Doug Ford’s political opponents are criticizing the premier, who they say “burned through” almost $200,000 in the few days the government owned a private jet, as details of the purchase emerge.
A flurry of invoices, contracts and briefing notes sent out on Wednesday afternoon revealed the timeline for the premier’s brief purchase of a second-hand Bombardier Challenger 650, which dated back to January.
They also show that public statements from the premier’s office about the plane omitted key details.
In particular, records of purchase and resale show the $28.9 million figure the government quoted it paid for the plane didn’t include taxes. Adding in HST, the plane was priced north of $30 million.
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Elsewhere, a briefing note released by the government confirms the public paid almost $200,000 in extra costs for purchasing the jet that Bombardier did not repay.
Around $18,000 went to an aviation acquisition expert, while another $140,000 went to aircraft management services. An external legal expert also cost the taxpayer $33,000.
“This is a tired, out-of-touch Premier who looked at a $28.9 million plane, knew the hundreds of thousands in holding costs it would incur, and bought it anyway,” Ontario Liberal interim leader John Fraser said in a statement.
“It doesn’t matter if they sold it: Doug Ford and his Conservative government will always own this private jet. Every single cabinet minister signed off on it, and they have 16 million Ontarians to answer to.”
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said Ford had lied when he promised Ontarians wouldn’t be out of pocket for the purchase.
“He told us there were no additional costs for returning it. He lied,” she wrote on social media.
“While Ontarians can’t afford groceries or rent, Ford is living like a rockstar on your dime.”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation also chastised the premier.
“Premier Ford got caught billing taxpayers for a private jet. Now taxpayers are on the hook for nearly $200k to send the jet back and forth,” Noah Jarvis, the group’s Ontario director, wrote on social media.
“$200k down the drain, just like that.”
The premier’s office did not address questions about the extra costs in time for publication.
Wasted taxpayers money. Holding on to bourbon that we have already paid for another waste of tax payer dollars. When is he going to stop this wasteage.
These same people whined that they had the plane to begin with
The Ontario government is a multi billion dollar organization
Having a private aircraft would be considered normal.if it was anyone else but Doug Ford
..looks like the paid help is on here deflecting elsewhere again…stay gullible Ontario…
Both him and his brother are and were maga type grifters…and dishonest as any American politician
This is already very good. Ford’s ability to admit and correct his mistakes is a very good performance in the Canadian political arena.Look at the federal government, look at Trudeau, look at Carney, look at the former Premier of Ontario. How much has he squandered?This is already very little compared to 300,000 Canadian dollars for a plane meal and hundreds of thousands reimbursed by the governor General. Canadians, with their numb intelligence, will be overly concerned about every extra penny spent. But when they squander hundreds of billions, everyone thinks it’s normal. This is a sick and numb society, and the order has already collapsed.
Don’t get too excited…billions are lost with any corporation. Mining, pipelines, auto etc….200 000 lost is nothing! Tripping over dollars to pick up nickles. Get mad at him for the real reasons…science center etc
Yet no one complains about chairman Mark Mao Carnage jet setting all over the F ING world doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Critics lambast Doug Ford for pretty much everything. The Gov could do this 2749 more times before it equals the gas plant scandal. What every story about the plane is missing is how much $ it costs to privately charter flights for everywhere the premier goes vs the cost of ownership, of course critics arent interested in the full story..
This is why all members of government regardless of which party, or which level of government, should be accountable to the public for every deal and decision that is made. Ford is a liar, but not his money so what does he care. He can’t be trusted, no wonder they wanted to move on from this.