Conservatives Call for Revamp of Ontario Liquor Laws

The Liberals have continuously rebuffed proposals for convenience stores to stock beer and wine.

August 10, 2012

OTTAWA, Ontario - The fight to sell alcohol in convenience stores continues in Canada, with members of the Conservative party urging their Liberal counterparts not to expand the sale of beer and wine to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores, but instead to grant that right to convenience stores, the Ottawa Citizen reports. Premier Dalton McGuinty has outright rebuffed such a proposal already.

Liberals say Ontario is a safer place because liquor is only sold through government-owned outlets. "We believe it's a system that enables us to provide greatest guarantee to moms and dads that when a 16-year-old or 17-year-old shows up to buy beer or some liquor, that we have the necessary measures in place to ferret them out and deny them access to alcoholic beverages," said McGuinty.

However, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association presented a petition with 112,000 signatures asking for permission to sell alcohol. The liquor board has plans to build around 70 new stores.

"I want to take a look at what happens when you expand the sale of beer and wine in private enterprise not only to the return, but to the competitive aspects that create jobs and provide for a wider range of products," said Progressive Conservative Peter Shurman. "I can tell you as far as liquor distribution is concerned, we're talking about expanding the retail chain. That's all we're talking about."

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