Ontario’s unions have scored a major legal victory against the Ford government. The Supreme Court of Canada has struck down a controversial law that severely limited third-party political advertising in the year leading up to an election.
The Supreme Court’s decision now leaves the Ford government with a choice: accept the ruling or drafting a new legislation to limit third-party political influence without running afoul of the Charter.
In a narrow 5-4 decision, the country’s highest court ruled that the restrictions gave an unfair advantage to political parties, allowing their messaging to dominate the public sphere while silencing outside groups, including unions.