As Prime Minister Doug Ford set to call a provincial election on Wednesday, opposition parties are raising concerns over his two planned trips to Washington DC during the campaign, calling them “explicitly partisan” and an inappropriate use of taxpayer dollars.
As soon as the Ontario Legislative Assembly 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 a campaign electoral.
Although the Prime Minister and Ministers retain their rights, privileges and responsibilities during and after an election, these powers are limited in their use and should only be used on an interim basis.
Premier Ford, however, signaled that his party intended to defy the interim convention by traveling to the United States twice during the election campaign to highlight the threat of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on products made in Canada.
Ford is expected to lead a joint mission with other prime ministers to Washington on Feb. 12 to lobby U.S. lawmakers, and again on Feb. 20 to attend the annual meeting of the National Governors Association.
“Every day during this election, I will always be prime minister,” Ford said at a campaign event in Brampton on Friday. “Every day I will speak to our ministers, we will put out policies.”
While Ford said the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party would pay for the trip to Washington, the Ontario Liberal Party questions whether taxpayer funds will be used for part of the trip and whether government staff will support Ford during his visit.
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Liberal House Leader John Fraser wrote a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, Chief Electoral Officer and Integrity Commissioner, saying Ford’s planned visit “would undermine confidence in our public institutions and violate a principle fundamental to our democracy.
“We are deeply concerned that the Prime Minister intends to use government resources and taxpayer dollars to advance his own political interests,” Fraser wrote in the letter shared with Global News. “In the context of early elections, this work would be explicitly partisan in nature. »
The Liberals argue that, given the interim 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 prime ministers.
Fraser also argued that all expenses incurred by Ford and his staff during their time in Washington – as well as the public service costs of supporting the prime minister – should be recorded as election expenses and charged to the Progressive Conservative Party.
A 2018 pre-election memo from then-Cabinet Secretary Steve Orsini clearly explained how members of the ruling party should behave during an election.
“Ministers will be asked to exercise caution and avoid any perception that they are using their ministerial positions, resources or portfolios for political purposes,” the 2018 pre-election memo warned.
“Although most government events are postponed during the election period, if such an event is approved during this period, ministers and parliamentary assistants will be advised not to attend.
The memo adds that while certain circumstances – such as a provincial emergency or a national or international event – may require the participation of a minister, this should be limited to a “statement by the prime minister or a responsible minister.”
The Liberals have asked the Chief Electoral Officer to publicly comment on whether the use of taxpayer money during the election campaign would be considered an “inappropriate contribution” and a violation of the Government Financing Act. Ontario elections.
“Given that the Prime Minister has declared his intention to call an election this Wednesday, we ask that you respond publicly as quickly as possible in order to safeguard our democratic standards and ensure free and fair elections,” the letter said.
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