New Democrats are asking Ontario’s auditor general for an investigation into the cost of fixing Premier Doug Ford’s double-blue licence plate fiasco.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says a probe is necessary because the Progressive Conservative government has signed a nondisclosure agreement with licence plate supplier 3M Canada, which has brought a veil of secrecy down on problems with the plates that can’t be read in some lighting conditions.

“This is concerning, given that Ontarians would like to know what has gone wrong,” she wrote Wednesday to auditor Bonnie Lysyk.

“I am requesting your office undertake a review of all costs related to the production and replacement of the defective plates, and the nondisclosure agreement,” Horwath added.

“The government has not revealed the costs to Ontarians for these replacements, such as materials, shipping costs and untold other costs of their redesign.”

Both Ford and Government and Consumer Minister Lisa Thompson have said 3M is bearing the entire cost, with Thompson accusing the NDP of not understanding that the details are “commercially sensitive” and defending the secrecy.

“There is no cost. Zip. Zero,” Ford said in the legislature’s daily question period.

“We’re proud of the path we’re on,” added Thompson, promising progress reports as the plate problem is fixed.

In response to Thompson’s concerns, New Democrat MPP Taras Natyshak (Essex) urged Ford to back the party’s call for an investigation and “fully provide all documentation” to the auditor’s office so she can “review the contract’s details without revealing any sensitive information.”

Lysyk did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner said Ford is talking a different game in government than he did before his landslide election victory in 2018.

“The bottom line is, Ford campaigned on transparency and he’s not delivering transparency. I think the people of Ontario have a right to know.”

The plates have been a daily source of embarrassment for the government in the two weeks since a Kingston police officer tweeted that they could not be read at night because of headlight glare. A clearly annoyed Ford snapped at reporters Monday for continuing to ask him about the issue.

3M is now working on a new plate design that is due by March 16. Until then, the government is reverting to the previous blue-on-white design, which was introduced 47 years ago by the PC government of Bill Davis.

The government has not said what the new plate will look like.

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The blue-on-white plates had been replaced because the latest versions of them were prone to peeling.

Critics have branded the new double-blue version, which resemble a Q-tip box, “propaganda plates” because they feature Progressive Conservative colours.

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