Tax dollars shouldn’t fund political ads

Opinion

The Manitoba NDP government spent more than $94,000 of taxpayers’ money on billboard ads promoting its universal school meal program.

The glossy orange advertisements boasted about “food in every school” and featured branding that is unmistakably partisan — using the same orange background that mirrors the NDP’s campaign materials.

It was a blatant misuse of public funds.

There is a line between informing the public and promoting a political party, and the NDP government crossed it — again.

The billboards, which ran from Nov. 11 to Dec. 29, were not about informing parents of how or when their children can access meals at school. They were not about explaining where to find help. They were, plain and simple, self-congratulatory ads with a political agenda dressed up as public service.

If the government genuinely wanted to ensure that families, students and school staff were aware of the meal program, there are more effective — and appropriate — ways to do so.

School divisions, principals, teachers, and parent advisory councils already communicate directly with families. They could send home notices through schools, post information online, or co-ordinate with local school boards. These would be targeted, cost-effective ways to spread essential information to those who actually need it.

Billboards on city streets and highways, by contrast, are designed to reach everyone, including voters who have no connection to the school system. They’re aimed not at parents but at the broader public to showcase the government’s perceived successes.

This was not an isolated incident. Since taking office in October 2023, the NDP government has repeatedly blurred the lines between legitimate government communications and party promotion. Billboard ads purchased earlier this year touting a so-called “Hydro rate freeze,” and others related to perceived improvements in health care, have also carried similar NDP-aligned branding and a tone more in line with campaign literature than neutral information sharing.

This is troubling because these actions erode public trust. Voters rightly expect governments to act as stewards of public money — not to use it as a political slush fund to boost their party’s image between elections.

It is also hypocritical. While in opposition, the NDP sharply criticized the former Progressive Conservative government for spending millions on pre-election advertising that mirrored the Tories’ partisan messaging. Now in office, the NDP is doing the same thing.

This has to stop. Government advertising should be strictly limited to essential information the public needs to know, such as public health alerts, emergency preparedness, or changes to public services that require action by citizens. Anything beyond that is at risk of becoming political advertising and should not be paid for with public funds.

That is why Manitoba needs a law — similar to one already in place in Ontario — that explicitly bans partisan government advertising.

A new provincial law should define and prohibit partisan content, ban the use of political party colours or slogans, and require independent oversight before ads are published or broadcast.

Premier Wab Kinew has spoken often about building a more honest, transparent, and accountable government. That is an admirable goal, but it has to be more than a slogan. It must be backed by action. Ending the use of public money for partisan self-promotion would be a good start.

In the meantime, the government should immediately suspend all partisan-style advertising and focus instead on delivering programs. Let the results of those programs speak for themselves, without the help of taxpayer-funded advertisements.