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

https://www.thestar.com/politics/lcb...um=Recommended

good article on the LCBO Union's chances in their strike.. it's an uphill battle, I think.

Reg may have a bit of a point but he fails to mention that the LCBO's "profits" support other parts of our system such as health care. By putting the coolers into Roblaws and the like instead of supporting those systems we're paying for Galen's next yacht.

[Loco101]

Ontario under the Ford government appears to be moving towards the ways things are in Quebec in terms of alcoholic beverage sales. The LCBO will continue and will be the only place to get hard liquor and will focus on more specialized wines and beers that private retailers won't sell. I'm okay with that. I don't like how the Beer Store was paid $255 million to end a contract a year early. That was very fishy.

[Innsertnamehere]

Originally Posted by Loco101

Ontario under the Ford government appears to be moving towards the ways things are in Quebec in terms of alcoholic beverage sales. The LCBO will continue and will be the only place to get hard liquor and will focus on more specialized wines and beers that private retailers won't sell. I'm okay with that. I don't like how the Beer Store was paid $255 million to end a contract a year early. That was very fishy.

The alternative is to wait a year, and even then it's unlikely the province would have gotten off for "free" as the Beer Store still needs to administer the bottle return program and needs some form of compensation for that.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by FrostyMug

Reg may have a bit of a point but he fails to mention that the LCBO's "profits" support other parts of our system such as health care. By putting the coolers into Roblaws and the like instead of supporting those systems we're paying for Galen's next yacht.

The taxes on alcohol are that "profit" and they'll just be collected at different sites.

Convenience of store availability and hours is important.

EDIT: the sale of hard liquor will probably not be allowed at grocers or other retailers, nor wanted by them due to risks. So I think the LCBO will still have a sales niche, and I imagine it will still be involved in the distribution of beer and wines and ciders (and seltzers? I haven't seen them in the grocery stores I frequent, but they're a relatively "new" thing)

[FrostyMug]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

The taxes on alcohol are that "profit" and they'll just be collected at different sites.

The LCBO also has a mark up on every product. That profit (or at least a portion of it) will be lost to those different sites. You're also discounting the cost required to ensure that all those retailers actually remit the taxes they are supposed to. I hope no one believes that tracking and ensuring that those taxes are paid will come without any cost.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by FrostyMug

The LCBO also has a mark up on every product. That profit (or at least a portion of it) will be lost to those different sites. You're also discounting the cost required to ensure that all those retailers actually remit the taxes they are supposed to. I hope no one believes that tracking and ensuring that those taxes are paid will come without any cost.

Mark-up point taken. But re: taxes, would they not simply be processed with the taxes that are paid now on other taxable products? With the liquor-specific taxes included in what the store pays for the inventory?

I will probably start buying direct from the wineries and craft brewers again. I did a lot of that during the lockdown. Living where I do makes it relatively easy, and not everyone has that kind of access, but for me it will make sense.

Regardless, the convenience of having more retail locations with less restrictive hours also makes sense to me. I like the selection offered by most LCBO outlets, but it's an outdated sales model.

[FrostyMug]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Mark-up point taken. But re: taxes, would they not simply be processed with the taxes that are paid now on other taxable products? With the liquor-specific taxes included in what the store pays for the inventory?

I will probably start buying direct from the wineries and craft brewers again. I did a lot of that during the lockdown. Living where I do makes it relatively easy, and not everyone has that kind of access, but for me it will make sense.

Regardless, the convenience of having more retail locations with less restrictive hours also makes sense to me. I like the selection offered by most LCBO outlets, but it's an outdated sales model.

I'd like to think that but generally there is only HST to be rebated on existing products. Alcohol taxes are many and convoluted. There will be more accountants.

Supporting local craft brewers and wineries is a great idea. I'm very confident that my local Loblaws or Walmart is not going to stock those craft brewers or local wineries as they won't move enough volume to justify shelf space in a mass retailer let alone a space restricted corner store.

The LCBO might be outdated and it definitely could be improved but the selection of Ontario wines is outstanding. Same goes for Ontario craft beers for the Beer Store. All those craft brewers get shelf space that they won't see in Loblaws or 7 - 11.