The Ontario Court of Appeal has struck down the provincial government’s restrictions on election ads, siding with a coalition of unions that challenged the use of the Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to restrict spending by groups other than political parties before a campaign begins.
Premier Doug Ford’s 2021 election law changes imposed a $600,000 spending limit on what are known as “third party” groups, such as unions, advocacy organizations or corporations, that applied for 12 months in advance of the province’s official 28-day election campaign period.