Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the second-hand private jet purchased for his use to travel provincewide and beyond will be sold, after facing backlash from numerous critics.
On Friday, Ford’s office confirmed it was buying a pre-owned Bombardier Challenger 650 for $28.9 million to aid “certain, flexible, secure and confidential travel” across Canada and the U.S.
On Sunday, however, the premier’s office said the plan has changed.
“Despite the best of intentions, I have heard and agree that now is not the right time for the expense of a government plane,” a statement from the premier’s office said.
He went on to say the province is working with Bombardier and other partners to sell the plane “as quickly as possible.”
NDP Leader Marit Stiles called Ford’s decision an “emergency landing.”
“Today we heard that Doug Ford has done an emergency landing, I guess, reversing the decision to hold on to his luxury plane and instead apparently the government’s now going to try to sell it off,” Stiles said. “Obviously this should never have happened in the first place.”
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Following Friday’s news about the $28.5 million, 12-seater aircraft purchase, criticism was swift with the Ontario NDP questioning the decision.
“Ford needs to answer to the people of Ontario: Why is he using their hard-earned money to buy himself a plane,” a statement read. “Maybe it’s time to start flying economy like the rest of us.”
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser on Friday called it Ford’s “gravy plane.”
“At a time when people can’t afford to buy groceries or gas, Doug Ford is buying himself a private jet,” said interim Liberal Leader John Fraser. “It doesn’t get much more out of touch than that.
“I guess the gravy train just wasn’t enough, now he’s got to get a gravy plane.”
In response to Ford’s reversal, Fraser said in an interview with Global News that the premier is “out of touch.”
“It’s just disconnected from, you know, what’s going on out there in people’s lives,” he said. “It was an unnecessary expense.”
Fraser went on to say now is not the “greatest time” to be selling a jet either, referencing Air Canada cancelling or suspending flights due to the cost of jet fuel.
Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner criticized Ford’s initial decision, telling Global News on Sunday he was “outraged” by the decision to purchase the plane and said selling the plane is still not enough.
“His backtrack isn’t enough because this is a pattern that happens over and over,” Schreiner said. “He doesn’t want to be transparent, he doesn’t want to be held accountable, and the people of Ontario, quite frankly, deserve honest government that’s going to put them ahead of the premier’s personal self-interest.”
The premier’s office stressed on Friday the plane “isn’t a private jet, it’s a plane for government business only,” but did not reply to a question asking if anyone other than Ford would get to use it.
The premier’s original planned purchase of the plane was a shift from his previous stance on using taxpayer-funded travel resources.
Ford in 2019 faced backlash on plans to build a custom OPP van for official travel, but he pushed back on his use of a government plane, claiming he was the only premier in history that refuses to use “the premier’s plane.”
In the statement from Ford’s office on Sunday, the premier said he would continue to build relationships with business and political leaders in Canada and the U.S. to “fight tariffs, attract investments and create jobs for Ontario workers.”
—with files from Global News’ Lexy Benedict, Colin D’Mello and Isaac Callan
Premier Ford uses taxpayer money on whim! He should know better than to spend it so frivolously. First we knew about the $75m ad, next we hear about a jet. His judgement is highly questionable and it makes one wonder what else he’s doing with taxpayer money while the people in his Province do without and only 40% of high school students attend regularly. Is he really the person needed in Ontario leadership?
Myopics versus optics. Sceptics vs optimists. Progress vs stagnation. Should the government not also banish the use of computers as a tool of efficiency in operations? The luddites in the media certainly believe so.
Ford should buy whatever his heart desires from his PERSONAL funds!!!!
what a laugh like that ford has any importance at all and the tax payer has to pay to have to fly this dolt anywhere
Canada needs it’s own version of Department of Government Efficiency ASAP!
Typical of the politicians we now have in Canada. Canadians are struggling living month to month and these guys are spending money on their own comfort at the taxpayers expense. It’s time all the governments at every level took a pay cut and rebate it to the taxpayers so they can pay for essentials.
They’re really trying to push it as far as they can on everything.
Carney convinced him to get a jet at their last pizza party in Muskoka.
That fat f *uck needs to be slaughtered like the pig he is.
What are you guys talking about? Liberal?!? Clearly in his heart of hearts he is a TRUE CONSERVATIVE!! Afterall ….look at all the dumb decisions he makes!
Agree 1000% with “Libs suck”
Andre Paquin, how do you justify paying $28.9 million for a jet? Given the price of fuel now with an unforeseen future on top of that. Ontario is broke AF. Ontario’s population has grown by approximately 2 million people in just over 7 years yet we have not built any infrastructure to meet that capacity. Our prisons are over capacity, our hospitals are under staffed, and housing is out of control. But let’s spend 28.9 Millon on a jet for Ford. Who’s gonna join the U.S? The 200,000 Albertans? Lol. Quebec has been planning to leave Canada for years yet they are still here. You ain’t going anywhere buddy. Keep paying your taxes like the rest of us and keep quiet.
Little Donald -like- Ford has again put his mouth in action before common sense takes over. Now is a good time to back track on his stupid idea of tunnelling under the 401 in Toronto.
Any shortfall from the sale of the jet should be covered by him personally!!
That plane was the key to Sugar Daddy Doug being able jetset across North America and get Ontario some interprovincial trade deals and U.S. tariff relief , but the media and rest of Canada getting its knickers in a knot sunk our salvation.
Keep the hate on for Ontario, Canada, and before you know it, we will be leaving your failed nation to join the U.S.
The damage is done
If Sugar Daddy Doug was a real Lib in title, and not only in his Kathleen Wynne style klepto-socialist actions, the TDS Elbows Up travel justification would have been celebrated as outside of the box thinking by the LPC’s vetted and trusted media partners.
But being a self identified “CONSERVATIVE” klepto-socialist liberal, the LPC’s vetted and trusted media wasn’t buying his TDS inspired justification that he needed it to fly across North America to get us some “Elbows Up” deals and tariff relief, so after the backlash, Sugar Daddy Doug is selling his new plane.
Total flip flop by spineless Lard Ford
He will probably sell it to someone else for half the price
Too bad you same idiots don’t hold Carney the the same level of accountability…
….you have a beauty there Ontario..what a clueless move….your own lil trump, tacoing with taxpayers money…
The plane deal is bad enough, hopefully we break even. More importantly, all this media noise allows Doug a “sleight of hand” on suppression of records including his personal phone. I’m am strongly convinced there are many more dollars, compared to this jet purchase, hidden and never to be seen. I don’t how you can say it Loud enough & Long enough to make a difference..
ABOUT TIME!
This is partisan stupidity. The same thing happened when McGuity a Liberal wanted to buy one. The press instead of looking a the number and cost/benefit justification, leaps on it and causes Politicians to cave, Why can’t editors & reporters take a couple of business courses instead of a steady diet of “gotcha” headline reporting.