Auditor saw 'red' over fruity Foodland Ontario ads

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Too partisan. That's how Ontario auditor general Bonnie Lysyk's office saw pictures of red apples, peppers and strawberries promoting consumption of Ontario grown foods, according to the Toronto Star. Red is the colour of the governing Liberal party. By law, the auditor general's office reviews taxpayer-funded ads before they are aired. The offending fruit and vegetable ad was rejigged with fewer red things in it and the auditor's office passed it. One ad for savings bonds said the red bricks in a building were too prominent and the ad had to be rejigged at a cost to taxpayers of $20,000.

The Star reported that the government wants to clarify in law what is and isn't partisan. Lysyk responded that a change in the law is unnecessary; less than one per cent of submitted ads were rejected. BF