Once again Premier Doug Ford is planning to skip the Pride Parade in Toronto.

In a statement emailed to CP24, Ford’s staff said that the premier will participate when police officers are allowed to take part in uniform.

“Premier Ford has always said he will attend Toronto’s Pride Parade when our front-line police officers are allowed to participate in uniform,” the statement read.

"He wishes all the organizers of Pride Toronto all the best for a successful month and festival weekend."

Uniformed officers have not been permitted to participate in the parade since 2017 and last year, Ford suggested that if the decision were reversed, he would consider attending the event.

“I really look forward to Pride and having our police back into the parade and being inclusive,” he told CP24 last June.

While there were some discussions last year about lifting the ban, Pride Toronto’s membership voted in January to exclude uniformed officers for the third year in a row.

The ban comes amid ongoing tensions between the LGBTQ community and the Toronto Police Service.

Concerns about the handling of the Bruce McArthur investigation and missing persons investigations in the city’s gay village have led to a strained relationship between the two groups.

Mayor John Tory was among those advocating for the inclusion of uniformed officers in the parade this year.

“Division is the enemy to be wary of here for everybody so I will be continuing to exert whatever effort I can to see if we achieve a different outcome,” he said immediately after Pride Toronto announced its decision to extend the ban.

Pride Toronto Executive Director Olivia Nuamah previously told CP24 that while she wants to continue to work with the Toronto Police Service to find a resolution, uniformed officers cannot be allowed to take part in the parade without the full support of the membership.

“Right now that membership, while divided, have landed on the side of needing to see more done and needing to experience, more positive outcomes from the police service before they can fully participate in pride events,” she said.

This year's parade will be held on June 23.