What will the future of Saskatchewan liquor retail be?

The Saskatchewan government has launched a public consultation around the future of liquor retail in that province. The consultation paper (found here) walks through the history of liquor retail in the province, outlines the current system and compares it to the systems in Ontario, B.C., Alberta and Manitoba. It offers five options for consideration, along a range from status quo to expanding the public system to full-scale Alberta-style privatization.

I have written in the past about my views on privatization (here and here, for example), so won’t go into any great detail here. However, I have read through the report and thought it might be worthwhile to make a few observations.

First, the history is, actually, kind of interesting. It is useful to see how liquor laws have evolved and you can see recent trends quite clearly (spoiler: the Sask Party government has been edging toward private retail for some time). The comparisons of the other provinces are factually accurate, but the authors do a little bit of cherry-picking around what aspects of each system they discuss. They are more specific in highlighting the  benefits of private retails (e.g., greater selection) and unnecessarily hedge around the downsides (e.g., prices). One particularly irksome example of selectivity is their decision to cite a Fraser Institute study applauding privatization and ignore other studies that have been conducted over the years, including this one.

In the world of politics, making predictions about which direction governments will go is about as precise as using the Magic Eight Ball to decide whether to buy or sell your house. However, I will try anyway, just because.

Having read the report and some media coverage around it, I suspect the government is preparing Saskatchewanians for some kind of hybrid system such as B.C. or Manitoba, where existing SLGA stores will remain but the role of private stores will be increased. However, there is a chance they are angling to make full-scale privatization an issue in the next election – an election they are likely to win. The comments from the Minister responsible for SLGA in this news story are quite aggressive and point in that direction. One particularly irksome comment is his flat-out rejection of expanding the public system, saying “if the public says they really, really want that, then a government could go that direction — but it won’t be our government”.

That irks me because it makes the consultation a bit of a sham. If you have no intention of adopting that option, why do you put in the list of possibilities? I will tell you why – to make the consultation seem more objective and inclusive than it is. Basically this consultation is about exploring which KIND of privatization Saskatchewan residents want, not whether they want it or not. This kind of sleight of hand always angers me, as a person who values transparency, honesty and integrity.

That said, I do think it is important for Saskatchewan residents to make sure their voice is heard on this. It is, obviously, not as important as health care, education or infratstructure, but it is a real public policy issue and one that needs public debate – something Albertans never got to do twenty-some years ago when the Alberta government made the decision for us.

I want to urge Saskatchewanians, however, when engaging in the discussion is to take a broader view as citizens and not narrow consumers. A consumer only cares about what is in it for them. A citizen is concerned about the consequences for everybody. Good luck, Saskatchewan. I will be keeping an eye on it.