Ontario Government (Conservative majority), 2025-29

[HavokFour]

Now Ford isn't even trying to hide the fact that there is probably something interesting on that personal phone he used to conduct government business. Just incredibly blatant.

Ontario to introduce bill exempting Premier, cabinet from FOI requests

Government’s proposed changes follow its loss of court battle over call logs for Doug Ford’s personal cellphone

www.theglobeandmail.com

Archive

 

[The Bread Guy]

Now Ford isn't even trying to hide the fact that there is probably something interesting on that personal phone he used to conduct government business. Just incredibly blatant.

Ontario to introduce bill exempting Premier, cabinet from FOI requests

Government’s proposed changes follow its loss of court battle over call logs for Doug Ford’s personal cellphone

www.theglobeandmail.com

Archive

First getting rid of publicly sharing mandate letters, now this.

Some'll say it's all insider baseball that only info-geeks will be interested in, some'll say looks/feels like there's something to hide (whether there is or not).

 

[The Bread Guy]

Court: can't stop that anti-Israel & anti-Zionist protest.

Al-Quds Day protest proceeds after court rejects Ford’s injunction bid | Globalnews.ca

A court has rejected the Ontario government’s request to stop an Al-Quds Day protest in Toronto, ruling the province did not meet the legal threshold required to block the rally.

globalnews.ca

Toronto police make two arrests on Saturday after court denies injunction to stop Al-Quds rally in Toronto

Police say they were going to expand their presence at the rally, citing shots fired at three synagogues in the past two weeks.

nationalpost.com

GOLDSTEIN: Al-Quds Day shows how Canada tolerates intolerance

A society that tolerates intolerance can pass as many laws as it likes against “hate” but it won't reduce hate-motivated crimes. Read more.

torontosun.com

 

[HavokFour]

Going to need a neck brace for the whiplash from this 180.

April 17th

‘Terrible timing;’ Doug Ford facing opposition criticism over purchase of $28.9M private jet

A brand new 28.9 million private jet is taking off at Queen’s Park and so is the criticism across Ontario. A brand new 28.9 million private jet is taking off at Queen’s Park and so is the criticism across Ontario.

www.ctvnews.ca

April 19th

Doug Ford backs off government plane purchase, seeks to sell aircraft

Just days after announcing plans to buy a private jet, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province will now move to sell its newly acquired plane, acknowledging concerns about the timing and cost of the purchase.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[suffolkowner]

Going to need a neck brace for the whiplash from this 180.

April 17th

‘Terrible timing;’ Doug Ford facing opposition criticism over purchase of $28.9M private jet

A brand new 28.9 million private jet is taking off at Queen’s Park and so is the criticism across Ontario. A brand new 28.9 million private jet is taking off at Queen’s Park and so is the criticism across Ontario.

www.ctvnews.ca

April 19th

Doug Ford backs off government plane purchase, seeks to sell aircraft

Just days after announcing plans to buy a private jet, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the province will now move to sell its newly acquired plane, acknowledging concerns about the timing and cost of the purchase.

www.ctvnews.ca

i dont think they ever bought it. Will probably just rent, lease, charter the plane as needed from ACASS

https://twitter.com/x/status/2045898730558079132

The Gravy Plane: Doug Ford's $28.9M Ontario Government Jet

Ontario taxpayers bought a used 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 for Premier Doug Ford — dubbed the 'Gravy Plane' by critics. Track its flights, read the facts, follow the Muskoka cottage-season question.

gravy-plane.ca

 

[FSTO]

Ontario is a big province. I think the government could have done a better job promoting the advantages of having such a plane. But, politicians are still reeling from Bev Oda’s transgressions.

 

[JLB50]

i dont think they ever bought it. Will probably just rent, lease, charter the plane as needed from ACASS

https://twitter.com/x/status/2045898730558079132

The Gravy Plane: Doug Ford's $28.9M Ontario Government Jet

Ontario taxpayers bought a used 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 for Premier Doug Ford — dubbed the 'Gravy Plane' by critics. Track its flights, read the facts, follow the Muskoka cottage-season question.

gravy-plane.ca

I’m definitely not a Doug Ford fan. In this time of fiscal restraint, the announcement of this so-called “gravy-plane” purchase couldn’t have come at a worse time. Having said that, I’m trying to keep an open mind as to whether the purchase truly is or is not in the public’s best interest. How many times in a year will it be flown? Which likely destinations in and outside Ontario or Canada? And how would all of that compare with the stats on travelling by a commercial carrier for similar purposes?

 

[suffolkowner]

I’m definitely not a Doug Ford fan. In this time of fiscal restraint, the announcement of this so-called “gravy-plane” purchase couldn’t have come at a worse time. Having said that, I’m trying to keep an open mind as to whether the purchase truly is or is not in the public’s best interest. How many times in a year will it be flown? Which likely destinations in and outside Ontario or Canada? And how would all of that compare with the stats on travelling by a commercial carrier for similar purposes?

Apparently Ford has a bad record on travelling north at least. Like a dozen times over 8 yrs

 

[RangerRay]

Apparently Ford has a bad record on travelling north at least. Like a dozen times over 8 yrs

Why would he? He’s the mayor of Toronto!

 

[lenaitch]

Ontario is a big province. I think the government could have done a better job promoting the advantages of having such a plane. But, politicians are still reeling from Bev Oda’s transgressions.

I think the timing sucked, but for an acquisition like this when would it not? Part of it is the nature of our political system with opposition parties as well as the typical Canadian parsimony and parochialism that scares the feds from spending money on 24 Sussex.

Sure, the Premier could fly commercial - if one goes to where he wants to go, when he wants to go there, if they want to book seats for his entourage including security. Maybe they could take a bus - or hitch-hike.

Some of the blowback I'm hearing says nothing like this should be done until all the problems with housing, healthcare, homelessness and on and on are solved. It may take a while.

Whether a long-range jet was needed is beyond me. The province did or does own one or two Beechcraft Kingair which were apparently range challenged and getting long in the tooth. Maybe something like a Pilatus, but I suspect anything above a bicycle was going to be a target.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Maybe he can get Saudi to buy it for him ?

 

[PuckChaser]

Ontario is a big province. I think the government could have done a better job promoting the advantages of having such a plane. But, politicians are still reeling from Bev Oda’s transgressions.

Could have set it up to provide free flights for patients for low serviced areas to get to Toronto, Ottawa or Sudbury for cancer/heart/neuro issues. Lots of folks need to travel long distances and it'd be a great use of in-between hours to help the province.

 

[FSTO]

Opposition MPs, MPPs do not do themselves any favours scoring cheap political points. Or I guess they do since I live in the Polly Anna world.
Maybe a note to the opposition and media saying "This is what we're going to do, this is why we are doing it, this is the cost and time comparison. We feel that purchasing a passenger jet is the best option for the government of (insert province name here). You can do with this information what you want."
IMO the only province that doesn't need jet is PEI. But the maritimes could make the case for a shared asset.

 

[suffolkowner]

Opposition MPs, MPPs do not do themselves any favours scoring cheap political points. Or I guess they do since I live in the Polly Anna world.
Maybe a note to the opposition and media saying "This is what we're going to do, this is why we are doing it, this is the cost and time comparison. We feel that purchasing a passenger jet is the best option for the government of (insert province name here). You can do with this information what you want."
IMO the only province that doesn't need jet is PEI. But the maritimes could make the case for a shared asset.

a jet or that jet?
for the Province or the Premier?
in this case it seems more like a popular backlash that Ford then backtracked on as per his usual

 

[FSTO]

a jet or that jet?
for the Province or the Premier?
in this case it seems more like a popular backlash that Ford then backtracked on as per his usual

It should never be for one person. It is for the use of the Provincial Government.

 

[daftandbarmy]

i dont think they ever bought it. Will probably just rent, lease, charter the plane as needed from ACASS

Or, you know, slum it with the rest of us on scheduled flights....

 

[suffolkowner]

Or, you know, slum it with the rest of us on scheduled flights....

Im not against our "leaders" having VIP transportation but this plan was poorly delivered at least from a communication standpoint

 

[RangerRay]

Or, you know, slum it with the rest of us on scheduled flights....

IMHO, that’s the same thinking that turned 24 Sussex into the country’s largest crack house.

I’m of the opinion that the government’s executives of large land masses may need air transport not governed by the whims and schedules of commercial airlines.

If I see a premier or minister in cattle class with me while on official business, I’m going to have a very low opinion of the government.

 

[daftandbarmy]

IMHO, that’s the same thinking that turned 24 Sussex into the country’s largest crack house.

I’m of the opinion that the government’s executives of large land masses may need air transport not governed by the whims and schedules of commercial airlines.

If I see a premier or minister in cattle class with me while on official business, I’m going to have a very low opinion of the government.

I've seen ministers and premiers on scheduled flights in BC having good old chats with all the people around them, regardless of political stripes.

I can't see a downside to this approach.

If there's an urgent need to connect with someone at a distance.... MS Teams is your buddy.

 

[suffolkowner]

Possible there's a need or use for a King Air 360 or PC-24 for provincial use that is contracted?