AGAR: Speedy booze sales for an early election?

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Six hundred million dollars would buy a lot of necessities.

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Getting alcohol into convenience stores on the hurry-up in Ontario doesn’t seem like a necessity.

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Ontario is introducing sales of beer, wine and ready-made cocktails into corner stores and additional supermarkets 16 months ahead of the end of the current contract with the Beer Store.

Overall I support the plan and Doug Ford.

But with a payout of $225 million to the Beer Store along with another $375 million because some fees they currently pay the LCBO will be rebated, the total cost to taxpayers could be $600 million.

Why is that necessary?

To break the contract with the Beer Store.

That contract was a 10 year, bad deal, signed by the Liberals.

The Conservatives can’t be held responsible for that.

But there is a way out of spending $600 million.

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The contract ends at the end of next year, in December 2025.

It does not have to be renewed. It can lapse, with no penalty.

All that was required was two years notice not to renew.

That notice was given by the government within the window last December.

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We have waited for this modernization of booze sales in Ontario for decades so rather than spend more than half a billion dollars, let’s wait another 19 months from today.

What’s the hurry?

Well, it’s political.

The premier wants the flexibility to call a snap election in 2025 — a year early — having delivered a campaign pledge.

Key to this is the curious dynamic that Ontario generally sees voters electing a provincial Liberal government when the federal government is Conservative, and visa versa.

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Whether it happens because of deliberate voter intent or just coincidentally, it has happened often enough to be a political consideration.

The federal Conservatives seem poised to win handily over the Liberals in Ottawa. Polling site 338Canada.com has the Conservatives ahead of the Liberals by 43% to 25%.

We don’t know when that election will take place but once NDP Leader Jagmeet Sigh’s pension kicks in early next year he could potentially agree to an election.

Ford would prefer to get re-elected before that happens.

If it is not political Ford needs to explain why it is not.

Ford has run ads saying, “If I am wrong, I listen to the people.”

I think some of people might want to know why he is spending $600 million now, when shortly — as these things go — he would not have to spend any of it?

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How does he tell unions we don’t have money for raises?

How does he tell the parents of autistic children there is no help available?

Why do we not have enough nurses and why are emergency departments altering their hours due to staff shortages?

By my back-of-the-envelope math — at about $100,000 a nurse with salary and other costs — that is 1,200 nurses for each of the next five years.

Or put the money against the debt.

Hiring nurses, teachers, front-line emergency people or drawing down debt are all things where we could say we spent a boatload of money and we have something to show for it.

Getting booze into stores for convenience is way below any of those things as a priority.

Doug Ford – let’s run a government based on priorities, not political expediency.

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