Ontario Health Minister and Newmarket-Aurora MPP Christine Elliott was trying to promote the sale of alcohol in corner stores on social media, but instead has put her foot in a hot mess after suggesting a local Aurora convenience store nabbed for selling a tobacco product to a child would be an ideal place for it.

She sent out a tweet on June 1, along with countless other MPPs trying to promote Doug Ford's latest policy plank that calls for beer and alcohol sales in convenience stores throughout Ontario.

The social media campaign flies in the face of the plan's critics who suggest it cost the province up to a billion dollars to break a contract with The Beer Store and could result in an uptick in underage drinking considering a lack of rigorous checks.

Above a picture of Andrew's Convenience, Elliott's message reads:

"Ontarians should be able to support local businesses by buying beer and wine from convenience stores like Andrew's Convenience," Elliott said in the tweet. "We are giving the people of Newmarket-Aurora choice and convenience when buying beer and wine to enjoy responsibly."

Elliott was quickly made aware of the blunder as more than 1,000 Twitter users chimed in, advising her the convenience store was convicted of violating the Smoke Free Ontario Act by selling an electric cigarette to a person under the age of 19 years in July 2018.

In reply her spokesperson said:

"The owner of Andrew’s Convenience, who started his local business in Aurora after immigrating from South Korea, has acknowledged that an employee sold an electronic cigarette to a person who is less than 19 years old," Haylay Chazan wrote in an email to yorkregion.com. "The owner paid a $150 fine and has since strengthened the store’s protocols and procedures to ensure the safe and responsible sale of tobacco products. Ontario has strong oversight in place to protect children and youth from the risks of electronic cigarettes. This is a concrete example that the oversight works to promote compliance.”

Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne originally drew up a contract between the provincial government and The Beer Store so that alcohol could be ushered into supermarkets. It is from that contract that the potential billion dollars of penalties could arise.

Despite this, Ford has argued that people should be able to have more access to purchase alcohol where they please, like they do in Alberta.