‘Kind of embarrassing’: Doug Ford says Ontario should have a jet, but he won’t reconsider selling it

Doug Ford says he believes the government should have a jet but won't reconsider his decision to sell it after widespread backlash. Siobhan Morris reports.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford once again defended his government’s decision to purchase a $28.9-million private jet Tuesday, saying it’s “embarrassing” a province the size of Ontario doesn’t have one. But he stopped short of saying he’d reconsider his decision to sell it in the wake of public backlash over the purchase.

“Honestly folks, it’s a no brainer. It’s kind of embarrassing (for a) province our size,” Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park Tuesday, speaking about Ontario’s lack of a jet.

He said about the decision to purchase the used 2016 Bombardier Challenger 650 jet was unanimously approved at cabinet and that he’s been “inundated” with calls from strangers telling him to keep the plane since he explained the case for buying it on Monday.

When the purchase came to light Friday, Ford’s office said the jet would allow the premier to travel around the province more easily, as well as to the United States to promote Ontario’s interests.

But following an outcry, the government said Sunday it would sell off the newly acquired jet.

Ford told reporters Tuesday that while he still feels the province needs the jet, it was his fault for not making a better case for it publicly.

“It’s my responsibility. I should have put the case forward a lot clearer than I did. So for that, I apologize,” Ford said.

Case included delays, security concerns: Ford

He said there were numerous reasons why it made sense to have the jet.

“No one’s flown more commercial than I have. But as the province evolves – you, myself, we evolve – and with the tariffs, so on and so forth, I found myself flying more to the U.S., flying up north a lot more,” Ford said. “A lot of the commercial flights, as you folks know, have been cancelled in airports, and it’s all about time.”

He said he’s been delayed “dozens of times” on commercial flights.

Ford also said OPP worry about his security and there was at least one incident where he encountered a heckler on a commercial flight.

“It happened once – it didn’t happen multiple times, people are polite – the guy got into the rocket fuel. Next thing you know, he’s calling me names at 30,000 feet in the air. Like there’s an issue, concerns about passengers," he said.

He also said some of the small planes he’s had to take to visit northern Ontario can be “terrifying” to fly in.

“It’s not fun flying, folks, when you’re up north and the storm’s hitting, and your little single prop – you can sit there and put your arm on the other side and touch the plane – and you’re bouncing up and down, and I’m praying to God that we land. It’s terrifying," he said.

Ford said Monday he feels like he’s being held to a “double standard” because the federal government has a fleet of private jets for the prime minister and ministers to use, as does the premier of Quebec.

He said Bombardier told the government it would take approximately 125 trips per year to break even on the cost of owning a jet versus flying commercial, and acknowledged that’s not a number he would reach.

The premier said he expects the government to be able to recoup the purchase price as the plane has not been used since it was bought.

Ordeal shows government ‘out of touch’: opposition

Opposition parties at Queen’s Park were not swayed by Ford’s reasoning Tuesday, with NDP Leader Marit Stiles pointing out a Challenger jet can’t land on most of the gravel runways in Northern Ontario.

“It tells you everything you need to know about how this premier is trying to spin this story,” Stiles said, adding all Ford wanted was “to have a luxury private jet at his beck and call” to travel more comfortably.

“I don’t think he gets it yet, and the reason he doesn’t is because he is so out of touch with the people of this province,” she said.

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner spared no scorn for Ford’s characterization of the events, particularly his initial statement that he was only facing blowback because the media had treated him unfairly.

“It’s pathetic to stand here and listen to the premier focused on himself, trying to justify why he needs a personal, private luxury jet, and then the audacity for him to blame the media on why people are outraged,” Schreiner said.

He seconded Stiles’ criticism that the premier is out of touch.

“So many people are struggling to put food on the table, pay the rent or mortgage, fill up their car with gas, and the premier doesn’t understand why they would be outraged that he would buy a personal, private luxury jet,” Schreiner said.

Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said Ford offered up poor excuses and it’s difficult to believe his entire cabinet was on-board.

“He’s not a serious premier. The answers that he gave today were terrible and it’s hard to believe that there’s eight cabinet ministers who didn’t say a peep about this happening,” Fraser said.

He also took aim at Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney for refusing to answer question about the jet purchase. In her position, Mulroney would have had to sign off on the purchase. She deferred questions Monday to Premier Ford and said she couldn’t say more because of “cabinet confidentiality.”

Mulroney did not answer questions about the jet purchase in Question Period at Queen’s Park Tuesday either.