Earlier this week, Justice McEwen appointed more advisors to the mediation efforts between Canada's tobacco companies and the provinces and injured smokers' who are suing them.
Mr. Winkler can now draw on "financial and strategic advisory services" of Alvarez and Marsal. No fee was identified, but commitments were made that they would bear no responsibility/liability for the results and would be constrained by confidentiality.
They come to the job with some experience in meeting the needs of tobacco companies -- JTI hired the firm to evaluate the causes of illicit tobacco trade and this year the company put out a report denying the role of the tobacco industry in contraband.
Lo and behold! Alvarez and Marsal's analysis supports the view that it is taxes, not industry tax avoidance, that leads to contraband. An odd appointment, perhaps, given that the last time the provinces and the Canadian tobacco companies were in settlement talks was to address their role in the contraband crisis in the 1990s.
They come to the job with some experience in meeting the needs of tobacco companies -- JTI hired the firm to evaluate the causes of illicit tobacco trade and this year the company put out a report denying the role of the tobacco industry in contraband.
Lo and behold! Alvarez and Marsal's analysis supports the view that it is taxes, not industry tax avoidance, that leads to contraband. An odd appointment, perhaps, given that the last time the provinces and the Canadian tobacco companies were in settlement talks was to address their role in the contraband crisis in the 1990s.
