Protest against the LCBO -- Liquor Control Board of Ontario

[cybercoma]

If a child can afford to treat me then who am I to refuse a drink ?

Don't ever drink with children though. They suck at handling their alcohol. Every single one of them is a sloppy drunk.

[Michael Hardner]

Don't ever drink with children though. They suck at handling their alcohol. Every single one of them is a sloppy drunk.

You don't have to clear that one up for me. I only drink with children when they're my designated drivers.

[Boges]

Bout time!!!

TORONTO -- Ontario's opposition parties said Wednesday the Liberal government is not being honest with people about its plans to "maximize" the value of provincial assets like the Liquor Control Board, Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One.

This week's provincial budget talked about "unlocking" value from government assets, while the Liberal re-election platform stated they would generate $3.15 billion through "asset optimization."

Both the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats said they wanted to know what the buzz words really mean, and what exactly the Liberals plan to do to raise that amount.

Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/lcbo-hydro-one-may-be-part-of-ontario-liberals-asset-sale-1.1916348#ixzz37fK0q19r

BTW had Hudak said he'd sell the LickBo people would freak! Told you Wynne was lying.

Selling the LCBO would only benefit consumers if they buyer isn't forced to abide by the stupid "Social Responsibility" pricing model.

[Boges]

Oh and the LCBO has a new shittier logo

http://www.lcbo.com/content/lcbo/en.html#.U8bhu0KWTHg

Obviously some sort of make-work project for civil servants. I actually didn't mind the old logo.

[guyser]

Selling the LCBO would only benefit consumers if they buyer isn't forced to abide by the stupid "Social Responsibility" pricing model.

Cant escape that in this country.

Alberta is no different. So.,..I say let 'em keept it.

Nit yuou have convinced me about the Beer Store, so lets go work on that.

[Boges]

Cant escape that in this country.

Alberta is no different. So.,..I say let 'em keept it.

Nit yuou have convinced me about the Beer Store, so lets go work on that.

Well if they sold the LCBO to Diageo we'd get the same situation as The Beer Store.

Not even Hudak wanted to tackle the Beer Store.

BTW here's a story I read recently that led me to believe brewers are fighting back against The Big 3 Brewers. http://www.torontosun.com/2014/06/26/cheers-to-lower-bar-and-restaurant-beer-prices

[Boges]

You can keep the levels of taxation the same but these ideas of keeping the margians for some fake social responsibility lie.

No need for the there to be a minimum price. No need for clerks and cashiers to be $20/hour plus unionized employees. You just need to prevent the protectionism we see in the Beer Store where they keep their products from and centre and elbow the small guys out.

I can say a lot of bad stuff about the LCBO but at least they allow the small guys a place on the shelves.

[overthere]

Alberta is no different.

Privatization of retail booze sales in Alberta has been a monster win for consumers, a revenue breakeven for government coffers, and a win for taxpayers in that their future liabilities are greatly reduced. The only 'assets' that were sold were the liquor board buildings.

Unless you're a supporter of vastly overpaid govt cashiers with great benefits gaining fat pensions for unskilled work, the change in Alberta has been a solid success.

Of course, in Ontario it would unsafe to change anything.

[guyser]

Privatization of retail booze sales in Alberta has been a monster win for consumers,

They pay roughly the same price as everyone else. Thats a win? Ok.

a revenue breakeven for government coffers, and a win for taxpayers in that their future liabilities are greatly reduced. The only 'assets' that were sold were the liquor board buildings.

Forgoing $1.5B in revenue is not break even .

Unless you're a supporter of vastly overpaid govt cashiers with great benefits gaining fat pensions for unskilled work, the change in Alberta has been a solid success.

There are more jobs, thats true. Compensation here is an issue.

Of course, in Ontario it would unsafe to change anything.

Stop the Beer Store and lots would be happy.

[Boges]

They pay roughly the same price as everyone else. Thats a win? Ok.

Forgoing $1.5B in revenue is not break even .

There are more jobs, thats true. Compensation here is an issue.

Stop the Beer Store and lots would be happy.

I know people from Alberta and they think the prices here are higher. People have said in this thread that private outlets can offer sales and set their own hours. We can at least be treated like adults.

If the Province is dependent on $1.5 billion from the LCBO to remain solvent then perhaps they have a spending problem.

And the Beer Store is crap, but the LCBO exists as competition for it. I never go to the Beer Store anymore unless I'm returning empties. See competition kinda works sometimes.

[Black Dog]

On average price sin Alberta are about the same as here, but there's more choice. for example, you can go to the Costco liquor store and get great bargains, but if you're grabbing a case of beer at the only store open at midnight you'll pay a premium on that.

Personally, I'm ambivalent these days about the LCBO. the Beer Store is by far the greater evil IMO.

[Boges]

On average price sin Alberta are about the same as here, but there's more choice. for example, you can go to the Costco liquor store and get great bargains, but if you're grabbing a case of beer at the only store open at midnight you'll pay a premium on that.

Personally, I'm ambivalent these days about the LCBO. the Beer Store is by far the greater evil IMO.

Buying alcohol at a store at midnight? Next you'll tell me there'll be dancing!

Edited July 17, 2014 by Boges

[Black Dog]

Buying alcohol at a store on midnight? Next you'll tell me there'll be dancing!

Oh there's dancing alright, but you need to leave room between you and your partner for the Holy Spirit (just don't listen to him when he starts talking about doing a "Holy Trinity").

[Topaz]

Ontario is also letting Farmer's Marker sell wine.

[Boges]

Ontario is also letting Farmer's Marker sell wine.

That's not a huge deviation from allowing Ontario wines being sold at separate outlets within grocery stores. They're letting them sell them at farmer's markets.

The LCBO still can offer the lowest priced imported wines.

[overthere]

They pay roughly the same price as everyone else. Thats a win? Ok.

Forgoing $1.5B in revenue is not break even .

There are more jobs, thats true. Compensation here is an issue.

Stop the Beer Store and lots would be happy.

There are far, far more stores and exponentially more products than when the ALCB was run by govt. There are also many opportiunities to get booze for cheap as nearly all stores large and small have sales, often at or below their cost. That never happened before. So yes, it has been an unqualified win for consumers.

No revenue was forgone. Adjusted for todays dollar,net revenue in 1993 was $625m, in 2012 it was $687m. And of course, that has been done with far less risk to taxpayers since there are no benefits and particularly no gigantic public pension liabilities accruing.

I say again, the only people that don't like privatization in AB are the public service unions, who like anywhwere else fight to keep the dues rolling in and don't give a shit about anything else.

All it really takes to make it happen is a politician with the balls to stand up to his own unions. Any of those floating around in ON?

[Boges]

All it really takes to make it happen is a politician with the balls to stand up to his own unions. Any of those floating around in ON?

Nyet.

[Boges]

It's known I can't stand the LCBO because of their monopoly and price structure. They're also huge liars.

I do have to give them credit though. The selection of tall boy cans and even modest LCBO's is quite impressive. You can pick and choose European beers you've never heard of. If you're going to have to pay $2-3 for a pink, might as well have the freedom to pick and choose from a good selection.

[Boges]

Can't claim to all about social responsibility when you're actively marketing to children.

http://www.680news.com/2013/06/25/lcbo-ad-offends-parents-report/

[Mighty AC]

Meh...I wouldn't call that marketing to children. Though I'd still like to see the LCBO get out of the retail business so I'll grab my pitch fork and you light the torches.

[guyser]

Can't claim to all about social responsibility when you're actively marketing to children.

Market to an audience that cant buy?

[Boges]

I'm going to cop to something.

I'm listing to talk radio and the guy says there's a lady that's upset with the LCBO about something. But he doesn't say what exactly her beef was. So I Google "LCBO, Woman, Offended" or something like that and I get the above story. If you notice it's from 2013.

I would have deleted the post but this forum doesn't let you do that, so I thought I'd let it fly. I'll stand by my claim that the LCBO's social responsibility mantra is a farce though.

Here's the current story about a woman outraged for at the LCBO.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1566305/lcbo-ad-urging-pregnant-women-to-avoid-alcohol-spurs-formal-complaint/

Laura Jamer saw an ad by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) that shows a naked pregnant woman holding a sign with the word “love” in red and the message “Love your body, love your baby. Don’t drink while pregnant” below the image.

LCBO stores displayed the campaign from Aug. 25 to Sept. 12 in partnership with FASworld Canada, an organization focused on education about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Apparently there are safe levels of alcohol pregnant women can take.

That being said, big posters like this kind of create a stigma that any pregnant woman in the LCBO is trying to kill their baby, they may be buying a gift.

I'm totally not going to get worked up about this though.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Boges

[Mighty AC]

I'm for privatization, but I acknowledge that all undesirable alcohol related activities will increase a little when it happens. More minors will be served, more tanked people will get it, alcoholism will rise slightly, etc.

[Boges]

Slow Clap Ontario Government.

http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/11/13/beer_store_should_pay_more_to_province_says_privatization_czar.html

Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government is threatening to take away the privately owned Beer Store monopoly if brewers balk at paying a “franchise fee” to the province.

That’s according to Wynne’s privatization czar, former TD Bank chair Ed Clark, who tabled a report on public assets Thursday that recommends modernizing booze sales.

While Clark cautions against selling off the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, he said the province could “free up $2 billion to $3 billion” to fund transit by liquidating parts of Hydro One.

More controversially, he said The Beer Store, owned by AB InBev, MolsonCoors, and Sapporo, will have to cough up more money to Queen’s Park without raising prices for consumers — or else.

“Their position is that they can’t afford to absorb a tax,” Clark told reporters in a conference call after releasing his 77-page study, “Retain & Gain: Making Ontario’s Assets Work Better for Taxpayers and Consumers.”

I like how the Beer Store brass are crying poor. They couldn't possibly afford to pay for the right to have a monopoly of beer sales above 6-packs and the ability to give preferential shelf space to your brands while other brewers are simply a label on a big wall.

If a francise fee would put them out of business then they should allow someone else to buy their outlets.

If you're not making money charging $40 for a case for Molson Canadian, then you're doing it wrong.

[The_Squid]

The whole beer store concept is ridiculous.