Premier Doug Ford is defending his Progressive Conservative government’s decision to spend millions of taxpayers’ money on an advertising campaign attacking the federal carbon-pricing plan.

In his first comments since the Star revealed that the Tories will launch a TV-radio-online-print blitz after the April 11 budget, Ford was unrepentant about his crusade against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“Our government is going to fight the Trudeau carbon tax with every tool at our disposal,” the premier told reporters Monday as the federal carbon measure took effect.

“We have to protect the people of Ontario. We’re going to keep fighting this carbon tax … every which way we can,” he said, noting the province’s court challenge continues later this month.

“As far as we’re concerned, it’s unconstitutional. That’s our opinion. Hopefully the courts will agree with us.”

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At the same time, Ford appeared to back off from his party’s campaign pledge to return to the auditor general the power to veto government advertising.

He said he was going “to consult with our whole team” about whether to keep the promise to strengthen the Government Advertising Act after the previous Liberal government had watered down.

Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk has been calling for a revival of her oversight ever since former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne amended the Act in 2015.

In the past, Lysyk castigated the Liberals for airing ads that she ruled “create a positive impression of government.”

While in opposition and on the campaign trail last year the Tories pledged to curb such advertising.

The premier’s comments came at Thorncrest Ford, an Etobicoke car dealership where he was touting the official end of the $30 Drive Clean emissions test.

Under Trudeau’s carbon-pricing program, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change, an average Ontario household would pay $244 more a year on gasoline, natural gas, and home heating oil, but receive $300 in rebates.

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Big industrial polluters would bankroll the breaks for families.

But Ford, whose ads will not extol any benefits of the federal scheme, said Trudeau cannot be trusted.

“Why should anybody believe what he says anymore,” he said of the prime minister.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath blasted the Tory premier for his “disgusting” partisan ads aimed at the federal Liberals with a fall campaign looming.

“They’re going to be using … Ontario’s tax dollars to help the federal Conservatives in their election. Taxpayers in Ontario are going to be … doing political advertising on behalf of the Andrew Scheer Conservatives,” said Horwath.

Interim Liberal leader John Fraser chided Ford for breaking his promise to limit partisan ads.

“It doesn’t make sense,” said Fraser.

Green Leader Mike Schreiner noted the premier “didn’t campaign on wasting your tax dollars sabotaging climate solutions … when we’re facing a climate crisis.”

On Sunday, the Star disclosed the province has begun preparing two 30-second TV commercials criticizing the carbon plan.

One proposed ad, which is set in a gas station, stresses the federal program will add about 5 cents to a litre of gasoline, adding “a lot of nickels” to food prices due the higher shipping costs.

Another provisional ad portrays Ottawa as a hand reaching into a car taking change from a motorist.

That same hand is also shown pumping coins into a thermostat as a senior adjusts the temperature in her home.

In all, Ford’s government will spend as much as $30 million to fight the federal carbon-pricing measures. Less than $1 million of that has already been spent on the court challenge.

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie

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