TORONTO, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the Premier of Ontario to put an end to taxpayer-funded partisan advertising – including Ontario News Now - and to restore the Auditor General’s power to review government advertising for partisan content.

“This government promised to end the party with taxpayers’ money and that has to include a stop to spending taxpayers’ money on partisan advertising,” said Jasmine Pickel, the CTF’s Interim Ontario Director. “Before it formed government, the Ontario Progressive Conservative party pledged to restore the Auditor General’s power to review government ads for partisan content. Today, we’re calling on the government to keep that promise.”

In 2015, the Kathleen Wynne Liberals eliminated the auditor general’s ability to veto partisan government ads, and proceeded to waste tens of millions of dollars on partisan ads year over year. In 2017, the Ontario Progressive Conservative party criticized the Liberals for wasting taxpayer dollars and pledged to restore the Auditor General’s veto power if elected.

Not only has Premier Doug Ford failed to restore the Auditor General’s veto, his government has spent taxpayers’ dollars on partisan advertising such as Ontario News Now.

“With staggering debt amounting to $350 billion and growing by $523 every second, Ontario needs to save money wherever it can,” said Pickel. “If this government truly wants to protect what matters most, it should eliminate wasteful spending on all partisan government ads, including Ontario News Now.”

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Jasmine Pickel

Interim Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

[email protected]

416-573-5458