‘Everyone’s going to be kumbaya’: Ford reiterates U.S. booze will go back on store shelves once trade deal is signed

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford said again Tuesday that he won’t put U.S. alcohol back on LCBO shelves in Ontario until a trade deal is hammered out with the U.S. to end the ongoing trade war.

“I just want to get this deal done, and I can assure you, once that deal is done, I’m going to be sitting down and bringing all the booze back on shelves in Ontario, and everyone’s going to be kumbaya,” Ford told reporters in Washington D.C., where he is meeting with U.S. lawmakers.

He added “maybe we’ll have a little drink of Kentucky bourbon or something in Ontario” once a deal is finalized.

Ford pulled thousands of bottles of U.S.-made alcohol from LCBO shelves last year in response to the trade war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

He said in April he’d reverse the move “in a heartbeat,” but not while Trump is working to destroy Canada’s economy.

Ford’s latest trip comes as recent polls show him losing some ground with voters to the rival Liberals in the wake of a controversial private jet purchase. Ford quickly sold off the jet after an outcry, but insisted it would still make sense for him to have it.

He said Tuesday he’s not met with any members of the U.S. administration on his trip so far. A planned meeting with U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chair Ross Perot Jr. was also cancelled due to a scheduling conflict.

However he said he did meet with U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, as well as three other policy-makers. He also made an appearance on CNN Tuesday afternoon in which he stressed the need to resolve the trade dispute quickly for the benefit of both countries.

In his comments to reporters, Ford also weighed in on the start of federal consultations on the future of Billy Bishop Airport, which he wants to expand into a more robust airport with jets and higher passenger volumes.

Ford said he welcomes the consultations and that he believes any poll will still show most people want a bigger airport downtown.

“People want the convenience of an airport downtown, especially the size of Toronto,” Ford said.

He said the city is growing and people don’t want to “head all the way up to the airport at Pearson,” though he called Pearson “a fabulous airport.”