BY DAVID MENZIES
Toronto Sun, Saturday July 19, 2008
Let's all raise a glass of bubbly and say mazel tov! as we toast the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.
The reason? Nearly a year after being exposed for possibly breaking the Criminal Code over crown corporation employees receiving gifts and gratuities from suppliers, the provincial liquor board has decided to do the right thing.
In other words, the LCBO -- which operates under the oft-repeated mantra of "social responsibility" -- is putting the cork in freebies.
The back story: Last August it was revealed in these pages several LCBO employees were receiving gifts -- ranging from magnums of wine and cases of beer to hockey tickets -- from the LCBO's various booze suppliers. The allegations, according to an anonymous LCBO whistleblower, included:
n No one at the LCBO is keeping track of which employees are receiving gifts, so it is unknown exactly how widespread the problem is;
n Some LCBO employees are apparently not declaring gifts from suppliers as taxable benefits.
Of note, the LCBO has long had an internal policy pertaining to "gifts and gratuities" in its administration manual. The policy reads: "No LCBO employee should accept any gifts or gratuities from any supplier organization, except for promotional items of a nominal value. The Board views gifts having a value over $200 per annum from any individual or organization as the nominal threshold."
More at www.torontosun.com
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