The Ford government continues to face heat over its fast-tracking alcohol to more grocery stores and all convenience stores.
Ontario Liberal leader, Bonnie Crombie wants Ontario’s financial watchdog to take a closer look at the deal and confirm how much taxpayers will be on the hook for it.
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“Just to get beer in the corner stores one year earlier? It’s a billion dollar, booze boondoggle,” Crombie said.
Following the province’s $225 million transition offer to The Beer Store last week the Ontario Liberals believe it will likely cost Ontarians more money to expand alcohol to big box grocers and corner stores.
“Some estimates think this could go up to $2 billion and that’s why we’re asking the FAO, the accountability officer to take a look at this, the auditor general to dig into these numbers, these numbers could actually be higher,” Crombie said.
Crombie is calling for an official audit of the deal, which will see beer, wine and cocktails hit the shelves of more than 8,500 shops this fall. The liberals claim more money will be doled out, including $300 million worth of rebates of LCBO fees to brewing conglomerates, wholesale discounts to grocers and the forgoing of licensing fees to stores that sell the alcohol.
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Premier Doug Ford says the move is to support workers and took aim at the opposition on Monday.
“But I’ll guarantee you one thing Mr. Speaker … all these members here will do like everyone else and go to their convenience store to buy their wine or to buy their beer, I guarantee it.”
The delivered campaign promise also sparked speculation that the premier and the Tories are set to call an early election. Some preliminary polling shows gains from the Ontario liberals, who were pressed about being ready to campaign.
NDP opposition leader Marit Stiles appeared more certain about her party.
“We’ve been raising record, record fundraising and we’re continuing that right now, right now we are preparing for this, to fight this government in the next election. We’re ahead, way ahead any pre-election campaign schedule, so I say again, bring it on.”
Political analyst Keith Leslie said, “Do they have the money? I believe both the NDP and Liberals both wiped out their debts from the last election, but do the Liberals have what it takes to get it done on the ground? What’s their ground game come campaign time? They were supposed to make the Milton byelection a close call but it just wasn’t.”
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On Tuesday, a spokesperson with the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario confirmed to CHCH News that it had received an audit request.
“As of now, no decisions have been made. Under our office’s standard MPP request intake process, we will review, assess and then decide on whether to undertake the research request which as of now has no decision date.”
CHCH News has reached out to the Premier’s office for a response to the Liberals’ claim. We have yet to hear back.
