[waterloowarrior]

here's the study the province commissioned in 2005.. the model they recommended would have kept the $1.5 billion per year in revenue and added an addtional $200 million or more per year from licence auctions.
http://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/consulta...sr/report.html

Over the decades, the government has come to rely on substantial revenues from the beverage alcohol system, which currently generates more than $1.5 billion a year to help fund health care, education and other public priorities. Part of our mission was to determine if more government revenue could be generated by the system. Our finding, after close analysis with our financial advisors, is that it could.

Our fundamental conclusion is this: To create an open and competitive system, maximize government revenue and protect social responsibility and other public interests, we unanimously recommend that the government withdraw from retail and wholesale operations and implement a licensing system for the retailing and wholesaling of beverage alcohol in Ontario