Mac's wants to sell liquor, hire more staff

Who's going to be policing the people that Macs sells the liquor to? Furthermore, the jobs it will create, supposedly 1600 and probably at minimum wage with no benefits, will be offset by the job losses at the Liquor Control Board which are truly good paying jobs. These employees pay income tax and Canada Pension which helps to keep the country going.

At least get the grammar right please

Why should we use tax payers money to provide services that could be provided cheaper by the private sector? The high paying government jobs cost more tax dollars than they return. To me it's just the government charging us more money for a less convenient service.
And I believe Mac's employees also pay income tax and CPP.

What do you mean "policing the people that Macs sells the liquor to?" Who would be policing the people that liquor and Beer stores sell the liquor to? If theres someone who's underage/over intoxicated and they want booze they ALREADY find a way to get it. Having the option of getting it at a convience store doesnt mean more people are going to binge drink, or that under age drinking is going to become more of a problem than they already are.

Jeremy, we do not *use* tax dollars to supply this service. The LCBO generates over a billion dollars a year in profit for the province.

Also, LCBO is the largest buyer of alcohol in the world and gets better discounts than any convenience stores could get, which means better prices for us and better margins for the province.

Workers there have great jobs to lose if they get caught selling to minors, so they have no motivation to do so.

Personally, I think booze is more than available enough and making it more convenient mostly enables problem drinkers more than inconveniencing the rest of the population.

If I miss the LCBO hours, oh well, I'm not drinking tonight. No big deal.

Mike Brennan you trully must be brain dead or a Union Shill (same thing i guess). The same people who police convenient stores selling cigarettes are the ones who will police the convenient stores selling Liquor. Those "trully good paying jobs" the LCBO offers comes out of Ontario tax payers pockets, $14/hour to stock shelves give me a break. We'd no longer have to pay ridiculous Union wages and pensions with our tax dollars and be forced to purchase an overpriced product from the LCBO whos selection, hours and staff demeanor are sub par at best. Privatize the whole thing, government just sells it (tax) to distributors and they set a price and product selection they want, and let Capitalism take care of the rest. No more Union hacks, no more closes at 5pm no more tax dollars spent. Win Win Win for Ontarian s.

You pay more income tax and Canada Pension on a higher paying job. We have enough Walmarts in this country paying people as little as possible.

Wow STUPIDEST ARGUMENTS EVER on here....ill rip them apart 1 at a time..

1. LCBO generates 1 billion for the province....The LCBO collects tax on liquor....that's it. The money generated is tax if the government sells it to a private company and taxes it their still making their 1 billion a year except that they a.Dont have to pay Union wages and pensions and b. Dont have to pay rent on the properties that house LCBO's (the ones they dont own).

2. Availability will enable problem drinkers...Convenience stores sell mouth wash and an alcoholic can go to a bar till 3am. End of the day its a persons decision what they consume, why are we babying people who lack the discipline to NOT DRINK..its their choice simple as that problem drinkers will find a way to get booze if they want it bad enough, making it more available really wont increase problem drinking.

3.The LCBO is the largest buyer of alcohol in the world which means better prices.....Yes...BUT!!!! They dont use their buying power to negotiate lower prices in fact they pay more per bottle than any other wholesale alcohol buyer in the world..

4. THE LCBO MAKES MONEY!!! I cannot stress this enough, Ontarios tax dollars pay for LCBO employes Union wages and Pensions. No store in their right mind would ever pay someone the exorborant amount of money ($14+ an hour) to stock shelves yet the LCBO does.... The LCBO doesnt really make any money, they have to pay Unions, wages, rent etc etc all the LCBO does is Collect Tax on the bottle..thats it TAX!!!!

NO more LCBO means better prices, selection and NO TAX DOLLARS spent on Union thugs that will hold you hostage and STRIKE on May 24 weekend. The government still collects the tax and private stores set a price.

Mr. Brennan. are you , by chance, a union worker?

Amen, David R. To add another couple of problems would be the amount of deaths caused by drunk driving and higher rate of domestic violence. I am originally from Ontario, but have lived in Alberta for a few years. Alcohol is privatized here and there is a liquor store on just about corner. Alberta has the higest rate of domestic violence caused by alcohol consumption across Canada. Women's shelters, in Calgary anyway, are at over-capacity constantly. I hope to never see my home province go the same route as Alberta.

Now, if we could only get the government to legislate alcohol labels to read the same as cigarette packages, of course with a few changes in wording, i.e. "Alcohol drinking leads to heart disease, cirrhosis, esophogeal cancer, etc." Alcohol can cause dissolution of marriages, relationships, families." "Alcohol can lead to loss of job and home." "Drunk driving kills more than just your driver's license." "Alcohol is very addictive and can cause severe mood changes." "Alcohol can send you to prison for domestic violence".

I definately think that alcohol should be sold at conveniance stores, even grocery stores - wine, beer and food all at the same place. I think ontario should quit making it such a big deal about booze. I also think they should lower the drinking age. Isn't this a free country? The provincial government should quit babying people and let them make their own decisions.

Brenda D, David R.....Your both morons. Enough said. By your opinion Brenda i guess we should ban everything bad for us..Sugar, Salt, Coffee, Bacon and all be forced to convert to Veganism and join the Mormon Church..Give me a break Brenda. Domestic violence happens without alcohol im pretty sure women got beat during prohibition.

Well BrendaBasher, at least I have an opinion. What is your opinion, or should we assume your opinion given your moniker? Perhaps you just prefer to call someone names. If you have an opinion, then kindly enlighten us, but please ensure that you use a dictionary to spell properly. Correct grammar and punctuation would be nice to see, too! ;)

How are Ontario residents any diffierent than Americans, Quebecors? Why do we still need the government to hold our hands when it comes to buying alcohol? If your 19 and choose to drink, why should the government be concerned where you buy it? The LCBO does NOT negotiate prices when buying liquor so we end up paying top dollar. Drunk driving, alcoholics, wife beaters are a sad part of our society but only part - the majority of us control our drinking and should be treated like adults and not wee children.

great amounts of Cash are returned to the government of Ontario each year. We already lost huge amounts of cash getting rid of the 407. WHY NOT PIVATIZE SERVICES THAT ARE LOOSING MONEY.
This would be a big mistake. quality would be lost and profits too

I am sure that the owners of Mac's are very nice people, but why would we want them to take the profit that now goes to the provincial government? With this profit the province is able to add considerable revenue to the general account and employ thousands of people at reasonable wages.

It must follow then that we would like the cooperate rich to get richer and the workers be paid much less. One small group takes one very large group looses.

I have been a union man all my life but I don't see the justification of the 50% markup I have seen as stated for the LCBO. This is a consumer rip off to say the least!!! I spent 5 years in Alberta after my factory closed and witnessed first hand what completion did for the consumer there for liquor. The prices were MUCH lower and the hours were much more convenient. There was very little abuse by store owners selling to minors who risked loosing their license to sell booze. In the larger cities there were many stores that just sold liquor with lots of variety in beer and wine. There were a few corner variety stores that sold liquor but very few of the big variety stores such as 7-11 and Macs. I am for free enterprise so feel that the monopoly LCBO holds for us Ontarians needs to change. If there is an increase of tax dollars generated (income for this Province) it will benefit all Ontarians, we pay enough already. Now being a senior I could use what ever help I can get.

Perhaps we need to keep in mind that there will be a tax on alcohol whether it is run by LCBO of privately. Outsource and the seller has to add a margin for profit, that margin is not going to be less. Beer prices soared in Alberta when sales went to the little store front outlets. It is much more expensive to partake in Alberta than any other province.

Fact: Domestic abuse and DUI's go up every time alcohol is made more available.
Fact: LCBO cards over 100,00 people every year
Fact: corner stores are repeatedly fined for selling cigarettes to minors so why allow them to sell alcohol
Fact: LCBO is the second biggest money maker for Ontario, cornerstores will not give us the same in profits to pay for healthcare, etc.

if any of you have ever walked in the shoes of a person selling alcohol at an LCBO, you would be quick to realize they do more than bottle booze. They all are required to pass product knowledge tests, put up with irate drunks they don't serve, get abused by under agers because their ID is false or expired, work hours when most of us are off. You would never receive the service you get at an LCBO or the selection at a corner store. Further to that as somebody mentions above, the LCBO contributes huge revenue to the provincial government, corner stores would not do the same.

I am not an employee of LCBO but an astute observer of the system. Lastly if you can't get your booze by closing, you have had a full day to do it. They are open at least 12 hours a day except for sundays which is 8 hours.

Steve

this is the worst idea I've heard in a long time - look forward to barred windows at your local convenience store and an increase in robberies - just take a look at inner city American convenience stores.

To K.E.

Fact: LCBO collects tax, booze will be taxed if its privatized so Ontario makes the same money except cuts costs in wages and unions.It makes the same amount of money for Ontario we just save on overhead costs.

Fact: My corner convenience store has known me for 25 years and still cards me when i purchase cigarettes. A local merchant will be more stringent to card because if he doesnt and gets fined he will loose his business. An LCBO employee will not loose their job if they serve a minor.

Fact: Who cares if the LCBO cards 100,000 people?

To Sharon Charters...

This is not America, a diffrent countries cities are not an apt comparison on Canadian cities.

I drink twice as much in Ontario as I did when I lived in Quebec. In Quebec, when I felt in the mood for a cold beer or two, I'd WALK to the corner store and buy a couple of beers. Now, in Ontario, if I feel like a cold beer or two, I get in the car and drive 20 minutes and since it's a pain, I buy a couple of cases to put in the basement and since it's there, I drink more. I burn more gas and I get less exercise.

Seems ridiculous to me that this hasn't changed in Ontario.

Isn't everyone missing the point here? The proposal seems to be to allow convenience stores to sell alcohol in ADDITION to it continuing to be sold by the LCBO. Nowhere does it suggest getting rid of the LCBO. Surely, a little competition would be healthy.

To Steve you arnt a very astute observer

I wake up at 5:30am and work till 5:30pm every day mon-friday, is called working no LCBO is open past 10pm and they dont open till 10am boo friggin hoo. When i go to buy liqour i know what i want, i couldnt care less about an LCBO employees knowledge on which wine goes with this dish. Its called the internet anyone can look up wine and food pairings ...not hard. The LCBO's "huge revenue" is TAX!!! TAX!!!!!! how many times do i have to say it TAX!!! they collect the duty on Booze thats it....they loose money by having to pay wages, unions fees, pensions, benefits (all paid for by Ontario Taxpayers). They can just charge the tax to a distributor and they set the price, therefore the government still collects "huge revenue" for Ontario except they cut costs by not having to pay out to Unions with Ontarians hard earned tax dollars..God people here are idiots...THE LCBO WASTES YOUR TAX DOLLARS!!!!!

Good Idea, but only on beer and wine.

Give me a break, more jobs ? min wage part time hours perhaps how will that fund anything or support a family. The 407 was given away billions of my money goes where? in a private pocket. How is that working for us?
Wake up, who do you think funds education, healthcare you and I do. Could we do it on min wage jobs nope. When did makeing a living wage become tabo.
Give your head a shake having liqour at a cornor store, no thanks

Eva you should wake up!Sorry but $14+/hour of my money for someone to stock shelves and tell me where and when i can buy liquor iis ridiculous. Ontario isnt not gonna stop collecting taxes on booze they just wont have to pay outrageous salaries, Union pensions and benefits which is paid with our tax dollars . Privatizing liquor saves Ontario tax payers money, if you want to "make a living wage" maybe you should get an education and a good job. I see 16 year olds stocking shelves at grocery stores, basically doing the exact same job as an LCBO employee minus the pay, benefits and pension. Give your head a shake.