While I agree with the idea of a windfall tax on excessive profit, I think we ought to go further. These companies have shown that they are willing to gouge Canadians in emergency moments when we are at our most uncertain. Well, it’s fairly well known that Saskatchewan enjoys some of the best telco service in the country thanks to the presence of SaskTel keeping them honest. So I propose we start a nationally owned grocery chain in that vein which, being run for the public benefit rather than for profit, would be able to set prices that the private and proven to be untrustworthy grocers will be forced to compete with.
Nationally owned is nice, but we’ve seen time and again nationally owned corporations getting privatized on a dime. While that would be an improvement for some time, possibly long time, I wonder if a such an entity can be structured as a co-op of sorts where citizens actually own it and it can’t be sold without an explicit approval of the majority. 🤔 Or at the very least the workers in it.
Neighborhood food cooperatives used to be common. People would simply buy their groceries collectively from farmers and wholesalers and distribute it through the co-op to members. Government agencies could be filling the role of food cooperatives, or fostering the creation of a new generation of co-ops.
There are tons of coops across western Canada. It’s basically a chain at this point. Every small town has one. But for some reason they are very rare in the east
I wouldn’t say sasktel is keeping them completely honest but I see what you are saying… but unfortunately it feels like it would turn into how co-op is now
While I agree with the idea of a windfall tax on excessive profit, I think we ought to go further. These companies have shown that they are willing to gouge Canadians in emergency moments when we are at our most uncertain. Well, it’s fairly well known that Saskatchewan enjoys some of the best telco service in the country thanks to the presence of SaskTel keeping them honest. So I propose we start a nationally owned grocery chain in that vein which, being run for the public benefit rather than for profit, would be able to set prices that the private and proven to be untrustworthy grocers will be forced to compete with.
A simplified version would be to force Loblaws to break up into their original brands. Won’t happen, but be easier
And it is within the power of the federal government and competition bureau. Will they is another matter.
Nationally owned is nice, but we’ve seen time and again nationally owned corporations getting privatized on a dime. While that would be an improvement for some time, possibly long time, I wonder if a such an entity can be structured as a co-op of sorts where citizens actually own it and it can’t be sold without an explicit approval of the majority. 🤔 Or at the very least the workers in it.
Neighborhood food cooperatives used to be common. People would simply buy their groceries collectively from farmers and wholesalers and distribute it through the co-op to members. Government agencies could be filling the role of food cooperatives, or fostering the creation of a new generation of co-ops.
@jerkface @grte We should look into bringing those back.
There are tons of coops across western Canada. It’s basically a chain at this point. Every small town has one. But for some reason they are very rare in the east
@TheGayTramp that’s true. There was one in a village near our cabin. It’s the only one I’ve ever heard of in Québec.
I wouldn’t say sasktel is keeping them completely honest but I see what you are saying… but unfortunately it feels like it would turn into how co-op is now
Well, it’s fairly well known that Saskatchewan enjoys some of the best telco service in the country undefined>
We do?
Bearing in mind that it’s relative to one of the worst telco markets in the world, but yeah.