Is it Finally Time to Reduce Income Tax Rates?

[Keith P.]

A strange time to be defending govt intervention the day after the Premier did a soft-shoe worthy of Fred Astaire to defend his decision to subsidize a buddy’s wine-bottling operation that has the local wineries that actually *make* wine here vs buying it by the tanker load out of chile or Australia feeling both outraged and betrayed. But not to worry, because when challenged by the press, he reverted to his old pit bull persona for all to see. Just another example for why we need less govt intrusion into our lives.

[OldDartmouthMark]

I don’t think anybody is defending government intervention, especially if there is actual conflict of interest involved (vs typical anti government rhetoric).

Most people seem to want some degree of leadership and service from the government, and the only disagreement seems to centre around how much they want. My impression is that very few have any appetite for all out libertarianism (that some seem to yearn for), though.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

A strange time to be defending govt intervention the day after the Premier did a soft-shoe worthy of Fred Astaire to defend his decision to subsidize a buddy’s wine-bottling operation that has the local wineries that actually *make* wine here vs buying it by the tanker load out of chile or Australia feeling both outraged and betrayed. But not to worry, because when challenged by the press, he reverted to his old pit bull persona for all to see. Just another example for why we need less govt intrusion into our lives.

Coastal Protection Act fanciness is quite the opposite. Gov't should be part of solutions that require more than individual decisions to be effective. And saying they "knew" what the 30-something thousand people who did NOT complete a survey felt about the act is a pretty astounding claim.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

A strange time to be defending govt intervention the day after the Premier did a soft-shoe worthy of Fred Astaire to defend his decision to subsidize a buddy’s wine-bottling operation that has the local wineries that actually *make* wine here vs buying it by the tanker load out of chile or Australia feeling both outraged and betrayed. But not to worry, because when challenged by the press, he reverted to his old pit bull persona for all to see. Just another example for why we need less govt intrusion into our lives.

From what I read, it seems like the intentions were just to bottle wine from other producers, not to label it as Nova Scotia wine (but it can be labeled as "bottled in NS"?). There is already wine from many countries being sold, in competition with NS wines, at the NSLC and 'private' wine shops in the province. I don't see how it would make much difference whether wine with grapes from abroad, not being branded as an NS wine, is bottle locally or in Ontario or wherever. NS wine is mostly very different (in varietals and terroir) from wine produced from imported grapes (or grape juice or wine transported by tanker, or however it will be processed here), and people looking to buy a Cab likely won't confuse it with a Foch, for example.

Whatever the reason, it appears to be an offshoot of a trade dispute between Australia and Canada, so it sounds like it has to happen to resolve the dispute, vs the idea being floated that it was somehow the Premier's pet project to make his buddies rich.

It sounds like local producers are rightfully concerned about unintended consequences to their businesses. It appears that it wasn't thought through very thoroughly, and not communicated properly to the local industry before implementation. I'm sure it will all get worked out to the benefit of all in the long run. Meanwhile it's great fodder for the media to chew on.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Whatever the reason, it appears to be an offshoot of a trade dispute between Australia and Canada, so it sounds like it has to happen to resolve the dispute, vs the idea being floated that it was somehow the Premier's pet project to make his buddies rich.

It sounds like local producers are rightfully concerned about unintended consequences to their businesses. It appears that it wasn't thought through very thoroughly, and not communicated properly to the local industry before implementation. I'm sure it will all get worked out to the benefit of all in the long run. Meanwhile it's great fodder for the media to chew on.

The trade complaint was very bogus and could have easily been resolved. However, the boffins at Finance decided that the local wine industry (i.e. those actually growing grapes and making actual wine) were getting too big a cut of NSLC profits via preferred markups on their product and the complaint made a convenient smokescreen for them to get rid of it so they cut them off at the knees. Never let the govt bean-counters determine industrial policy. You are quite correct in stating that this was not thought through. Where the bulk wine packaging support idea came from had to be from one of the two future beneficiaries of the new subsidy. Shameful.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

... Where the bulk wine packaging support idea came from had to be from one of the two future beneficiaries of the new subsidy. Shameful.

Ahem...

John Peller says his company (Peller Estates) suggested the scheme to the Province as a way to address the issue with Australia.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...ates-1.7137003

Peller Estates bottles in Turo - they already don't use NS grapes... but I don't think they market their wines as "Nova Scotian"

Mercator's wines are marketed as NS and apparently they're the other company currently set up to take advantage of the new program. I'm not sure how much of the juice originates in NS (some certainly does) and how much comes from elsewhere.

[eastcoastal]

And.... this says that the dispute betweeen Australia and Canada was settled, including NS but excluding QC, back in 2021:
https://www.meiningers-international...0to%20an%20end.