The news has been shared far and wide: the BC government is in the midst of a full-scale liquor policy review and, to my knowledge, no option is off the table.
This includes the once-preposterous concept of the BC government getting out of the liquor business altogether and shifting it to the private sector. Granted, this is the most unlikely scenario, but the fact that absolutely all options are being considered is promising.
After canvassing those in the trade (restaurants, breweries, etc.) and meeting with stakeholders (everyone from the BC Wine Institute to the Victoria Police Department), the pols are now turning to you, the general public, to offer your feedback and input on things.
From their press release:
Parliamentary Secretary for Liquor Reform John Yap [has] launched the new Liquor Policy Review website, Gov.bc.ca/liquorpolicyreview.
Yap is inviting British Columbians to get involved with the site through blog discussions, Twitter chats and feedback forms to better understand BCs liquor system and to offer vital input on ways to improve it.
The goal of governments review is to find changes to B.C.s laws on the use and sale of beer, wine and spirits that improve customer convenience and grow B.C.s economy, while ensuring public health and safety.
Now, I can fill every page in this paper with my thoughts and recommendations, but there are a few select options/hopes/dreams that have always been at the top of my wish list.
None of them are about recent absurd headline-fodder options like possibly being permitted to drink on the beach; things like that are probably around number 857 on my list of priorities.
Here goes the refrain of the biggest issues Ive long championed....
When I travel anywhere in the world and share that BC restaurants do not get any wholesale discounts on beer, wine or spirits, people generally assume theyve misunderstood what Ive said.
Yup, that bottle of Riesling that you pay $20 for on BCLDB shelves costs any restaurant $20 to purchase as well. While private wine and beer stores (who must also purchase from the BCLDB) get anywhere from a 16 per cent to 30 per cent discount, restaurants get nothing.
All Im looking for is a level playing field that would enable restaurants to pass along a better deal to diners. While were at it, and assuming we keep most of the current government model, lets allow restaurants to purchase wine from private retailers, which would support independent businesses while still putting money in government pockets.
How wonderful it would be to purchase food and wine in the same place and have well-curated, lifestyle-oriented shops.
Currently liquor retailers are permitted to sell lottery tickets, cigarettes and packaged snacks (chips, etc), but selling newspapers, milk, coffee and the like is not permitted. Seriously, whats up with that? Public safety concerns if someone buys a Globe & Mail with their wine?
Basically, if youre in any way a for-profit entity, its pretty much impossible to get a Special Occasion Licence for any event, even if youre doing everything by the book. This includes wine education classes in cooking schools and colleges produced by world-renowned education bodies where, currently, there is no legal way of having your students taste wine.
A guy can dream. We have some of the most expensive wine prices in the world and Im tired of seeing tourists jaws drop when they see our shelf prices.
I have many more, and you probably do as well. Head to Gov.BC.ca, click on Liquor Policy Review and have your say. Opportunities like this are rare; lets rise up to the challenge.
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