Toronto, ON: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on Ontario Premier Doug Ford to cancel his plans to extend the province’s political welfare regime for another two years.

“Hardworking Ontarians are struggling and Ford is taking money out of their pockets and putting it into the coffers of political parties,” said CTF Ontario Director Jay Goldberg. “For Ford to do this after already delaying on his promise to scrap the program for six long years is a betrayal of Ontario taxpayers.”

The Ford government tabled legislation today to extend Ontario’s political welfare regime, also known as the per-vote subsidy, for another two years. The Ford government’s legislation had previously called for an end to the program on Jan. 1, 2025.

Ford originally promised to scrap Ontario’s political welfare program when he first ran to be premier in 2018.

Ontario’s political welfare regime gives political parties a set amount of money four times a year for every vote received in the most recent provincial election. The program was first introduced in 2016 and has cost taxpayers $100 million since then.

The program costs roughly $12 million per year.

“For the premier to let this gravy train live on is a terrible insult to Ontario taxpayers and represents yet another broken promise about fiscal responsibility from this government,” said Goldberg. “Ford must reverse course and cancel this terrible decision.”