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Ontario sells private jet bought for Doug Ford's use back to Bombardier
Ontario has reversed the purchase of a private jet for Premier Doug Ford’s use by selling the Bombardier Challenger 650 back to Bombardier for the $28.9 million price it paid.
Ford announced the move while at a conference in downtown Toronto on Wednesday morning, reports Global News .
Ontario first bought the used Bombardier Challenger 650 for Ford’s travels across Ontario and to the U.S., especially trips related to pushing back against Donald Trump’s tariffs. The government framed it as a way to provide flexible, secure, and confidential travel for official business.
However, as National Post previously reported, critics argued that spending nearly $29 million on a second-hand jet was inappropriate. Opposition parties called it wasteful and out of touch during a period of public concern about affordability and spending. They said the government’s explanation did not justify the price tag, and some mocked it as a “gravy plane.”
Ford countered the criticism, saying that no one more scrutinized than him. He pointed to significant jet purchases by Quebec, as well as Ottawa for travel undertaken by federal ministers, comparing the range of geography he covers as similar to theirs.
Public reaction to the jet purchase was also negative when set against the rising cost-of-living, reports Now Toronto . Toronto residents said the funds would be better spent on healthcare, education, or hospitals.
Ford responded by saying he had heard the public criticism and instructed his staff to sell it as quickly as possible, reports the CBC .
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