Premier Doug Ford has delivered on his campaign pledge of a “buck-a-beer,” but his promise to expand sales of six-packs and wine to corner stores may be harder to keep.On Monday, Ford touted the government’s reduction of the minimum legal price of beer in Ontario from $1.25 for a 341 mL bottle or 355 mL can to $1 as one of the “kitchen table issues that people want to get done.”“We put this out there (during the June 7 election campaign) … and all I heard everywhere I went was ‘buck-a-beer, buck-a-beer, buck-a-beer,’” the premier told reporters at Cool Beer, a boutique brewery in Etobicoke.“This gives a little relief to people across Ontario that want to go in, buy a cold beer, go to the grocery store, buy some steaks, go home and have a cold beer,” said Ford, who himself does not drink alcohol or eat red meat.Asked when the Progressive Conservative government would implement his related election vow to sell beer and wine in convenience stores, the premier passed the microphone to Finance Minister Vic Fedeli.“Obviously, we campaigned on bringing beer and wine to corner stores so it’s something that we’re looking at,” said Fedeli.Read more: President’s Choice joins buck-a-beer movementBrewers use buck-a-beer to take a standOpinion | The buck-a-beer challenge Ontario deserves“We’re developing our thoughts on it now and we’ll continue to talk to the industry and have more answers on that later,” he said.“We haven’t turned our mind to as much as this point. We’ll have more to say on it later. Beer and wine in corner stores will be at a corner store near you in the future.”In 2015, the previous Liberal government signed a 10-year contract with the Beer Store, which is owned by the major breweries, to allow 450 supermarkets to sell six-packs.Under that accord, there are hefty financial penalties for any “breachR ...
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