Bill 101 explained in plain English
End the Public Funding of Partisan Government Advertising Act, 2019
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
Bill 101, the End the Public Funding of Partisan Government Advertising Act, 2019, amends the Government Advertising Act, 2004 to revise the rules for reviewing government advertisements, focusing on preventing partisan advertising and setting new conditions for advertising use, especially during election periods.
This bill, titled the End the Public Funding of Partisan Government Advertising Act, 2019, aims to change how government advertising is reviewed and regulated in Ontario. It seeks to revert some changes made in 2015 that affected the rules for the Auditor General's review of government advertising. The bill specifies what constitutes acceptable government advertising, introduces new prohibitions on using certain advertisements before review, and sets conditions for advertising during election periods. It also outlines the process for reviewing revised advertisements and clarifies the roles of the Auditor General and government offices in this process. The bill comes into force on a date proclaimed by the Lieutenant Governor.
- Amends the Government Advertising Act, 2004, to revert certain changes made by the Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015, concerning the Auditor General's review of government advertising.
- Modifies the definition of 'item' and repeals the definition of 'standards' in the Government Advertising Act, 2004.
- Introduces prohibitions on government offices publishing, displaying, broadcasting, distributing, or conveying advertisements, printed matter, or messages before receiving notice of their review results or if they are deemed not to meet required standards.
- Establishes new standards for government advertising, including requirements for informing the public about government policies, programs, or services, encouraging social behaviour in the public interest, promoting Ontario, and ensuring advertisements are not partisan.
- Prohibits government advertising from including the name, voice, or image of a member of the Executive Council or Assembly, unless the primary target audience is outside Ontario.
- Restricts government offices from using advertisements during specific election periods, with exceptions for revenue-generating activities, time-sensitive information, or other prescribed criteria.
- Changes the role of the Auditor General to review items and determine if they meet the standards set by the Act.
- Sets timelines for the Office of the Auditor General to notify government offices of review results, with deemed notice if deadlines are missed.
- Establishes a process for submitting and reviewing revised advertisements.
- Repeals and substitutes certain sections and clauses within the Government Advertising Act, 2004, related to advertising standards and review processes.
- Government offices in Ontario.
- The Office of the Auditor General of Ontario.
- The public, as recipients of government advertising.
- Members of the Executive Council and Members of the Legislative Assembly, as their names, voices, or images are restricted in certain government advertisements.
- Government offices have an obligation not to publish, display, broadcast, distribute, or convey advertisements, printed matter, or messages before they are reviewed and approved by the Auditor General.
- Government offices must not use advertising that the Auditor General determines does not meet the required standards.
- Government offices must cease or manage ongoing advertising during election periods, with specific exceptions.
- The Auditor General has the right and duty to review government advertising to ensure it meets the Act's standards.
- The public has a right to be informed by government advertising that meets specific criteria, including being non-partisan and informing the public of government policies, programs, or services.
- The Act comes into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- The bill does not specify the exact date it will come into force, as it depends on a proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor.
- The definition of 'standards' in subsection 1 (1) of the Act is repealed, and the new standards are outlined in Section 6 of the bill, which may require further interpretation.
- The bill refers to 'prescribed' numbers of days, criteria, and additional factors, indicating that these details will be specified elsewhere, likely in regulations.
- The application of paragraph 3 of subsection 6 (1) (prohibiting names, voices, or images of Executive Council or Assembly members) has an exception for advertising primarily targeted outside Ontario, the scope of which may require interpretation.
- The exceptions to the prohibition on advertising during election periods (revenue-generating activity, time sensitivity, or other prescribed criteria) will depend on future regulations or specific circumstances.
- The practicality of ceasing ongoing advertising during election periods is left to the opinion of the head of the government office.
This bill makes significant changes to the Government Advertising Act, 2004. It revises definitions, introduces new prohibitions on government advertising before review, establishes specific standards for what constitutes acceptable advertising (including prohibitions on partisan content and the use of elected officials' images or voices), modifies the review process conducted by the Auditor General, and imposes restrictions on government advertising during election periods. It also alters the rules for reviewing revised advertisements and affects the powers related to prescribing additional standards and criteria for advertising.
Source: Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8.1, 9, 10, 11, 12
This bill aims to reverse amendments made by the Building Ontario Up Act (Budget Measures), 2015, to the Government Advertising Act, 2004. The effect is to restore the Government Advertising Act, 2004, to a state substantially similar to how it read before the 2015 amendments, particularly concerning the rules for the Auditor General's review of government advertising.
Source: Explanatory Note
The bill references the Election Act in relation to defining election periods during which government advertising is restricted, specifically concerning the issuance of writs for general elections.
Source: Section 8.1 (1)
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
This bill is still active. We only show vote counts after the legislature publishes a recorded division.
No published representative vote breakdown
This bill is still moving through the process. When a recorded division is published, representative positions can be listed here.
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced