Catherine Fife MPP, Waterloo

Government of Ontario

Why are Liberals Limiting Public Interest Ads, but Not Partisan Government Ads?

Published on May 16, 2016

Question to the Acting Premier, pt 1:

The Liberal government has decided that Ontarians concerned about the government’s changes to autism therapy will face serious limitations on their ability to purchase non-partisan advertisements.

But the government can spend as much as it wants before an election campaign and during an election campaign.

Why is the government putting limits on what concerned parents can say, while giving the Liberal government free rein to advertise as much as it wants?

Question to the Acting Premier, pt 2:

Last year, the government created a new loophole in the Government Advertising Act.

Ontario’s non-partisan Auditor General said this loophole would “gut the province’s landmark law prohibiting partisan government advertising”

And, that “changes would allow the government to spend public dollars on partisan advertising with little of the current independent oversight.”

Why is the Liberal government putting strict limits on non-partisan public interest groups,

And no limits on partisan government ads?