Ford's thirst for power hurts taxpayers

The trouble with Doug Ford’s latest boondoggle over beer is that it amounts to double jeopardy.

- MARTIN REGG COHN

Last week, Premier Doug Ford announced that the 10-year deal with the big brewers would be wound down ahead of schedule. But to get his way, Martin Regg Cohn writes, we all have to pay.

First, taxpayers and teetotallers alike will be soaked by as much as $1 billion right off the top, according to opposition critics and industry analysts.

Second, drinkers are destined to be hosed by higher prices as Ontario deregulates — and disaggregates — the distribution of beer in this province.

Which means the premier is giving the brewing giants taxpayers’ money so they can then sell less beer to corner stores at a higher price point. Increased costs for brewers, means more expensive beer for consumers.

How much more is hard to know. To understand the uncertainty, you first have to comprehend Ford’s core agenda — and how he could have avoided taking on so much risk.

His objective isn’t a better form of beer distribution. It’s disruption for disruption’s sake.

The premier opposes whatever his predecessors do and obsesses about what a populist should supposedly do to please the people.

A decade ago, I wrote a series of columns investigating the iron grip of the Beer Store on beer distribution, together with the government-owned LCBO. In fact, the Beer Store has always been controlled by Ontario’s biggest brewers, who gave priority of placement to their own products at the expense of smaller craft brewers.