"Ontario spent a record $112 million on taxpayer-funded advertising last year, with the province's auditor saying 38 per cent of the campaigns were meant to leave people with a positive impression of Premier Doug Ford's government and came ahead of the snap election. Auditor General Shelley Spence outlines the spending in her latest annual report, noting that it surpasses the previous record for government ad buys the year before by $8.4 million."
"Spence said the goal of all taxpayer-funded advertising should be to inform Ontarians. When I look at value-for-money for those ads, we look at, is this telling me anything I didn't know as a person in Ontario, she said. Some of the ads are quite promotional for the governing party. They aren't really providing really good, solid information to the citizens of Ontario."
Ontario spent a record $112 million on taxpayer-funded advertising in the 2024-25 fiscal year, exceeding the prior year's ad buys by $8.4 million. The period covered months leading up to a snap provincial election that resulted in the Progressive Conservatives winning a third-straight majority. Nine campaigns totaling $43 million, or 38% of the ad budget, had primary objectives to foster a positive impression of the government or lacked evidence to support some claims. Major campaigns included a $19.1 million "It's Happening Here" effort and a nearly $8 million "Highways and Infrastructure" campaign. Taxpayer-funded advertising should provide new, solid information to Ontario residents rather than serving promotional purposes.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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