Budgets, ballots, bunnies

And the "Black sheep" of the Ford family

ABOVE THE FOLD

Premier DOUG FORD had plenty to say about early election chatter with MARK CARNEY, the booze fight with DONALD TRUMP, the timing of the byelection in Scarborough Southwest, and even his favourite bunny. Meanwhile, Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY all but scooped the budget date.

On reports of his conversation with the Prime Minister about the possibility of a snap election: Ford didn’t exactly confirm or deny what went on behind closed doors, saying only that he doesn’t “divulge out conversations.” But “when you get 13 Premiers in a room, politics comes up…that came up, but that’s going to be up to the Prime Minister…Has nothing to do with me. I called my election, I’m good.”

Carney and Ford have a tight relationship. PIERRE POILIEVRE? Not so much. Asked if he’s offered the same early-election advice to his federal Tory cousin, the Premier was stiff. He said he saw Poilievre at the portrait hanging for PM STEPHEN HARPER, “shook hands, said hello, congratulated him” f…