Ford sheds light on LCBO strike and calls on the Bank of Canada to lower interest rates at press conference in Ontario

In a press conference today (July 22) Ontario Premier Doug Ford took to the podium to air his grievances with the Bank of Canada while shedding some light on the recently concluded LCBO strike. 

The initial focus of the conference held in Kitchener was the fifth round of funding for the Skills Development Program — which as of today — has $1.5-billion worth of incentives scheduled for job placements throughout Ontario. 

During the press conference, Ford regarded the tandem relationship between the arm of Ontario industry and the climb of interest rates imposed by the Bank of Canada, as Ford was adamant that no one would want to work in a province where they can’t afford to build a home. 

“They need to continue cutting these rates — it is absolutely essential — we are fighting, all of us, all of Ontario are fighting to keep the economy going. They’re on the other side, trying to slow us down, I’ve never seen anything more antiquated in my entire life. The [Bank of Canada] is living like it’s the 1970s… We have to get the Bank of Canada to knock the interest rate down to three per cent,” said Ford during the conference. 

Ford then mentioned how the Bank of Canada functions as a roadblock for entrepreneurs and workers in Ontario, as even if loan thresholds are met, the interest rates alone function as a deterrent for potential investment. 

“I’m calling on the Governor of the Bank of Canada to get his act together and lower interest rates at a faster pace — just like you did when you raised the interest rates at ten times record speed,” said Ford during the conference. 

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During the questions period, Ford faced numerous inquiries surrounding the recently concluded LCBO strike, as just last week, negotiations between the province and the LCBO dissolved just hours after a potential agreement was reached — only for a new one to emerge over the weekend. 

“We sign a deal, I’m happy as punch, we have a press conference, I go out and see people on picket lines and I go ‘Hey we have a deal.’ Then, all of a sudden — never in Canadian history of negotiations that I ever heard of — they rescind the deal,” said Ford while addressing members of the press. 

According to Ford, the primary reasoning behind the erosion of the initial deal was on behalf of strike leaders within the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) and LCBO — as once the ink was dry — they requested that all employees who were striking during the initial two-week period, receive their wages for the time spent. 

A prospect that Ford immediately rejected. 

“The people would lose their minds. Imagine us taking your tax dollars and giving them to people who weren’t working,” said Ford to members of the press. 

According to Ford, this led to a review of the agreement in which all parties then agreed that the strike would end as of today (July 22) with all LCBO locations reopening tomorrow (July 23). 

Ford then closed his remarks on the LCBO strike by stating, “People have the convenience to go into a retail store or an LCBO and everything is hunky-dory.”