Ontario’s finance minister says the government has “moved on” from its short-lived, deeply controversial decision to buy a private jet, offering no indication of if or when the province will release details of its sale.
Over a matter of days in mid-April, the Ford government said it had taken possession of a second-hand Bombardier Challenger 650 and then sold it again for the same $28.9 million it bought it for.
Premier Doug Ford apologized for how he had communicated his plan but lamented having to sell the jet, saying it was “embarrassing” that Ontario didn’t have a plane for him or his cabinet to use.
The fiasco — which appeared to coincide with a polling slump for the governing Progressive Conservatives — led to accusations from critics that the premier was out of touch.
Two weeks after the government confirmed it had bought the plane, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy tried to shrug off questions about the jet as a non-story.
Asked if and when the government would release documents to prove how much it had bought and sold the plane for, he said the government wasn’t focusing on the issue.
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“We are going through a process, as the process continues, we will be transparent. That is ongoing,” he said.
“But you know what, we have moved on. The premier was very categorical that he listened to the people of Ontario.”
The premier’s office did not respond to questions about when any documents about the plane would be made public.
For more than a week, critics have been challenging the government to prove details of the sale and resale are true.
“This is easy to settle, just show us the bills,” Ontario NDP MPP John Vantof previously said.
“They said it was a mistake. Show us the paperwork. It shouldn’t be that hard. Buying a jet right now isn’t top secret information, right? The premier said that the whole cabinet agreed. He’s already broken cabinet confidentiality. So, just show the bills of sale.”
Although the government now says it has sold the jet, the premier appears to already be regretting the decision, saying he made a mistake in how he communicated, not in purchasing the jet.
“I should have went out there, put the case forward to the people, and I didn’t,” the premier mused at Queen’s Park on Tuesday. “I should have done it quicker; I’ll take responsibility.”
Ford said it wasn’t a mistake to buy the plane and suggested the media had inaccurately framed it as his own private jet.
“I’m not complaining,” he insisted.
“The purpose of my plane was not my private plane. And I understand it just gets more clicks, but it just wasn’t accurate. I’ll take responsibility, I won’t blame you, folks.”
@vinny it was already sold keep up….
You know what?!! Despite freedom of information suppressing legislation passed by the Ford government, anytime Ford says he’s now put it behind him our collective eyes still sting when he puts his finger in them every time he states this. This will dog him every day he has left governing. just because you know you can hide your corrupt dealings, it doesn’t mean the rest of us will move on.
The feds have set the example for a decade and accountability has only gotten worse in recent weeks.I expect we will here far more of this from more govt officials at all levels. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, afterall. Could and should any of us expect anything different?
Who the hell does this idiot think he is. ? He HAS to provide that information… period. I don’t believe anything he says honestly.
don’t you just love the transparency and openness this government? they have so many things to hide from the taxpayers they are supposed to be working for.
Worst government ever. The arrogance and brazen behaviour is breathtaking. We need term limits and recall legislation. He thinks he is King.
..you have a beauty there Ontario..maybe he will offer of a free beer bribe again…
@Vinny. I agree. Ford and is cronies want to move on so they don’t have to be accountable.
So if he still gets to keep to the plane. We won’t know until he’s voted out. We need to move on from Ford and their Conservatives