The major breweries' hefty political donations are small beer when it comes influencing the future of the private Beer Store monopoly, warns Premier Kathleen Wynne.

"It cannot be a consideration. It really can't," Wynne said in an interview Tuesday.

"We've got to make the right decisions for the people of the province. We absolutely have to."

Her salvo comes after the Toronto Star revealed last month that more than $525,000 was donated to Wynne's Liberals, the Progressive Conservatives and the New Democrats by the Beer Store, its offshore owners, and the union representing brewery employees in 2013 and 2014.

"The fact is that fundraising happens across all parties and we all are involved in that part of the democratic process and there are groups that give to one and not the other and they give at some time and not other times — and I can't control that," the premier said.

"All I can do is run our government the way we can with the most integrity possible."

Wynne emphasized that Ontario consumers should expect a rethink of the government's relationship with the 448-outlet Beer Store owned by the foreign parent companies of Labatt, Molson and Sleeman.

"We're going to make changes, there's no doubt about it. We're going to have these initiatives in the (spring) budget," she said, noting former TD Bank CEO Ed Clark is advising the government on how to proceed.

"Ed Clark has talked to the beer companies. He's very much been engaged with them. It's not about whether we're going to make changes, it's about exactly what those are going to be," she said.

"The whole point of this exercise with Ed Clark is to maximize the value of the assets. The fact is he's made it clear that he sees this monopoly as having value."

Wynne played down the Beer Store's recent olive branch to sell a small share in the chain to Ontario-based craft brewers as just "grist for the mill."

"For me there are two things: how do we extract the value from the monopoly — Ed Clark has talked about that in his report; and, secondly, how do we make sure that all breweries in Ontario have access as they were originally meant to under the Brewers Retail configuration?"

Jeff Newton, president of Canada's National Brewers, said "we've had productive discussions with government and brewers about the big changes we've announced to open up ownership of the Beer Store to all Ontario brewers."

"The government has recognized the Beer Store is a highly efficient system that has benefits for consumers. We look forward more discussions that will help retain those benefits," said Newton.

Queen's Park has long been under the influence of Big Beer.

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According to Elections Ontario, the multinational brewers donated at least $385,000 to the Liberals, Tories, and New Democrats over the last two years.

Along with that, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which represents thousands of unionized Beer Store employees and brewery workers, contributed another $140,000 to both the Grits and the NDP.

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