Taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be spent on partisan Ontario government ads, NDP says
The Ontario NDP is calling on the Doug Ford government to “close the loopholes” allowing taxpayer money to be spent on political advertising.
In legislation proposed last week, NDP Leader Marit Stiles proposed that changes made to the Government Advertising Act be reversed.
Prior to 2015, ads were labelled as partisan and banned if the intent was to foster a positive impression of the government or a negative impression of a critic.
However, the then-Liberal government amended the rules so that partisan ads can only be banned if they include an elected member’s name, picture, voice, or logo associated with a political party.
At the time, the Progressive Conservatives criticized the changes and promised during their 2018 election campaign to reverse them. However, no action has been taken.
The auditor general found late last year that the Doug Ford government spent about $25 million on advertisements it considers to be partisan.
According to the report, these advertisements discussed provincial campaign promises—such as the building of 3,000 more hospital beds or the hiring of 3,000 more school staff—without evidence.
The government has also received criticism for the “It’s Happening Here” advertisements that have been shown in movie theatres, as well as on television, radio and social media.
These ads were also reportedly shown during the Superbowl, the Grammy’s and the NHL all-star game.
“The hard working people of this province deserve a government that puts every dollar into making their life easier,” Stiles said. “People need their government to put every dollar to use on the things that matter. They don’t need propaganda. They need a helping hand.”
Speaking in the legislature, President of the Treasury Board Caroline Mulroney said that Ontario “has a great story to tell” and that it is important to inform residents of the government’s investments.
“They’re saying that we should not promote Ontario around the world as a great place to come and invest and create jobs to build a better economy and a prosperous future for Ontario,” she said.
The NDP argue these advertisements do not inform residents of services or promote tourism.
In one of the advertisements, a camera pans from a farm, a crowded bus, a university class, and then a single car driving on a road.
“What if we told you there is a place where it’s all happening?” a voice in the ad says. “A place where more people are going to work than ever before. Where the next generation of workers are training for the careers of tomorrow. A place that is building new roads and highways, and leading the largest transit expansion North America.”
After touting the province’s commitment to electric vehicles and its battery plants, the voiceover says: “What if we told you, you already live here?”
The NDP bill has been sent to a second reading, where it will likely be voted down by a Progressive Conservative majority. The legislation proposed is the same one put forward by now Deputy Premier Sylvia Jones under Liberal rule.
With files from The Canadian Press
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