Booze, breakups, and bad ads
No rest for the wicked
ABOVE THE FOLD
The House may be out, but Queen’s Park is anything but quiet. Here’s what you need to know after another news-dump Friday, and as we head into what’s shaping up to be a busy week.
BOOZE NEWS — The Globe and Mail is reporting that the Ford government will announce its five-year-old pledge to liberalize booze sales and end the Beer Store monopoly — something Queen’s Park has been buzzing about for weeks.
— The announcement is expected later this week, and will include “a plan to expand the places where alcohol is sold, including allowing beer in corner stores.” The government will also announce “its intention for the future of its deal with the Beer Store, known as the ‘master framework agreement.’” Breaking the agreement early could leave the province on the hook for $1 billion.
— It will also “allow for the privately-owned Beer Store to remain involved in the distribution of beer, as it is now for restaurants, bars and grocery stores, as well as for its o…