Apr 21, 2026
As a taxpayer, do you ever wish you could choose which issues your money supports? In a perfect world, maybe you'd love to designate your tax dollars to the public school system, local health initiatives or fixing the giant pothole on your street.
If given the choice, residents of the Canadian province of Ontario probably wouldn't opt to put their taxpayer money toward a government official's private jet. But that's what happened with their premier, the term for a Canadian province's head of government.
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On April 17, the province of Ontario sent a statement to CBC News, confirming that Premier Doug Ford had used taxpayer money to buy a private jet for $28.9 million (1). The news faced immediate backlash from fellow politicians and advocacy groups, claiming the jet was a poor use of his constituents' money.
In a statement issued just two days later, Ford announced that he plans to sell the jet (2).
"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.
Ford's reasoning for buying a private jet with taxpayer dollars
Before Premier Ford decided to sell his jet, his office's statement to CBC News provided justification for the purchase.
"As part of the job of being Premier of Ontario, there is extensive travel within Ontario, a province twice the landmass of Texas," the statement reads (1).
"This is in addition to travel across Canada for Council of the Federation and First Ministers' Meetings, which have increased in frequency, as well as travel to the United States to help make the case against President Trump's tariffs."
Ford's office clarified that the jet was not meant to be used for personal travel, but for "more certain, flexible, secure and confidential travel" in political dealings.
"I just want to explain to the people, our province is massive, I have to get to the north numerous times, there are no charter flights up in the north," Ford said at an event in Ottawa (3).
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Many Canadians, however, weren't buying it. Some see this not just as an example of using taxpayer dollars irresponsibly, but as a sign that Ford is unaware of his constituents' needs.
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Ford painted as out of touch
John Fraser, interim leader for Ontario's Liberal party, told CBC News that this purchase showed how out of touch Ford was with everyday Canadians' concerns, such as health care and schools (2).
Mike Schreiner, leader of Ontario's Green Party, argues that the money spent on the private jet could have been used for more practical issues that would improve residents' lives. Others believe Ford is only selling the jet because he's facing public criticism, not because he agrees with the critics and is genuinely remorseful.
Marit Stiles, leader of Ontario's New Democratic Party, shared her criticism of Ford's jet purchase on X (4): "Doug Ford is turning the plane around mid-air for an emergency landing because he got caught living like a rockstar on your dime."
While Ford says he plans to sell the jet, that doesn't necessarily erase all the financial damage to taxpayers. For example, if the jet were to be sold at a loss, Ontarians will have still lost that money.
Unhappy with how politicians use your tax money?
Yes, a Canadian politician spent millions to purchase a private jet, but what about American officials? Are they using American taxpayer money in a similar way?
In America, many state and federal politicians charter private planes using taxpayer money, typically to get from the area they represent to Washington, D.C. However, this is very different from what's happening with Premier Ford.
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An investigation by The Center Square revealed that in 2024 (the most recent full year with available data), the U.S. senator who spent the most chartering flights was Mike Rounds of South Dakota (5). According to the expense reports, Rounds spent around $480,000 chartering flights in one year — a far cry from the $28.9 million Ford used to buy a jet.
Still, if you are unhappy with the ways politicians representing your district use public funds, there are ways to take action.
You can start by looking up the contact information for the politician you wish to contact and call or email their office. Be sure to provide details about your complaint, such as how their spending affects you and others in the community, and how the situation will affect your future voting decisions if they don't rectify the spending.
Note that members of the Senate and the House of Representatives may only pay attention to your concerns if you live in the area they represent.
If you believe there's been true misconduct in how a politician has used taxpayer dollars, you can report fraud allegations to the U.S. Government Accountability Office at GAO FraudNet (6).
You can also consider donating money to a nonprofit such as Taxpayers for Common Sense (7), a nonpartisan organization in D.C. dedicated to holding federal government employees responsible for using taxpayer money. If you can't give financially, simply engaging with these NGOs' content is a good way to stay informed of what the current issues are with public spending.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
CBC News (1),(2); Global News (3); X (4); The Center Square (5); U.S. Government Accountability Office (6); Taxpayers for Common Sense (7)
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Laura Grace Tarpley is a freelance journalist who has been working in digital media for 10 years. She focuses on personal finance topics, including banking, investing, retirement, loans, mortgages, and taxes. You can find her writing at TheStreet, Business Insider, The Penny Hoarder, and more.
