Kathleen Wynne still weighing options for marijuana sales

After a flurry of activity this spring expanding rent control, announcing a $15 minimum wage, cutting hydro bills, bringing Pharmacare to children and young adults what's next for Premier Kathleen Wynne?

I put that question and a few others to Wynnein an interview on the grounds of Queen's Park on Tuesday, with the legislaturewrapped up for its summer break and the election less than one year away.

• PREVIEW: Ontario electionday is June 7, 2018
• PC leader Patrick Brown aims to raise his profile
• NDP'sAndrea Horwath promises to stop health-care layoffs

NAFTAtalks 'extremely important'

Wynne said a key focus in the coming months will be getting the new Pharmacare program and workplace reformsrolling, but she is also making it a priority to show governors and lawmakers in the U.S. thatmillionsofjobs in the US rely on the Canadian market through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"I am going to continue to travel to the United States, make that argument and work to protect the interests of the people of Ontario," said Wynne in our interview. "Making sure that we stayconnected to this importanttrading partner as we go through the NAFTAnegotiation, that's going to be extremely important."

Wynne said she is planning international trade missions to other markets that she hasn't travelled to before, but when Iasked which countries, she only replied, "Stay tuned."

Looking at all options on marijuana

"Stay tuned"is also the summary of her answer to my questions about how the province is going to manage marijuana distribution, with pot legalization on track for 2018.

How will marijuana be distributed in Ontario?

7 years ago

Duration 0:56

CBC Toronto's Queen's Park reporter Mike Crawley asks Premier Wynne how her government plans on distributing marijuana once fully legalized.

Wynne said the government's pot policy experts are taking time "to get it right" and considering everything from private-outlet sales, to the LCBO, to creating a new Crown corporation to regulate and oversee the marijuana market.

"They're looking at alloptions with personal safety, community safety at the top of the agenda and at the core of the decisions that we make,"saidWynne."We have a good distribution network in place in terms oftheLCBO,but we arelookingatoptionsand there are lots of arguments on all sides of these issues."

Wynnealso referred to "general concern across the country that there are some unanswered issues" on drug-impaired driving.

"Making sure that we understand exactly what the technologies are going to be and how we're going to enforce those impairment issues, those are questions that are being asked right now," she said.

Affordable housing 'a big concern' ... but no promises

If Wynne is looking for somewhere to take her "activist" agenda next, many people in Toronto would urge her to tackle the sorry state of community housing.

"It's a big concern of mine that we have the right range of affordable housing," Wynnesaid in the interview."This conversation has been particularly acute with the city of Toronto, although it is a provincial discussionbecausethere are municipalities all over the province that want to see more affordable housing, often seniors' housing."

With Toronto Community Housingfacing a $402 million shortfall, city hall is considering taking direct control of the seniors-specific buildings that are home to some 27,000 people. Meanwhile, Mayor John Tory is pressuring the Wynne government for $800 million to repair TCH buildings that have fallen into disrepair.

"I want to work with the city of Toronto and with other municipalities to make sure that as we put funding in place for ending homelessness, for supportive housing, that those dollars are spent in a way that meetsthe needs of the municipalities," said Wynne, but offered no specific commitments.

Taking Pharmacarenational

Will the Wynne government expand Pharmacare?

7 years ago

Duration 0:51

CBC Toronto's Queen's Park reporter Mike Crawley asks Premier Wynne if her government will ever expand Pharmacare.

A partial Pharmacare programproviding free medications for all children in Ontarioand young adults aged 24 and under, starting in 2018 was the centrepiece of this year's budget. I asked Wynne if the government has the fiscal room to expand it in next year's budget

"I don't know that we do at this point, it's a very expensive process," she said. "We would be better off if we had a national plan because we would have more leverage."

Wynne's next step on Pharmacare will be urging her fellow premiers to take a unified position in favour of a national drug program, to put pressure on the federal government.

"My hope is that at the meeting with the premiers this summer we will be able to talk about this," said Wynne. "There's a pretty strong consensus across the country that this is something that needs to happen.

Wynne'a great NDP premier'?

Why does Wynne keep taking on NDP policies?

7 years ago

Duration 1:07

CBC Toronto's Queen's Park reporter Mike Crawley asks Premier Wynne about how people have commented that her government's agenda is very NDP focused.

Wynne is often accused of taking crucial NDP planks and adopting them as part of her platform. A recent editorial in the Globe and Mail called her "a great NDP premier."

When I brought it up, Wynnelaughed and replied: "The NDP might have something to say about that."

But given how many of her policies come straight out of the NDP playbook, I put this to Wynne: "Whyshouldn't people just vote for the NDP?"

"I'ma Liberal through and through," said Wynne. "The decisions we've made and the problems that we have solved and the way we've solvedproblems is pretty clearly Liberal."