The “gravy plane” is gone, but taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for Ford’s $190,000 aviation blunder

Doing the right thing in life is always the right thing to do. I doubt many readers would disagree with this obvious assessment. There are additional aspects to consider when choosing a path that is moral, ethical and just, too. These could range from prioritizing the greater good in the decision-making process to ensuring that openness, honesty and transparency are integral parts of the equation.

For Ontario Premier Doug Ford, doing the right thing could entail an aspect that few ever have to truly face or consider. What would it be? A financial cost, believe it or not.

We’ll tackle this shortly.

Our tale begins with the Ontario government’s decision to purchase a $28.9 million pre-owned private jet for the Premier’s use when travelling across Ontario. The plane, a 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 which had reportedly been owned by an unnamed individual based in South America, was purchased directly from Bombardier after several months of negotiations. It would have allowed for “more certain, flexible, secure and confidential travel,” according to a statement from the Premier’s Office to CBC News.

The timing couldn’t have been worse for this type of purchase.

“Canada is in the midst of an affordability crisis,” as I wrote for Troy Media in an April 21 syndicated column. “Prices have escalated between 30 and 50 percent on most products. Grocery bills have escalated, along with the cost of gas, electricity, construction materials and more. Individuals and families are struggling to make ends meet. Yet, someone in the Premier’s Office-or the Premier himself-thought it was a good idea to buy a private jet and spend nearly $30 million in taxpayer dollars … The decision was tone-deaf on so many levels, it’s not even funny.”

This left the Ford PCs wide open to scrutiny and clever little comebacks. To wit, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles’s April 17 post on X noted that “Ford ran on a promise to stop the gravy train. Then he spent $30M of your money on his gravy plane. He should be flying economy like the rest of us.” It was an amusing juxtaposition to “gravy train,” a popular phrase largely associated with the Premier’s late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford. “The major difference is that derailing a gravy train is based on fiscal prudence and responsible spending of taxpayer dollars,” I wrote in my column, “whereas riding a gravy plane has an opposite effect.”

The Premier apologized and reversed course. “Despite the best of intentions, I have heard and agree that now is not the right time for the expense of a government plane,” Ford said. “The province is working with Bombardier and other partners to sell the plane as quickly as possible.” And they did just that.

The gravy plane controversy won’t go away, however.

In spite of selling the $28.9 million private jet back to Bombardier, it turns out that provincial taxpayers, according to CBC News, will reportedly be paying $190,000 in “aviation-related costs.” A much smaller amount, to be sure, but an unnecessary bill that most Ontarians would have preferred not to be on the hook for.

Stiles and the NDP have called on Ford to pay back the entire amount. The Ontario Premier said that no one is more “ticked off” about these costs and it “frustrates the heck” out of him. That being said, he doesn’t seem to be particularly interested in committing to repaying them.

You can’t completely blame him. Who would want to willingly do something like this?

Then again, if Ford wants this controversy to disappear from the news cycle, and I’m sure he does, then maybe he should consider the possibility of paying some or all of this amount back.

And yes, I’m being completely serious.

Think about it this way. The aviation costs related to the private jet are an isolated, one-off expense. It wouldn’t set a precedent for Ford’s expenses as Premier going forward. It would show that he recognizes this was a political mistake and Ontario taxpayers shouldn’t have to foot any portion of this bill. Plus, the Premier could write some of this amount off—which means his total cost wouldn’t be this high.

Long story short, this could actually work to Ford’s advantage. He and his family have always talked about standing up for the little guy. This could be the perfect moment to put his money where his mouth is. Taking the gravy off the plane and putting it back on the train would be the right thing to do.

Michael Taube is a political commentator, Troy Media syndicated columnist and former speechwriter for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics, lending academic rigour to his political insights.