On Monday, a report was released by the Ontario Beverage alcohol System Review panel. Proposed recommendations were made on how liquor, wine and beer should be sold in the province.
The report suggested sweeping changes, the main one being that the government should get out of the alcohol business altogether. according to the panel’s findings the government could still take in about $1.5 billion a year in liquor and beer taxes and in licensing fees that would be charged to those who will sell the beverages. The report’s conclusions were that privatization would result in more competition, lower prices and more choice for consumers.
Within moments of the release of the report, its major recommendations were rejected by Finance Minister Greg Sorbara (a.k.a. the Real Premier). although Sorbara condescendingly told the unwashed masses that he would study the recommendations carefully, he instantaneously ruled out any sale of the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO). Promising to faithfully "study" a report whose major recommendation is privatization after ruling that option out is nothing more than another Dalton McGuinty government lie. The longer this government is in power, the more blatant become the lies. No one in the province should be surprised at Sorbara’s comments.
The cost of the panel’s report has been estimated to be between $500,000 and $1 million. Tory critic Tim Hudak likened the expenditure to pouring 20,000 cases of beer down the drain, an analogy that the lower classes (ie. every Ontarian that is not presently in cabinet) could understand. Hudak also said, no doubt correctly that the entire report was shelved when it failed to bring enough quick money into the government to get them out of the hole from their massive spending. This is consistent with the McGuinty government. It’s never about the people whom they have been elected to govern. It’s always about them.
It wasn’t that long ago that those who wished to purchase a bottle of liquor or a case of beer had to fill out a form and sign their lives away. The thinking of our current nanny-state government has not moved beyond those days. McGuinty’s Liberals don’t think that Ontarians are capable of making their own decisions when it comes to things that may result in harm. They don’t think that all of those immigrants who work in convenience stores are capable of selling six packs to the residents of this province. Only the government is competent and should be trusted to sell liquor and beer. The Liberals won’t rest until they control every aspect of Ontarians’ lives, justifying their intervention, as they undoubtedly always do, on the basis of keeping health care costs down. The fact that the government is so opposed to people taking responsibility for their own actions made a mockery of the commission of the panel to examine how liquor, wine and beer are sold in this province. Either the report would recommend the status quo or a complete change of how alcohol is sold; either way, the report was a complete and utter waste of money.
at least when the party’s federal cousins embarked upon the sponsorship program they treated their marks as adults. as money was stolen, misused and misapplied and went to line the pockets of Quebec advertising executives who then kicked much of it back to the Liberals at least Canadians were treated as adults. We were scammed and taken for a ride but at least we weren’t treated as helpless infants like McGuinty and the gang treats us.
The whole purpose of the sponsorship fiasco was to keep the Liberal Party of Canada in power, a sentiment that is shared by many Canadians. There was no such corresponding benefit to the expensive report that was ignored before it was properly examined.
Greg Sorbara’s actions in his quick dismissal of the report that was paid for by hard working taxpayers displayed an arrogance rarely shown by a government that is generally contemptuous of its citizenry.