Premier Clark’s decision to award several of the few licences to sell wines to the Jimmy Pattison Food Group defies logic.
Those licences should be available to all B.C. food retailers, regardless of political associations, and other biases, and those retailers should be able to buy and sell any wines of their choice, from anywhere in the world.
The government should also cease to sell wines at the same time, to make sure the transition from public to private marketing is as seamless as possible, not like the Alberta government that randomly allowed retailers to sell beer and wine, in competition with the government, only to see many of them go broke in the process.
As an occasional consumer of wines I am looking forward to the day when I can buy a wine of my choice at my favourite store, not a wine selected and promoted by some insignificant politician, who is abusing her political status to reward her corporate sponsors. I am patient — and I will wait, and continue to support local businesses that have worked very hard to earn my loyalty. Christy Clark can tax me to death, but she will never dictate where I buy my wine.
Andy Thomsen
Peachland