As Premier Doug Ford prepares to trigger a provincial election on Wednesday, opposition parties are raising concerns about his two planned trips to Washington D.C. during the campaign, calling them “explicitly partisan” and an inappropriate use of taxpayer funds.
The moment the Ontario legislature is dissolved and an election is called, the government enters caretaker mode – a long-standing convention that prevents a political party from using taxpayer resources for partisan purposes during an election campaign.
While the Premier and cabinet ministers retain their rights, privileges and responsibilities during and after an election, those powers are limited in use and must only be used in the caretaker capacity.
Premier Ford has signaled, however, that his party intends to defy the caretaker convention by traveling to the United States twice during the election campaign in an effort to underscore the threat of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian-made goods.
Ford is scheduled to lead a joint mission with other premiers to Washington on Feb. 12 to lobby American lawmakers, and again on Feb. 20 to attend the annual meeting of the National Governors Association.
“Every single day, during this election, I’ll still be premier,” Ford said during a campaign-style event in Brampton on Friday. “Every single day I’ll be talking to our ministers, we’ll be getting policies out there.”
While Ford said the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party would pay for the trip to Washington, Ontario’s Liberal party is raising questions about whether taxpayer funds will be used for any part of the trip and whether government staff will support Ford during his visit.
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Liberal house leader John Fraser has written a letter to the Secretary of Cabinet, Chief Electoral Officer, and Integrity Commissioner claiming Ford’s planned visit “would harm trust in our public institutions, and violate a basic principle of our democracy.”
“We are deeply concerned that it is the Premier’s intention to use government resources and taxpayer funds to advance his own political interests,” Fraser wrote in the letter shared with Global News. “In the context of an early election, this work would be explicitly partisan in nature.”
The Liberals argue that, given the caretaker convention, it would “no longer (be) appropriate” for Ford to travel to Washington or participate in the Council of the Federation, the group that represents Canada’s Premiers.
Fraser also argued that any expenses Ford and his staff incur while in Washington — along with the cost to the civil service to support the Premier — should be logged as election expenses that should be charged to the Progressive Conservative Party.
A 2018 pre-election memo from then-Secretary of Cabinet Steve Orsini clearly laid out how members of the governing party are expected to carry on during an election.
“Ministers will be asked to exercise care and avoid any perception that they are using their ministerial offices, resources or portfolios for political purposes,” the 2018 pre-election memo cautioned.
“While most government events are postponed during the election period, should any such event be approved to proceed during this time, Ministers and Parliamentary Assistants will be advised not to attend.”
The memo added that while some circumstances – such as a provincial emergency, national or international event – could require a minister’s involvement, that should be limited to a “statement by the premier or a responsible minister.”
The Liberals have asked the Chief Electoral Officer to publicly weigh in on whether the use of taxpayer dollars during the election campaign would be considered an “improper contribution” and a violation of the Ontario Election Finances Act.
“Given the Premier has stated his intention to call the election this Wednesday, we ask that you reply publicly as expeditiously as possible to safeguard our democratic norms and ensure a free and fair election,” the letter states.
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