Buck-a-beer will be available by Labour Day weekend, Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday, and brewers will be given incentives to drop their prices through free promotions in LCBO stores.Speaking at a brewery in Picton, Ford said “the day you’ve been waiting for is finally here. We’re bringing back buck-a-beer to Ontario” as promised during the election campaign.He said by Aug. 27, brewers will be able to drop the minimum beer price from $1.25 back to $1.The move is voluntary for the province’s 260 brewers, and has raised questions about how many will actually implement cheaper prices given higher costs since beer was last allowed to be sold at $1 — a decade ago.Ford said that throughout the year, brewers who do drop their prices will be eligible for limited time discounts, ads in LCBO flyers and in-store promotions such as end-of-aisle features or extended shelves. As well, he added, “the respect and appreciation they will get from consumers will be priceless.”Finance Minister Vic Fedeli said there are no financial incentives from the government and the tax portion of the cost of beer is not being reduced. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, speaking to reporters at Queen’s Park, said there is a cost to the province and that LCBO promotions do “have monetary value.”The opposition leader also questioned why Ford is cutting planned welfare rate hikes and the basic income pilot project and focusing on buck-a-beer.His priorities, she added “are completely mixed up.”
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