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
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.