The "privatize everything" crowd must think they've got the lame duck Ontario government on the ropes over the beer in the corner stores issue. Just a few days ago we read the "news" about how a partial privatization of liquor sales would increase government revenues.
Today we are blessed with another riff on the same theme. Seems the folks who run the Mac's Milk chain are just chomping at the bit to create 1,600 jobs in the province, if only the province would lighten up and let them sell booze from their stores.
If you want to know what kind of great full-time jobs they're talking about, walk into any Mac's and ask the guy or gal behind the counter. We're talking minimum wage with no benefits! That's right, 1,600 lucky Ontarions will have an opportunity to join the working poor!
The convenience store lobby seems to be on a roll with this, so look for plenty more news about "research" that proves selling beer in corner stores will enhance government revenues and create jobs.
By the way, that annual revenue number that Canadian Press has in the story is missing some zeroes. Couche-Tard revenue for 2012 was well over $20 billion with a "b", not $15.9 million, but who in the harried world of news reporting has time to check facts anymore?
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