Ontario election: Ford under fire over ‘partisan’ visits to Washington, D.C.

On the first day of a snap election campaign, Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party launched a new commercial laying out how the campaign could blur the lines between political party and government.

“When we know trouble is headed our way, we need a fighter — someone who protects us, our jobs and our family,” a party voiceover proclaims. “That’s Premier Doug Ford.”

It’s part of a strategy from the Progressive Conservatives that will see Ford head to Washington, D.C., twice over the next month — trying to campaign as party leader while projecting the image of a working premier at the same time.

While the party attempts to straddle the line, Ontario’s top civil servant has instructed Ford and cabinet ministers to avoid taking part in events that risk trampling on “conventions traditionally followed during an election period.”

The caretaker convention, invoked when the Ontario legislature is dissolved to ensure the seamless continuity of government, allows the premier and ministers to retain their titles but they can only exercise their cabinet roles during an election in situations where they won’t gain a campaign advantage.

A memo sent Tuesday by Michelle DiEmanuele, Ontario’s secretary of the cabinet, informed ministers they could take part in routine and non-controversial events and matters that are urgently in the public interest. They can also undertake ministerial actions agreed to by opposition parties.

“There may be circumstances where a particular situation or protocol requires a Minister’s involvement during the election period,” the memo said.

“Such circumstances might include a provincial emergency or a national or international event or occurrence where the premier or minister are required to exercise their duties. Any such involvement and related activities will need to be cleared in advance with the Premier’s Office in consultation with my Office.”

Taking part in those events, however, must be done in a way that doesn’t benefit an election campaign, the cabinet secretary said.

“These rights, privileges and responsibilities are now exercised in accordance with the caretaker role of government,” the memo explained. “During this period, Ministers exercise care and avoid any perception that they are using their ministerial offices, resources or portfolios for political purposes.”

Opposition parties fear Ford and the Progressive Conservatives could flout those conventions — or run their campaign on the very edge of them. Ford himself has explicitly said he wants to wear both hats, as leader and premier.

“Every single day, during this election, I’ll still be premier,” the PC leader said at an event just before the campaign began. “Every single day I’ll be talking to our ministers, we’ll be getting policies out there.”

Ford plans to visit Washington twice during the campaign as premier, leading a group of other first ministers from across the country in meetings with U.S. lawmakers to discuss tariffs.

Despite his plan to visit as premier, it is the Progressive Conservative Party that will pay for Ford’s trip, blurring the lines between his role as premier and as party leader.

“Doug Ford quit his job as premier when he called this election — I’m running for his job,” Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said.

John Fraser, the Ontario Liberal candidate for Ottawa South, previously wrote to the secretary of cabinet, chief electoral officer and integrity commissioner, claiming that Ford’s planned visit “would harm trust in our public institutions, and violate a basic principle of our democracy.”

Because of the caretaker convention, the Liberals said it would “no longer” be appropriate for Ford to travel to Washington or participate in the Council of the Federation, the group that represents Canada’s premiers.

On Wednesday, Elections Ontario CEO Greg Essensa said he would respond to Fraser’s letter but would wait until after the campaign to make any determinations about the Washington trip.

“I have no evidence that that’s how it is going to be treated,” he said. “I’ll wait until I see what happens with the financial returns after the election.”

If Elections Ontario found that government resources had been used during the campaign, Essensa said he could refer them to the attorney general.

“It depends on the offence,” he said. “Some kind result in an administrative penalty that I have the ability to apply, others require me to refer to the Ministry of the Attorney General for further prosecution. It really depends.”

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