US EditionOntario spent record $112M on taxpayer-funded advertising, auditor finds
Ontario's $40.1 million U.S. campaign targeted policymakers during trade talks, with overall advertising up $8.4 million from the previous year, Auditor-General's report shows.
- Auditor‑General Shelley Spence's recent report found Ontario spent $111.9 million on advertising in fiscal 2024-25, the highest ever, including a $40 million U.S. campaign.
- Aimed at U.S. policy decision-makers, the US Partnerships campaign informed on trade ties and ran in early 2025 during preliminary trade negotiations across major U.S. networks including CNN and Fox.
- Domestic advertising including the 'Happening Here' efforts cost $19.2-million and targeted domestic audiences, while Auditor‑General found many campaigns aimed to foster a positive impression of the Progressive Conservatives.
- The auditor asked the government to reinstate the previous Government Advertising Act and enable digital review, but the Ontario government has not implemented these recommendations.
- Supply Ontario's audit found the province purchased 188 million surgical masks but distributed only 39 million, with $29-million expired and $69-million spent on more PPE.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Ontario spent record $112M on taxpayer-funded advertising, auditor finds
Ontario spent a record $112 million on tax-payer-funded advertising last year, with the province’s auditor saying nearly 40 per cent of the campaigns could have left a “favourable impression” of Premier Doug Ford’s government ahead of the snap election.
Winnipeg Free Press
Ontario government spending $112M on advertising, more than ever before: auditor
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
Ontario Liberals: Auditor General Confirms Ford Government Is Helping Itself Before Helping Ontarians
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2025 QUEEN’S PARK — MPP John Fraser, Ontario Liberal Parliamentary Leader, and MPP Dr. Adil Shamji, Ontario Liberal Critic for Primary Care, say the Auditor General’s latest report confirms a government focused on self-promotion while Ontarians struggle to access basic health care. Fraser said the Auditor General’s findings expose misplaced priorities. “The Auditor General confirmed this government uses taxpayer…
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