News Release – Jones: Introduces Bill to Ensure Auditor General Oversight of Government Advertising

(Queen’s Park) – Today, Sylvia Jones MPP from Dufferin-Caledon called on the Premier to restore the Auditor General’s authority to review all government advertising and stop taxpayer funded partisan advertisements.

“The government is spending taxpayer dollars on an advertising campaign on their latest hydro scheme in an attempt to save their electoral fortunes,” said Jones

“The Wynne government removed the Auditor General’s ability to review government advertising to ensure it is non-partisan in 2015,” said Jones.

“The Auditor General has said that these recent hydro advertisements would not have been approved under old legislation,” said Jones.

“In the past two years, the government has spent nearly 6 million taxpayer dollars on a series of advertising campaigns the Auditor General said ‘provided viewers with no useful information’ and ‘could be seen as self-congratulatory and in some cases, misleading,’” said Jones.

“It is shameful that this Government refuses to respect taxpayer dollars and restore the Auditor General’s authority to review and approve government advertising,” said Jones.

“If you would like to sign my petition calling on the government to restore Auditor General oversight, please visit www.sylviajonesmpp.ca,” said Jones.