Partisan Advertising

Since 1997, the Ontario government has spent approximately $187 million of public money on advertising ranging from television ads to mail-outs. They have used this advertising to criticize political opponents, gloss over controversial legislation, and deflect blame for problems from themselves, i.e. insisting that the health care crisis is entirely the fault of the federal government. Even Erik Peters, the provincial auditor, condemned these ads in his annual report last fall. A private member's bill introduced by the Opposition -- Bill 17, the Taxpayer Protection Act (Government Advertising Standards) -- would outlaw this type of advertising, but the government has refused to give it any attention whatsoever.

WASTEFUL SPENDING
Ontario has underfunded schools, a homelessness crisis, overcrowded hospitals and treatment delays in our health care system, and a Ministry of Environment that cannot do its job properly because they don't have enough money or staff. Funding for these things should come before funding for government propaganda. $187 million would by no means solve all of these problems, but this money being used to fund partisan advertising could certainly be used more practically.

UNDERMINING DEMOCRACY
Because these ads are funded by the taxpayer, everyone is paying to promote the government whether they voted Tory or not. People pay taxes to enable the government to work for them, not so that governments can make themselves look good. All political parties try to promote themselves, and this is expected, but they should use their own money to do so.