Ontario government spending $112M on advertising, more than ever before: auditor

TORONTO — The Ontario government spent the highest recorded amount on advertising last year, the auditor found, a flurry of public spending the opposition parties accused the government of using to promote itself in an election year.

Auditor general Shelley Spence said government spending on advertising has traditionally spiked around elections, but in the fiscal 2024-25 year that rose to $111.9 million, the highest ever.

That is $8.4 million more than the previous year, which held the previous record for spending, she said.

Many of the ad campaigns were designed to foster a positive impression of the Progressive Conservatives, rather than give Ontarians information about government programs or services, Spence said.

"When I look at value for money for those ads, we look at is this tel