TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s authorities spent thrice the sum of money on authorities promoting within the final fiscal yr because it did the yr earlier than – the very best quantity ever – and most campaigns had been extra partisan than informational, the auditor common stated Tuesday.
Auditor common Shelley Spence wrote in her annual report that for the yr ending March 31, Ontario spent $103.5 million on authorities promoting, greater than thrice the $33.7 million it spent within the earlier yr.
The 2 largest campaigns centered on selling Ontario’s financial system, and accounted for 65 per cent of complete advert spending. The most important marketing campaign, with a price ticket of $43.2 million within the 2023-24 fiscal yr, included 4 completely different pillars.
A type of pillars, a ubiquitous marketing campaign utilizing the tag line, “What if I instructed you that you simply already dwell right here,” ran throughout NHL video games and the Tremendous Bowl in costly time-slots.
These adverts and 4 different promoting campaigns wouldn’t have handed muster beneath earlier guidelines about partisan adverts, Spence stated.
“Within the adverts that we outlined, it actually was simply…fostering a constructive view of the governing occasion, with out really offering different info that almost all adverts would have,” she stated at a press convention.
The previous Liberal authorities modified these guidelines in 2015 and regardless of promising in the course of the 2018 election to undo the adjustments, the Progressive Conservatives determined to stay with them after they shaped authorities.
Previous to 2015, adverts had been banned as partisan if the intent was to foster a constructive impression of presidency or a detrimental impression of its critics, however the then-Liberal authorities amended the principles.
Now, the auditor common can solely veto an advert as partisan if it makes use of an elected member’s image, title or voice, the color or emblem related to the political occasion or direct criticism of a celebration or member of the legislature.
NDP Chief Marit Stiles stated the usage of public cash to fund partisan promoting is surprising.
“Spending (that) type of cash, which is your cash, the taxpayers’ {dollars}, on clearly partisan adverts, is outrageous,” she stated.
The quantities spent on authorities promoting typically observe a sample, peaking within the yr earlier than a provincial election, Spence wrote in her report.
There may be rampant hypothesis that Ford will name an early election earlier than the subsequent set date in June 2026, and he has not dominated out calling one subsequent yr.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Dec. 3, 2024.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
