For those items which would not fall into the line above, please let me know whether I can access the following information under the Freedom of Information Act.
1) I would like a list of all employees making $100,000.00 or more in any of the past 8 years who had an LCBO-owned or leased vehicle assigned to them for any portion of the year in which they earned $100,000.00 or more.
2) I would like to know the amount of total LCBO management bonuses and incentives for each of the past 8 years
3) I would like to know the salary ranges for all management (non-union) positions.
4) I would like an official explanation of the changes in the jobs of employees appearing in the Salary Disclosure Act which have resulted in more than 100% increases in the reported taxable benefits under the Salary Disclosure Act between 2001 and 2006. Who is the single individual within LCBO responsible for such matters.
5) I would like a copy of the original promise made by the LCBO to the Ontario Wine Industry circa 1999 to help Ontario wineries gain 50% of LCBO market share. I would like to be able to see any additional information directly related to the 50/50 committee that is on file from before 2002-2003.
6) I would like a list of the trips made by senior LCBO employees that were funded either partially or wholly by producers associations or foreign countries during the past 8 years, including the amount of funding provided by such organizations.
7) I would like a copy of the documentation that allows members of LCBO management to accept product samples or any items of value (including sporting/cultural/other events, travel costs and/or meals) from suppliers. This need not include any product samples that LCBO itself provides directly to managers on paid employment time for product knowledge purposes, but should include those provided by suppliers or non-LCBO personnel or organizations or full bottles/containers that the manager is allowed to take home or events that managers or their families are allowed to attend on their own time that are in any way funded by suppliers.
8) Are any samples or items of value mentioned in Question 7) above included in taxable benefits for Canadian Revenue Agency Income Tax return purposes, and are they disclosed in the amount of taxable benefits published under the Salary Disclosure Act?
9) I would like a copy of any interim reports that LCBO employees have produced which relates to the promise made on page 32 of the LCBO Annual Report 2002-03 specifically
“The goals of the partnership are to build Ontario wines’ market share in litres to 50 per cent over the next five years, including sales through winery retail stores and direct delivery to licensees, and support the industry’s efforts to create a world-class brand.”
Also I would like the name of the person within LCBO who is ultimately responsible for achieving or failing to achieve this goal.
10) Is it true that Cellared in Canada products are included in the measurement of the promise made in the item above? Are these products counted towards the achievement of this goal in the same manner as a product made from 100% Ontario grown product? ie does a $45.00 375 ml bottle of VQA icewine only count for 37.5% of the accomplishment attained by a $9.95 one litre bottle of Cellared in Canada which could be up to 99% imported product?
11) I would like to obtain a copy of the LCBO price book which was in effect at the year-ending date of March 31, 2006 and a copy of the same publication which was in effect at the year-ending date of March 31, 2007.
12) What is the budget of the LCBO legal department? How much money did the LCBO spend on legal issues in 2005-2006? In 2000-2001? In 1995-1996? Was all this spending properly tendered out as the public normally expects of governmental spending? Is there a written policy at which anything above a certain dollar level is tendered?
13) I would like a list of the top 50 selling imported wines, by dollars and by litres, for each of the last 8 years. If the LCBO possesses the information, I would like a list of any of these wines which sell a higher dollar value in their country of origin than they do in Ontario.
14) Does the LCBO itself participate in the funding of special promotions for specific growing areas/countries or do the suppliers pay 100% of the costs involved? For example, the last time there was a general promotion for French products, to what extent did the LCBO fund this promotion. Who is the LCBO person responsible for making the decision as to which products or areas are allowed specific promotions?
15) When a wine writer (non-LCBO staff) prepares a piece for LCBO publication are they always free to choose which products they recommend, or do they do this on the advice of LCBO personnel. If so, which LCBO personnel give the advice?
16) When I worked for the LCBO the Board put up large sheets named “Strategic Scorecard Highlights Customer Ratings. In the bottom right hand section of this glossy oversized sheet was a section entitled “LCBO Social Responsibility”. In this section were three subsections, “Overall Performance Promoting Social Responsibility”, “Control of Sales to Minors”, and “Control of Sales to Those Appearing Intoxicated”. While I have copied down the numbers for 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2004 I would like to obtain the results of such Customer surveys which were conducted prior to 2000, in 2001, or since 2004. What is the name of the person responsible for maintaining these figures.
17) I would like a list of all promotions by suppliers in which LCBO store staff could earn prizes of any type based on either store sales of a specific product or products during a given timeframe, or on personal sales of any given product or products. Who pays for these prizes: the LCBO, the taxpayer or the supplier? Someone else? To what extent are these LCBO products or products containing alcoholic beverages.
18) I would like to know the value of dollar sales through LCBO of the top twenty suppliers in 2006. Also the same information for 2001, and for 1996.
19) Small wineries have told me that when LCBO audit staff visit them they are required to track the flow of wine down to detailed amounts (sometimes to the exact number of litres). Is this standard of enforcement followed to the same level of detail in the largest wineries? If not, is there an official explanation of why not?
20) Are Ontario wineries allowed to participate in the Consignment program?
21) I would like access to view all the marketing/merchandising bulletins which have been sent out to LCBO stores since 1995, and to make notes based on the information therein. I am quite willing to come to the reading room at the LCBO Freedom of Information Centre to see these.
22) I would like a list of any sources that have been included in the overall LCBO revenue figure in the past five years which amount to more than $1,000.00 and which do not come through direct sales of LCBO product to LCBO retail customers. This should include the total amount of any levies or taxes included in revenues, any sales credited to LCBO from other retailers, items collected at border crossings, or in fact anything that is part of “LCBO Other Income”. This should also include the amounts reported as revenue which are attributable to the Bottle Levy, Environmental Levy, the Wine Levy or any other Levy.
23) Is the LCBO Environmental levy being charged on any items that are part of the current Bag it Back deposit – return system. Have any products sold charged both a deposit and an environmental levy at the same time?
24) I would like to know how the system works for choosing which companies are allowed to participate in end-aisle promotions at the LCBO? Who is ultimately responsible for making the final decision, or who does any decision-making committee report to? How are the decisions made as to which Ontario wines are chosen for Vintages or Classics Catalogue inclusion? Again, who is the responsible individual. I would like a written copy of these decision-making criteria.
May 9, 2007
Larry Paterson
1325 Royal Drive
Peterborough, Ontario
K9H 6R6
705-743-4153