HuffPost

"Hudak wins debate." "Horwath leads." Those were the headlines greeting voters Wednesday, the morning after the leaders' debate, on the cover of two free daily newspapers, the Toronto edition of Metro and 24 Hours Toronto. Only they weren't headlines at all. They were paid advertisements from the Ontario Progressive Conservatives and NDP. While paying for "wraparounds" — ad features that appear on the front and back of a newspaper — isn't new for political parties, commuters glancing at stands may not have seen the fine print identifying the wraps as paid advertising. Let's take a closer look at both. The Metro cover featured a large photo of NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, with the words "Horwath leads." Under the photo, there's a caption reading: "Andrea Horwath’s campaign to make life affordable and stop corruption gains traction with Ontario voters." In small print just above Horwath are the words: "PAID FOR BY ONTARIO NDP." The cover also includes a graph from an Ipsos Reid poll from May 22 suggesting she tops both Liberal Leader Kathleen Wynne and PC Leader Tim Hudak on the question of who would make the best premier.

The Ipsos Reid poll from last month did show Horwath ahead on the question of who would make the best premier, by the numbers reflected in the ad. Not a single poll since the start of the Ontario campaign has shown Horwath to be leading in overall voting intentions, though. The Ontario NDP also bought a wraparound on the front page of The Toronto Sun on May 22, mocking both the Liberals and Tories.

Now, let's look at the cover of 24 Hours. It features a photo of the Ontario PC leader, with the words: "Hudak wins debate." Just underneath, a caption reads: "With laser-like focus on jobs and ending government waste." But the cover also has references to "New Liberal Taxes," the gas plant scandal, and the threat of a Liberal-NDP coalition that will mean "higher taxes, more waste, lost jobs." In the top right corner are the words: "PAID ADVERTISING FEATURE."