The Minister of Finance has no intention of shaking the pillars of the temple: Eric Girard will not “attack” the SAQ monopoly. If he does not want to promote alcohol consumption, Mr. Girard recalls, however, that the state company is condemned to be more “efficient”, because its dividends finance hospitals and schools in particular.
“We have no intention of attacking or modifying the SAQ’s monopoly, which brings 1.4 billion in dividends. It goes up to 2.2 billion if we count the taxes, ”declared Minister Girard on Wednesday, during the study of the budgetary appropriations of the Crown corporation.
Mr. Girard made this declaration while militants of his party indicated their intention to present a proposal calling for the end of the monopoly of the SAQ at the occasion of the convention of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) which will be held in a few days. .
“It is very healthy (for) a political party that there is a debate in the congresses,” he said.