Ontario NDP calls on Ford government to end unfair ticket sale practices

Ontario NDP MPPs are calling on the Doug Ford government to tighten the rules on ticket reselling in light of steep resale prices facing fans hoping to see Taylor Swift perform in Toronto.

MPPs Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents Toronto Centre, and Chris Glover, who represents Spadina-Fort York, told reporters on Friday the ticket resale market needs to be fixed. They said tickets are being resold for thousands of dollars above their original prices due to unregulated platforms.

"Fans are paying the price for the Ontario government's inaction on the ticket resale racket. Not all Swifties have had an enchanted experience," Wong-Tam said outside the Rogers Centre.

"Tis the damn season to fix Ontario's ticket resale market," Wong-Tam said, nodding to a Swift song. "These margins are going to people who don't like Taylor Swift music. They're not even fans and they're all profiteering."

Wong-Tam said she introduced two motions in the Ontario Legislature on Thursday to demand an end to unfair ticket resale practices. 

One motion calls on the province to consult with stakeholders, investigate and create a system to end price gouging and to fix the ticket resale market, while the other calls for an equitable funding strategy to support Ontario's arts, culture and sports sector.

"Everyone has a right to enjoy the arts," Wong-Tam said. "We want to help create a fair, competitive marketplace for these experiences and we do that by supporting a thriving and competitive economy."

In 2018, the Ontario government under Doug Ford paused implementation of a section of the Ticket Sales Act that was brought in by the previous Liberal government. That would have capped ticket resale prices at 50 per cent above the original face value. In 2019, the government cancelled that section.

At the time, the government said there was no way to enforce the cap. CBC News has contacted the province for comment on the motions.

The motions come as Swift wraps up her Eras Tour in Toronto, with two remaining performances on Friday and Saturday nights.

Retail tickets for shows on Swift's tour in North America and Europe sold out almost instantly. Many then popped up on resale sites just as quickly. Swift fans hoping to snag tickets now face soaring prices because scalpers and bots scooped up the tickets and are reselling them at excessively high prices.

The cheapest tickets available on resale websites for the sold out Rogers Centre shows this week were available on Friday at $4,000 a pop — and that's for a restricted view in a standing-room only section. Tickets with a seat — though still with an obstructed or limited view — are closer to $4,500.

'Grossly unfair,' NDP MPP says

Glover, for his part, said there is no regulation around the resale market in Ontario. 

"This resale market is grossly unfair," Glover said. "We need resale regulations. It will help fans across this province."

In a news release, Glover said: "Music fans are being gouged... Whether it is groceries, telecoms, or tickets this government is putting big corporations over making your life more affordable."

Several jurisdictions in Europe, including Ireland, Portugal, Denmark and France, have successfully regulated their ticket resale markets, he said.