To the Editor:
I write in response to the letter by Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) Minister Don McMorris, whom the government has tasked to work towards selling off the 79 SLGA stores Saskatchewan people currently own.
In his letter, McMorris defends the government's move to close down three small-town stores, and dismisses concerns that the government will lose a lot of revenue if it privatizes all government SLGA stores.
The fact is, the government-owned liquor stores in Saskatchewan bring in hundreds of millions of dollars every year. That money goes to hospitals and highways.
Although SLGA stores are profitable, they really need some modernization.
Instead of selling all our liquor stores, Cam Broten is proposing longer hours, much better selection and more flexible pricing at SLGA stores - things the government could do right away if it had the will. Cam has also said he's open to a model similar to Manitoba's that would allow SLGA to open liquor sections in grocery stores, making it convenient to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner while shopping for groceries.
McMorris is right that we have a hybrid system that includes both public and private stores.
Hanging for sale signs in front of the 79 stores we already own to go to a private-only system is one plan the government shouldn't plow ahead with.
Cathy Sproule, NDP critic for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority
