Manitoba government reintroduces bill to ease liquor rules, aims to change pot tax
The Manitoba government is making another attempt at loosening restrictions on liquor sales and is changing the way it taxes cannabis.
The Progressive Conservative government introduced a bill in the legislature Monday that would allow private wine stores and beer vendors to offer a full range of alcohol. The move would put them on equal footing with government-run stores, which offer one-stop shopping for wine, beer and hard liquor.
"We know it's going to give retailers more choice but it also gives Manitoba customers more choice," said Andrew Smith, the minister responsible for the province's Crown liquor corporation.
The bill is similar to one introduced in the spring that died when it failed to pass before the last session ended. Like its predecessor, the new bill would also allow the Crown corporation to make enhanced security a condition of any expanded sales licence.
But unlike the one in the spring, the new bill does not pave the way for a pilot project where alcohol would be sold in some grocery and convenience stores. Smith said the idea requires more consultation.
The Manitoba Hotel Association, which represents private beer vendors, welcomed the right to sell a broader range of alcohol but raised concerns about the cost of enhanced security.
"A big question we have is 'what margins are we going to be working under?"' association president Scott Jocelyn said.
"If the margins are what we're making now and there's security requirements put on top of that, then more and more of my operators will look at it and (ask) 'is this something I want to jump into or not?"'
The Opposition New Democrats said having more sales at private outlets could lead to fewer sales and jobs at government-run stores.
"Those are good family-supporting jobs. I think Manitobans feel well served in our current system," NDP legislature member Adrien Sala said.
The government also introduced a bill Monday to eliminate the social responsibility fee on cannabis. The fee, which charged retailers six per cent of their annual revenue, will be eliminated by Jan. 1 if the bill passes.
In its place, the government is aiming to tack on a percentage to the federal excise tax on cannabis, a move Finance Minister Cameron Friesen said would be revenue neutral.
All other provinces currently piggyback on the federal excise tax and Manitoba has come to realize it's the better way, Friesen said.
The change would also likely save the provincial government from a legal dispute.
Long Plain First Nation has been fighting the social responsibility fee in court. It has said the fee amounts to a provincial tax that is not allowed on reserve land.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2022
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.