Doug Ford’s ‘Gravy Plane’ was a monumental mistake

Spending millions on a private plane is a slap in the face during an affordability crisis

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford, like most political leaders, has made his share of mistakes in office. He deserves credit for apologizing for quite a few of them. Most politicians would hesitate to follow his lead.

Alas, Ford’s most recent error in judgment was a monumental mistake. His government’s poor decision turned into a political calamity in only a couple of days’ time. It left a bad taste in the mouths of many Ontarians and some longtime party supporters.

Oh gravy plane, we hardly knew ye.

I am, of course, referring to the Ontario government’s purchase of a $28.9 million pre-owned private jet for Ford’s use when travelling across the province. CBC News reported that the Bombardier Challenger 650 was “purchased directly” from Bombardier and had previously been owned by an unnamed individual based in South America. The deal had been in the works for several months.

The private jet would have allowed for “more certain, flexible, secure and confidential travel,” according to a statement from the Premier’s Office to CBC News. “As part of the job of being Premier of Ontario, there is extensive travel within Ontario, a province twice the landmass of Texas. 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.”

That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t make up for the fact that this was a moronic decision by the Ontario government.

Canada is in the midst of an affordability crisis. Prices have escalated by 30 to 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. A few people foolishly defended this extravagant purchase at first, but were drowned out in short order on social media and elsewhere. That’s no surprise. The decision was tone-deaf on so many levels, it’s not even funny.

In particular, Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles’s clever April 17 post on X set the tone of this discussion. “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.”

I don’t know if Stiles was the one who conjured up “gravy plane.” If she did, then kudos to her. If not, it was a fine juxtaposition with the equally clever “gravy train,” a popular phrase largely associated with the Premier’s late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford, more than 15 years ago. The major difference is that derailing a gravy train is based on fiscal prudence and responsible spending of taxpayer dollars, whereas riding a gravy plane has an opposite effect.

Ford’s interest and association with Conservative principles have largely disintegrated during this time in office. For someone who grew up in a fiscally conservative household, has touted Conservative policies in the past and currently leads the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, he doesn’t seem terribly bothered by this about-face.

It should also be mentioned that Ford has a fear of flying. That’s unfortunate, and it happens to many people. Then again, the white-knuckled Premier needs to overcome his fear of flying the friendly skies on his own and not use public funds as a means of conquering it.

Within a couple of days, it became clear that Ford and the Ontario PCs had lost this battle. 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. The province is working with Bombardier and other partners to sell the plane as quickly as possible.”

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Ford said he “heard loud and clear because I’m the only person in the world who gives out a cell number. And I heard loud and clear from the people that this was not the time to purchase a plane.” He also said, “I’m the premier that listens to the people. If they don’t like something, I’m not too shy to change my mind and say okay, this isn’t the time to move on.”

That’s fine, but it never should have happened to begin with. Not only did Ford and his government look weak when they announced the controversial purchase of the private jet, but they now look even weaker for having capitulated so quickly and starting the process to sell it.

Will this controversy bring down Ford and his government? Of course not.

At the same time, it’s going to be one of those rare moments when the Premier’s public apology doesn’t resonate with supporters and critics alike.

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.