Ontario’s government says it will be introducing legislation that would require public-sector organizations to buy provincially produced products first.
Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement Stephen Crawford said the legislation would protect jobs in the province in the face of economic challenges, including tariffs.
He said the move would keep procurement dollars in Ontario, saying the public sector spends more than $30 billion on goods and services each year.
“That’s a massive opportunity to support local businesses, and we’re making sure that opportunity stays right here in Ontario. The Buy Ontario Act will replace the current Ontario Business Initiative Act, giving us stronger tools to meet today’s challenges,” Crawford said.
If passed, the legislation would allow the province to mandate public sector organizations to prioritize buying Ontario products first, then Canadian ones.
The legislation would also include measures for compliance, such as penalties and consequences like fines, holdbacks, or barring vendors from future procurement.
The province said it was working on a vendor list of Ontario and Canadian suppliers, including contractors and subcontractors.
The government said it would still allow for procurement outside of Canada if buying Ontario or Canadian goods cannot be purchased at a “reasonable cost or timeframe.”
