Ontario’s Liberal government is boasting a
planned new drinking law will make the province more civilized, but
being from far gentlemanly in its campaign to sell it.
 |
| name="valign" top > ERIC DOWD |
The Liberals have lavished high praise on their
legislation that would allow restaurants that want it to permit
diners to bring their own wine, which will seem a minor innovation
to most.
Premier Dalton McGuinty called it “very
civilized,” for the province, and Consumer Minister Jim Watson said
it will modernize drinking habits.
Others see it as more of an attempt to divert
attention from the Liberals’ problem of being unable to pay for
election promises, after being left a huge deficit, and capitalize
on news media’s fondness for stories about more opportunities to
pop corks.
It also follows a pattern of Liberal gimmicks
attempting to look modern and trendy. When they won government in
1985, the only promise the public noticed was one to allow beer and
wine to be sold in small grocery stores, which they never
fulfilled.
The Liberals’ campaign to market their plan has
soured like a bottle of $5 plonk with the cork left off. Watson
tried to build an image it will be harmless because Quebec, Alberta
and New Brunswick permit it.
But it turns out only a few hundred among the
many thousands of restaurants in these provinces have opted to join
it, suggesting it might not become widespread enough in Ontario to
have anywhere near the civilizing effect the Liberals grandly
predict.
Restaurants have reasons to oppose diners
bringing their own booze. Courts hold them responsible for actions
of people who drink on their premises, and they would have more
difficulty knowing what diners drink and how much if they bring
their own bottles.
Restaurants also are well-known as among the most
financially precarious businesses and would need to impose hefty
corkage charges on those bringing their own wine to remain
profitable, so McGuinty is optimistic in claiming he would make
drinking cheaper.
And if he feels so strongly about making wine
cheaper, anyway, why did he increase tax on it substantially in his
May budget?
Watson, desperate for support for his plan from
restaurants, keeps quoting the Greater Toronto Hotel Association as
saying it is “progressive,” and hauled its spokesman to a news
conference to launch it in one of the few restaurants that has any
kind words about it.
But the hotel group represents only a few
restaurants in hotels and the vast bulk are in the Ontario
Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association, which
opposes diners bringing wine.
This restaurant association, and not the hotel
association, also was on a government-appointed task force of
stakeholders that studied possible changes in liquor laws.
Watson claimed he accepted its recommendations,
but the task force, which included police, says it told him he
should shelve any thoughts about diners bringing wine as not worth
consideration at this time and get on with more serious
concerns.
The Liberals also had the audacity to accuse the
opposition parties of preventing their plan being passed by the
legislature in time for summer drinking, but the Liberals announced
it in March and delayed introducing legislation until a few days
before they recessed for summer, leaving no time for debate.
A government also could be tackling more serious
consumer problems, including the proliferation of late-night
drinking dens in downtown Toronto, which make neighbours’ lives
miserable, and loan stores that charge several hundred per cent a
year in interest and fees.
But these are not glamorous and trendy and the
Liberals yearn to sound trendy – next we may be hearing their news
releases sung by Britney Spears.
Eric Dowd is a veteran member of the Queen’s
Park press gallery.
