Ontario’s auditor general has reported a record-breaking $103.5 million spent on government advertising in the last fiscal year, marking a threefold increase from the $33.7 million spent the year prior.
Election Year Spending Surge
Auditor General Shelley Spence noted that government ad spending typically spikes in the lead-up to a provincial election. The fiscal year ending March 31 showcased the highest spending on record, reflecting this trend.
- Economic Promotion Ads: Nearly $19 million was allocated to ads featuring the tagline, “What if I told you that you already live here,” which aired during high-profile events such as NHL games and the Super Bowl.
- Overall Campaign: A total of $43.2 million was spent on a broader campaign comprising four distinct pillars, focusing on Ontario’s economic development and appeal.
- The auditor flagged some of these ads as potentially partisan, suggesting they would not have passed under stricter rules in place before 2015.
Despite a Progressive Conservative promise to reinstate the former Liberal government’s pre-2015 rules on partisan advertising, no changes have been made, allowing for greater flexibility in what constitutes permissible government messaging.
This historic expenditure underscores the growing focus on leveraging advertising as a tool for government communication, particularly in election-adjacent periods.