McGuinty may sell LCBO, NDP says
NDP urges people to send McGuinty message in empty liquor bottles
Keith Leslie
Canadian Press
National Post
Friday, February 20, 2004
TORONTO -- The best way to stop Premier Dalton McGuinty from selling the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is to send him a message in a bottle, the New Democrats said Thursday.
"I urge all Ontarians that want to stop the LCBO selloff to wrap up your empty wine bottles or liquor bottles and send them to the premier,'' said Timmins-James Bay New Democrat Gilles Bisson.
He suggests people tuck a note inside the empty bottles opposing the sale of the LCBO before packing them carefully and mailing them off to Queen's Park.
Bisson believes McGuinty is poised to break another campaign promise by selling the huge liquor control board, something the previous Conservatives had talked about since 1995, but never did.
"Before the election, he promised to protect public assets, but now he wants to sell them faster than you can say Mike Harris,'' complained Bisson.
Former Tory Premier Ernie Eves always said no one could come up with a solid business case for selling the liquor board, which brings in almost one billion dollars in profits each year for the province.
"At a time when we've got a challenge to make sure that we've got the dollars to run important programs like health and education, it's one of the ways the province has to raise revenue,'' said Bisson.
The NDP says selling the liquor board would be a financial disaster for the cash-strapped government, and would mean short term gain for long term pain.
"It's like selling our crown jewels to pay the mortgage,'' said Bisson.
"If we were to decide to sell the LCBO, or parts of it by way of franchises, income trusts or whatever they decide to do, what you're doing is selling away future profits.''
The Liberals have not announced plans to sell the liquor control board, but have also refused to rule out the sale of provincial assets while they conduct public consultations on the best ways to eliminate the deficit, projected at $5.6 billion this year.
After giving reporters miniature bottles filled with whiskey to announce his news conference, Bisson dug out old Hansard quotes of McGuinty and some of his cabinet ministers who attacked the Tories for even suggesting they would sell the LCBO.
Bisson said McGuinty had labelled Mike Harris an "extremist'' for proposing the sale and said the Tory premier's plan was "driven by ideology.''
He warns privatizing liquor sales would make it harder to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors and said it would mean fewer products on Ontario shelves.
Alberta's private liquor stores carry about 1,600 products, compared to more than 2,800 products at LCBO stores.
Source
==============
What do you think? Currently the LCBO monopoly is a huge cash cow for the province...
NDP urges people to send McGuinty message in empty liquor bottles
Keith Leslie
Canadian Press
National Post
Friday, February 20, 2004
TORONTO -- The best way to stop Premier Dalton McGuinty from selling the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is to send him a message in a bottle, the New Democrats said Thursday.
"I urge all Ontarians that want to stop the LCBO selloff to wrap up your empty wine bottles or liquor bottles and send them to the premier,'' said Timmins-James Bay New Democrat Gilles Bisson.
He suggests people tuck a note inside the empty bottles opposing the sale of the LCBO before packing them carefully and mailing them off to Queen's Park.
Bisson believes McGuinty is poised to break another campaign promise by selling the huge liquor control board, something the previous Conservatives had talked about since 1995, but never did.
"Before the election, he promised to protect public assets, but now he wants to sell them faster than you can say Mike Harris,'' complained Bisson.
Former Tory Premier Ernie Eves always said no one could come up with a solid business case for selling the liquor board, which brings in almost one billion dollars in profits each year for the province.
"At a time when we've got a challenge to make sure that we've got the dollars to run important programs like health and education, it's one of the ways the province has to raise revenue,'' said Bisson.
The NDP says selling the liquor board would be a financial disaster for the cash-strapped government, and would mean short term gain for long term pain.
"It's like selling our crown jewels to pay the mortgage,'' said Bisson.
"If we were to decide to sell the LCBO, or parts of it by way of franchises, income trusts or whatever they decide to do, what you're doing is selling away future profits.''
The Liberals have not announced plans to sell the liquor control board, but have also refused to rule out the sale of provincial assets while they conduct public consultations on the best ways to eliminate the deficit, projected at $5.6 billion this year.
After giving reporters miniature bottles filled with whiskey to announce his news conference, Bisson dug out old Hansard quotes of McGuinty and some of his cabinet ministers who attacked the Tories for even suggesting they would sell the LCBO.
Bisson said McGuinty had labelled Mike Harris an "extremist'' for proposing the sale and said the Tory premier's plan was "driven by ideology.''
He warns privatizing liquor sales would make it harder to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors and said it would mean fewer products on Ontario shelves.
Alberta's private liquor stores carry about 1,600 products, compared to more than 2,800 products at LCBO stores.
Source
==============
What do you think? Currently the LCBO monopoly is a huge cash cow for the province...
Last edited: