Ontario spent highest-ever amount on government ads, auditor says

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government spent three times the amount of money on government advertising in the last fiscal year as it did the year before — the highest amount ever — and most campaigns were more partisan than informational, the auditor general said Tuesday.

Shelley Spence wrote in her annual report that for the year ending March 31, Ontario spent $103.5 million on government advertising, more than three times the $33.7 million it spent in the previous year.

The two biggest campaigns focused on promoting Ontario's economy, and accounted for 65 per cent of total ad spending. The largest campaign, with a price tag of $43.2 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year, included four different pillars.

One of those pillars, a ubiquitous campaign using the tag line, "What if I told you that you already live here," ran during NHL games and the Super Bowl in expensive time-slots.

Those and four other advertising campaigns would not have passed muster under previous rules about partisan ads, Spence said.

"In the ads that we outlined, it really was just ... fostering a positive view of the governing party, without actually providing other information that most ads would have," she said at a news conference.

The former Liberal government changed those rules in 2015 and despite promising during the 2018 election to undo the changes, the Progressive Conservatives decided to stick with them after they formed government.

Prior to 2015, ads were banned as partisan if the intent was to foster a positive impression of government or a negative impression of its critics, but the then-Liberal government amended the rules.

Now, the auditor general can only veto an ad as partisan if it uses an elected member's picture, name or voice, the colour or logo associated with the political party or direct criticism of a party or member of the legislature.

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the use of public money to fund partisan advertising is shocking.

"Spending (that) kind of money, which is your money, the taxpayers' dollars, on clearly partisan ads, is outrageous," she said.

The amounts spent on government advertising generally follow a pattern, peaking in the year before a provincial election, Spence wrote in her report.

There is rampant speculation that Ford will call an early election before the next set date in June 2026, and he has not ruled out calling one next year.