Our prohibition-era alcohol system is not about protecting drinkers or about maximizing revenues for the government. It is about power and control, particularly for government-sector unions
As another summer winds down and patio season comes to a close, it’s fair to ask, will Ontario ever reform its archaic laws on the sale of alcohol?
The Wynne government has repeatedly ruled out the idea of updating the liquor laws to allow more choice and convenience for Ontario shoppers. They deny being beholden to powerful unions or the foreign-owned Beer Store cartel, and instead fall back onto the same stale arguments: that the government relies on the $1.74 billion annual revenue, and that government control leads to better public health outcomes.
