SLGA Campaign: Keeping families and communities safe and healthy
Keep liquor sales in public hands
Saskatchewan people are the ones who profit when liquor stores are publicly-owned. The revenue generated by liquor sales in Saskatchewan helps fund vital public services, like schools, hospitals, roads, community safety, and so much more!
The profit from public liquor sales contributed $173.6 million to our province in 2007-08.
View SGEU's new TV ad
Saskatchewan liquor store workers take their responsibilities seriously. That helps keep our kids safe. Check out our TV ad promoting public liquor store workers.
There are lots of reasons why Saskatchewan liquor stores should stay publicly owned!
Public liquor stores...
- Ensure safe and healthy communities
- Are secure and well maintained
- Generate revenues that help fund health and education
- Provide good jobs with decent wages
MADD Canada strongly supports public liquor board model
In a recently published policy statement, MADD Canada reviewed and summarized Canadian and international experience with public and private liquor sales. Their conclusion?
"Experience in other countries and in Canada indicates that privatizing alcohol sales will increase alcohol‐related deaths, injuries and social problems through increased alcohol availability and consumption.
Provincial liquor boards provide society with a reasonable measure of control over alcohol pricing and accessibility, and thereby effectively manage alcohol consumption and alcohol related harm. At the same time, provincial liquor boards offer customers high levels of service, quality and selection, along with a strong commitment to social responsibility which benefits consumers and non-consumers alike.
Maintaining provincial liquor boards is in the best interest of all Canadians."
Read the whole statement below.
Provincial Liquor Boards: Meeting the best interests of Canadians
We’re minding the store.
Why risk it?
Lobbying letter
The B.C. Experience - A 2006 survey by the Consumers Association of Canada found that despite being heavily subsidized by the Campbell government, prices at private liquor stores were up to 35 per cent higher than at public liquor outlets. BCGEU news release
Privatization, Deregulation and Alcohol Consumption: Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health position paper.
"A privatized system of alcohol retailing is expected to increase risks of drinking-related harm. It will likely lead to increased consumption, it will erode or dismantle controls and make it more difficult to implement public health-oriented policies, and it will create new vested interest groups, such as private retailers, that are oriented to the commercial aspects of alcohol management and not to public health agendas.
In contrast, publicly controlled alcohol management systems with strong public health and safety agenda can moderate access to alcohol through legislation, regulation, and enforcement and thus are in a better position than other kinds of systems to have a positive impact on alcohol-related problems...under a public system there is a counterbalance to profit and business-oriented agendas, and this counterbalance is supported by dedicated staff that are available to promote public health and safety." - CAMH
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health statement
Government moves toward privatized liquor sales without consulting public
SGEU news release
Keep the liquor industry in public hands
The pressure to privatize liquor sales is relentless. A new round of debate is currently underway in Manitoba. In this article, the case against privatization is outlined by the leader of the province's largest public sector union. By Peter Olfert President Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE)