Ford government would use LCBO ‘clout’ in future fights with companies

Fresh off a fight with international spirits maker Diageo over the future of Crown Royal, Ontario’s finance minister is suggesting the government is willing to employ the tactic again if other companies threaten to leave the province.

On Friday, Premier Doug Ford backed down from his threat to remove Crown Royal from the shelves of the LCBO after the government said it reached a $23 million agreement with the company that includes new investment in the province.

The agreement, the government said, would include a million-dollar investment in the Windsor and Amherstburg area, along with purchase agreements from manufacturers in eastern Ontario, Toronto, and Scarborough, plus $5 million on Ontario-based marketing and advertising.

While the Ford government was accused of “weaponizing” the LCBO, the finance minister suggested the Progressive Conservatives were willing to use the Crown agency’s purchasing power in a future fight.

“We’re the largest buyer of so many products. You wanna treat your customer well,” Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy said. “We’re gonna continue, wherever we have clout to use that clout.”

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In early 2025, the Ford government stripped the LCBO of all American-made wine and liquor as a retaliatory measure after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Canadian exports.

The measure was recently pointed to by Trump and other officials in the administration as a sticking point in the ongoing trade talks between the two countries.

Bethlenfalvy, whose ministry oversees the LCBO, said the premier is willing to leverage the provincial liquor retailer against both public and private interests.

“Anytime that we feel that a business decision is made that is gonna hurt workers, it’s gonna hurt consumers, gonna hurt for choice and convenience, we’re gonna take a hard look at it,” Bethlenfalvy said.

“And yeah, if it goes that way, we’re going to fight hard,” the finance minister added.

While opposition members have called the premier’s actions of pouring out a bottle of Crown Royal in protest a stunt, some politicians have taken a harder line – labelling Ford’s viral moment “economic blackmail.”

“When you’re trying to attract foreign investments, you also want to show that you have a stable political environment, you have a stable economic environment,” said Liberal MPP Rob Cerjanec.

“If the Ontario government, every two seconds, is going to essentially attack your company, it’s almost Trump-like. And that means it’s going to hurt Ontario businesses, and it’s gonna hurt our ability to attract investment in the future.”

While the finance minister said those concerned are “dead wrong,” he admitted that the threat of a provincial boycott didn’t result in what the government was ultimately hoping for: to save some 200 local jobs.

“Unfortunately, the plant is closing. So given that, this is the best that will help communities,” Bethlenfalvy said.

NDP MPP Liza Gretzky, who represents Windsor West, questioned the value of the government’s actions and their impact.

“Really, what did he accomplish when it came to actually saving those jobs?” Gretzky asked of the premier’s viral moments.

“Those jobs are still gone from our region, and there’s no plan to bring them back. So that’s still a loss for the community.”