mLa report From
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
OPINIONS
nancy Heppner
Page 14 - JULY 28, 2016 - martensviLLe messenger
saskatchewan Job
corporations
Phone: 306-668-1093 Email: [email protected]
growth
register and
68-1093
Email: [email protected]
province.
ne: 306-668-1093
Email: [email protected]
Booze Causes Bad
gov’t Judgement
Alcohol causes people to
not think clearly… even
when it comes to the
retailing of the product.
Take the on-going battle
of Premier Brad Wall’s
government to privatize
the retail aspect of sales
in this province. To
some extent one gets
the irrationality of those
who have at stake in
good-paying, unionized
jobs in public retail
liquor stores. But it’s
also about here where
it seems that liquor
sales has a bad effect on
otherwise clear-thinking
individuals.
After all, there is nothing
magical about selling
liquor compared with
any other commodity…
other than the fact that
it is likely significantly
easier to sell than most
other products.
What’s failed miserably
here in Saskatchewan
and in other jurisdictions
where
the
liquor
employee unions have
tried it is the notion
that
only
“public
sector” liquor retailers
can safeguard against
underage purchasing of
alcohol.
Seriously? Public liquor
retailers have prevented
older brothers and older
friends from pulling for
their friends? Liquor
vendors
or
private
store owners would
not be afraid of losing
their lucrative licenses
by supplying liquor
to minors? Bar and
restaurant owners in
Saskatchewan haven’t
already proven private
retail are rather diligent
about ensuring only
appropriate-aged
customers are served
alcohol?
Of course, there are
other concerns
a b o u t
privatization of
liquor - not the
least of which would be
the concerns of friends
of government getting
preferential
treatment
when it comes to getting
liquor store franchises.
As stated earlier, the nature
of liquor sales doesn’t
necessarily always bring
out the best wisdom. And
that applies equally to
the government’s view
of alcohol retailing especially when it’s mixed
with a healthy dose of
politics.
Recently, Premier Brad
Wall’s government has
taken great umbrage at the
Alberta NDP government
imposing a $1.25 a litre tax
on beer.
Now, if you are a west side
rural Saskatchewan hotel
beer vendor or vendors
of other liquor sales,
you might very well be
wondering why this is an
issue at all.
All Saskatchewan retailers
have been hammered by
the absence of a provincial
sales tax to the west of
us. (Alberta has not had a
provincial sales tax since
1937.)
But if you are a west side
retailer of booze, it’s a
double hit because of the
way the two provinces
have always taxed liquor.
In Saskatchewan, there is
an “ad valorem” taxation
policy, meaning taxes are
levied on the value of the
product.
By contrast, Alberta has
always levelled a flat perbottle duty, meaning that
an expensive bottle of rye
and scotch would generally
be cheaper. (Because of
this, beer has generally
Provincial
Politics
with
Murray Mandryk
been slightly cheaper in
Saskatchewan than Alberta
- even more before the
recent change imposed by
Premier Rachel Notley’s
government.)
The issue for the Sask.
Party government is that
Saskatchewan beers like
Great Western and the
craft beer industry would
be subject to this new
$1.25 per litre change in
Alberta. However, similar
Alberta based breweries
would continue to enjoy
the advantage of Alberta
government subsidies.
“Alberta's new beer pricing
and grant policy are a
trade issue that could hurt
producers and consumers
in both provinces," said
Saskatchewan Liquor and
Gaming Authority (SLGA)
Minister Don McMorris
in a prepared statement.
McMorris raised the issue
with Notley's and Wall
raised it at the annual
premiers’ meeting.
The question is why
this is the Saskatchewan
government’s
concern.
How much Albertans pay
for their beer shouldn’t be
McMorris’s concerns. Nor
is it really Saskatchewan’s
concerns whether Alberta
taxpayers are subsidizing
their local brewers.
Sure, governments need
to look after businesses
in their own jurisdictions.
But that’s a dangerous
game for a Sask. Party
government that claims it
has no interest in picking
winners or losers. After
all, can you subsidize
breweries and not the
film industry through tax
employment credits?
Liquor sure impacts how
governments think.
Letter to the Editor
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the writer’s identity can be verified. ALL letters are the opinion of the writer and NOT the Martensville Messenger. We reserve the right to edit letters
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martensvillemessenger.ca or drop by the Martensville Messenger office at Bay #7 - 301 Centennial Drive North.
Your City; Your Newspaper
Saskatchewan’s
labour
market continues to feel
the impact caused by low
resource prices. However,
there is optimism as
forecasters predict that
our economy will begin to
recover in the coming year.
Month over month gains
in employment show that
our economy is on the right
track. 1,000 new jobs were
created in Saskatchewan
in June, led by growth in
agriculture, trade and the
technical sector.
Saskatchewan’s
unemployment
rate
(seasonally adjusted) was
6.1%, tied for the second
lowest among the provinces
and lower than the national
unemployment rate of
6.8%.
69,100 jobs have been
created in Saskatchewan
since 2007 – 83% of them
full-time.
new Online system
for saskatchewan
Businesses
A new online system will
make it easier to register
and maintain a business
in Saskatchewan.
The
province’s
modernized
Corporate Registry system
is now available to the
public online.
The new system, which is
far more user- friendly for
Saskatchewan’s business
community,
eliminates
many of the labour
intensive,
paper-driven
tasks that existed before.
The Corporate Registry
system will make it faster
and more convenient for
businesses and non-profit
to
search,
operate in the
For further information
on the new Corporate
Registry, visit www.isc.ca/
corporateregistry.
Choice, Convenience and
Competitive Pricing – RFP
ABOVE: MLA Nancy Hepner
Open for Retail Liquor Store
Permits
and surrounding area.
The application process for
five retail liquor store permits
in Regina and Saskatoon is
now underway – a big first
step as we transition to an
expanded private retail liquor
system.
In addition to the 212
bridge projects completed
since 2008-09, there are 36
bridge replacements and
rehabilitations budgeted for
the current 2016-17 fiscal
year.
Changes
announced
in
November 2015, include the
conversion of 40 existing
government liquor stores to
private opportunities as well
as the addition of 11 new
retail opportunities.
A photo gallery featuring
current work can be found
at
www.highways.gov.
sk.ca/2016construction.
These
five
retail
opportunities are the first of
50 in communities across
the province.
Successful
proponents will be selected
through a Request for
Proposal (RFP) process.
There’s
something
to
celebrate in provincial parks
across Saskatchewan this
week.
The Government
of
Saskatchewan
has
proclaimed July 10th-16th,
2016 as Saskatchewan Parks
Week.
Celebrating
saskatchewan’s Parks
The RFP documents can be
found at www.SaskTenders. You can visit www.saskparks.
ca.
net/ParksWeek for a full list
of events and activities.
government to invest
More Than $40 Million
into Bridges
Total funding for the
provincial parks system
since 2007 is more than
$200 million. This funding
includes capital expenditures
and investment, operational
funding,
and
parks
programming.
Our commitment to enhance
infrastructure in our growing
province reaches far beyond
roads. For example, we have
increased our budget for
bridges by almost 76% since
2008.
New programs being offered
include Learn to Camp,
Bridge work ensures structural Learn to Fish, and the
integrity, supports highway Cultural Access Pass, which
traffic, economic growth, and provides newcomers free
provides drainage through entry to day-use areas within
the road which reduces the Saskatchewan
provincial
risk of flooding to the road parks.