What Do I Want to See?
A study of the various articles and documents on this website should suggest a large number of small steps that LCBO should take internally. It is time that the new government - formed by whatever political party - should do a thorough and complete review of the entire alcoholic beverage situation in Ontario, including agri-tourism, the negative health effects of alcohol, the potential for a new small winery industry in large portions of the province, and the effects of such organizations as the Wine Council of Ontario, the Vintners Quality Alliance, the Grape Growers of Ontario and the distribution of government support to the industry at large. There should be an optimum solution for the province as a whole (as opposed to what puts the most tax dollars in government coffers).
1) I am NOT calling for privatization of the LCBO. I believe the steps below should be taken, but the LCBO itself should continue into the future. There is probably nothing better for the Ontario wine industry than an LCBO which works for the local industry as hard as it now works for Australia...
2) Any and all top officials at the LCBO who have been found to be in any way complicit with illegal receipt of gifts, accepting sponsored travel, tax avoidance, or counselling or directing their subordinates to do so, should be severely disciplined. Those nearest the top of the organization responsible should be terminated, without a golden parachute. Middle ranking managers should be demoted, moved back to the bottom level of their pay grade, or denied bonuses for a lengthy period. Employees at the bottom should be held blameless, but warned that any further transgressions will result in severe discipline. No amount of whitewash can help LCBO recover it's old lustre.
3) A panel of citizens, independent experts and government experts should review the pay scales and packages of LCBO management. I believe that total management bonuses which now seem to be getting out of hand should be returned to less than $1 million total per annum for the forseeable future. Any exceptional increases over time should be explained in the annual report. This is especially important where a person seems to hold the same job title, and should be based on both a percentage over time and gross dollar amounts. There should be a scale for reporting either, based on time.
4) Private stores selling alcoholic beverages should be allowed to open in Ontario in competition with LCBO. LCBO would have to be restrained from using public money (such as Food and Drink) to compete. Any existing functions of AGCO which work with LCBO should be terminated.
5) While the profit motive should not disappear from LCBO, it should only be one of a number of equal goals. It seems that successive Ontario governments encourage drinking and gambling, which may cause more problems than the monies raised can solve.
6) LCBO should return to its "Four Pillars" (the values it once held):
- Social Responsibility
all four should carry equal weight as they did in the past. The minister at the Provincial Government who is responsible for the LCBO should also be the same person who is responsible for all aspects of the domestic alcohol industry. This person should be rated on not only LCBO performance, but also on the health of the domestic industries.
- Customer Service
- Support for the Ontario Wine Industry
- Financial Responsibility