Ontario Premier Doug Ford billed taxpayers for a flight to Orlando, Fla., last summer to attend the conference of a private-sector union that has repeatedly endorsed the Progressive Conservative Party and received millions in government funding.
The province’s travel, meal and hospitality expense disclosure list shows four individuals — Ford, along with Labour Minister David Piccini and two staffers — expensed commercial flights and hotels totalling $11,709.85 for the trip in mid-July 2025.
While Ford and Piccini listed the reason as “travelled to attend ministry-related international mission,” social media videos show the pair of politicians at the LiUNA International Leadership Conference, held between July 14 and 16 at the Walt Disney Beach Club Resort Orlando.
Ford, who was welcomed onto the main stage to chants and applause from the assembled delegates, gave a keynote address and extolled the relationship between the union and PC government, calling LiUNA a “like-minded private sector union” whose cross-border membership underscores how the U.S. and Canada can work together.
The revelation comes as Ford insists that he’s stayed true to his political penny-pinching ways.
“Maybe what you should do is look into my expenses and find out that I have zero expenses,” he told reporters last week. “The only premier in the history of this province.”
Ford’s disclosures show $1,464.10 in airfare and $1,498.09 for accommodation were billed to taxpayers, allowing the premier to travel to and stay in “Orlando, FL, United States” between July 14 and 16, 2025.
The premier’s executive assistant also travelled with him to Florida, charging $2,962.19 for the three-day round trip.
Piccini billed $2,662.18 for the flight and hotels while a Ministry of Labour staffer booked another $3,123.29 in travel and accommodation costs.
Beyond confirming that they attended the event, neither Premier Ford nor Minister Piccini answered specific questions including why it was labelled as an “international mission,” whether both politicians stayed on the resort and why it was considered a legitimate government expense.
“As was publicized, Premier Ford was invited, and travelled, to the LiUNA conference, the largest private sector union in Canada who represent over 130,000 workers in Ontario alone,” the Premier’s Office said in a statement.
The government’s critics say while the premier might have a legitimate reason for speaking at a conference, this trip is unlikely to sit well with taxpayers.
“In the court of public opinion … that doesn’t look very good,” said Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser.
“You’re going to a Disney resort, to a conference with people who you already have a very well-established relationship … It’s not actually a good use of taxpayers’ money.”
Commercial flights
While the premier was routinely flying across the province in an OPP-owned plane or on chartered aircraft during much of 2025, this time Ford and Piccini opted for commercial airfare to attend the LiUNA conference.
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Victoria Mancinelli, a representative of LiUNA’s Canadian arm, posted a picture of Ford in the terminal at Toronto Pearson International Airport on social media and defended his travel choices.
“The premier flew commercial and was greeted by families throughout Pearson excited to meet him. Not on a private jet,” Mancinelli said.
In an email to Global News, Mancinelli said the invitation came from “LiUNA’s International Headquarters in Washington, D.C., at the recommendation of LiUNA International Vice President and Canadian Director Joseph Mancinelli.”
“Given the Premier’s longstanding partnership with Ontario’s skilled trades and his government’s historic investments in infrastructure, workforce development and apprenticeship training, LiUNA’s international leadership believed it was important that he address delegates from across Canada and the United States whose jobs, industries and futures are directly shaped by public policy,” Mancinelli said.
Instagram and Facebook videos of the LiUNA event, some of which tagged the Disney beach club resort as the location, show Ford being cheered on as he took the stage to address the union and underscore the relationship.
Long history between union and PC Party
Global News has extensively documented the history between LiUNA and the Progressive Conservative Party, from endorsements to government decisions and promises of work to come.
In 2022, months after endorsing the PC party in the general byelection, a small sliver of land owned by the executive assistant to LiUNA’s International vice-president Joe Mancinelli was removed from the Greenbelt as part of a major land swap.
In the spring of 2025, months after campaigning with Ford during the snap provincial election, Labour Minister Piccini promised LiUNA workers would build the premier’s 401 tunnel.
Later that summer, Ford deepened the party’s ties by flying to the Orlando LiUNA conference to offer a rallying cry as the country faced a trade war with the United States.
“United we stand, divided we fall,” Ford told the conference. “There’s no better example of our incredible potential as Americans and Canadians than the women and men of LiUNA.”
Months later, as the Ford government faced a scandal over the labour minister’s handling of the $2.5 billion skills development fund, Joe Mancinelli raced to the government’s defence, calling allegations of wrongdoing “absolute nonsense.”
“It’s pretty ludicrous some of the things that I’ve heard and the attacks, the unfounded attacks that have been focused and thrown at Minister Piccini and the premier,” Mancinelli told the Empire Club on Dec. 4.
“Words like corruption are words that should never be spoken in the legislature. And quite frankly, those who are speaking those are the corrupt people that are ruining this province.”
Reasons remain unclear
It’s unclear why Ford, in his official capacity as premier rather than PC Party leader, chose to attend the conference in person, nor has the government clarified why the trip was categorized as an “international mission.”
Just one of the government attendees offered a full purpose for the trip.
Piccini’s director of stakeholder relations said the reason for the expense was to “provide support to the Minister and the Premier at the Labourers’ International Union of North America International Leadership Summit.”
His office suggested, however, the Florida trip was a response to the trade war with the United States.
“In the face of President Trump’s tariffs and tariff threats, it has never been more important for elected leaders to engage with labour and employer partners as we embark on our $222 million plan to build the infrastructure Ontario needs for generations to come,” Piccini’s office said in a statement.
However, Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser questioned the need for the travel and suggested the trip reflects a larger change in the government’s attitude after the 2025 election.
“‘I deserve to go on a victory lap in Florida. I deserve a luxury private jet,'” Fraser said of the government’s motives. “There’s no ostensibly policy or economic reason to go to Florida that’s going to help Ontarians.”
Carney and his 55 person entourage stopped in Canary Islands on an alleged trade mission.
Curious, what was the reason for the Canary Island stop?
Wow, Ford goes to a conference to address a large Ontario union membership and flies commercial and its a story.
Love how they don’t let you comment on the ISIS trash coming back to canada but want people fired up about the Premier doing his job.
Why no talk of Carney and his government plane?
Media standards, what a joke
Kind of obvious Global has a hard 9
on for Dougie.
But Mark, oh no he is our savior
K8nda obvious Glob
FAW-Q CON GOOFS
Give it a rest and let Mr. Ford do his darn job.
He does a great job. Better than quite a few other men and women.
So he had a conference in Florida..
Why the constant negative press about everything this man does.
Ya all want him to ride a horse and buggy across Canada and ya slam the guy because he went to a conference at Disney Park…which is a great place for a conference..
I hope he takes his private jet anywhere he has to go and enjoys every minute of it.
I love how these weirdo liberal voters are shocked and appalled by this…
but when it was discovered Marc Carney billed taxpayers $160,000 in food for a week you hear nothing but crickets.
Typical pathetic liberal behavior
Marc Carney spent $160,000 in taxpayer dollars in 1 week for food and catering costs…
But of course another story about ford 🤡
Always distracting and covering up liberal failure
A trip to speak with unions seems minor. Doug was invited. If this is all we can complain about c’ mon people. We’ve all sat for 9 plus years watching the dumpster fire of a government we’ve had. Inflation, immigration, and taxation. Keep voting red people. Cant believe still half of this country is that braindead to have voted in Carney.
Ask him to be accountable for the billions he “lost” during COVID shut down. There’s a billion unaccounted for.
Get him out. Why do people keep voting this man in??
Liuna members are Ontario tax payers too. They invited the premier, and the premier attended, don’t see the point of wasting tax dollars. If this story stands, then the premier has to decline all invitations that are not within the reasonable driving distance. This will happen to the Liberal or NDP premiers. The reporter is extremely biased.
Now THIS is what I can finally call GOOD REPORTING on how OUR TAX DOLLARS are being SPENT BY POLITICIANS AT ALL THREE LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT so we all would know how to vote during our next round of elections.
Tax dollar starved media will print anything to demonize conservatives, even when they’re just a lighter shade of red. How many 100’s of billions have the LPC set aflame?
@john…everyone gets the limo etc if they win ….even a monkey like Pierre.
Who cares? He ruined the science center!! Waaay worse!!!
$12,000 billed for that trip, and the possible benefits derived from it, seems cheaper than what a family would pay on a vacation!
Whomever is complaing about this particular trip needs to give their head a shake.
The benefit to Ontario alone, outweighs that cost by far, Im fairly sure.
‘Take the 2×4 out of your own eye before you worry about the sliver in someone else’s.’
There are far more important things to be concerned about… unless you’re the ‘Opposition’.
I’m Canadian, not from Ontario, and I believe whining about the ‘ other guy’ is counterproductive to a strong Canada!
We’ve heard enough about douggies gravy trains…
So Team Canada Ford goes to the USA owned Disney World and rides on the Dumbo the Elephant ride. Wheeee!
Ok. Eldmconwndifosnanudjd
Ok. Vjnsownndissmw
@Ben. So you don’t think Carney campaigns on the public dime. Or is that ok for him to do so as he is “saving Canada” as you put it. Seems you have all the excuses for Carney.
Ben LMFAO. Carney is not a “world renowned leader”. So is Carney saving Canada from the Liberal Party?
So it is okay for Carney to have a limo, private chef, two state homes and live an opulent lifestyle on the taxpayers dime?
@Ben talking about Poilievre and Ford does not hide that fact that Carney and the Liberals get all the free things also and more besides. Carney seems to spend more time in a plane paid for by the taxpayers than in Canada.
@Bennie Poilievre’s travel expenses are related to campaigning on the public dime. Carney is a world renowned leader of a middle power who is trying to save Canada. Many call Carney Captain Canada.
These government officials need to be prosecuted for all the waste and abuse of taxpayers money. Ford is the first to talk about Trump but I think he needs to take a good look in the mirror before calling anyone else names
All governments are corrupt af. It’s disgusting how they care more about their own holiday trips and lining their pockets then helping the province or country they work for.
High-Cost Trips:Carney Incurred a $159,800 catering bill during a single week-long trip in November 2025 covering Athens, Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg, and the Canary Islands.
Carney is too good to fly commercial, unlike many world leaders of more importance who do. Carney has champagne dreams on a beer budget. No expense is spared when he travels.
Ben….How much does Carney spend on in flight catering for a trip? Carney also has a limo, private chef, and lives free at Rideau Cottage plus a summer home in Quebec. How very disappointing.
Cue the Conservative posters that will use deflection. “But the Liberals”. Funny how they say that, but many regard Ford as Liberal, but it’s also deflection. Look, I don’t care which party is (this article is about provincial government people), if the party is IN power and wasting billions, they deserve to get racked over the coals. Period.
And how much did of our money did the federal liberals give to Ukraine?
Poor Ben, Pierre and all conservatives sure live in your head rent free. Let’s look at Carney’s travel history and expenses shall we…chilean sea bass anyone?
Poilievre and Ford are both conservatives. Poilievre has a limo, house, and private chef. Taxpayers are footing the bill for both Ford and Poilievre. How very disappointing.
LiUNA and Ford should be doing more to fix WSIB, the agency that denies injured workers benefits.
Wow a few thousand dollars compared to Carney spending 150 thousands on fine food just in his plane.
Can this journalist to do some real reporting.
Looks like he is waiting to gift more land to his friends.
I thought Elbows Up Canadians like Ford and Carney are boycotting the USA.
A couple grand for a three day trip?
And this is, what, the 5th story on Ford?
How many follow-up stories on Carney’s almost 200 thousand spent on catering alone?
Not defending Ford, but COME ON Global!
Talk about trying to maufacture outrage
Looking at the byline I cant say I am.surpirsed though