A heated confrontation over the rollout of the MPP pension plan and Premier Doug Ford’s decision to buy a government jet led to the effective firing of the Progressive Conservative caucus chair, Global News has learned –- a move that has left some feeling silenced.
The disagreement took place during a Progressive Conservative caucus meeting, which typically happen on Tuesdays at Queen’s Park, and act as a chance for government members to learn details of new policy, advocate for changes or to vent frustrations directly to those in charge.
One of those frustrations, multiple sources told Global News, is over the recent introduction of MPP pension plans, which were unanimously approved by the entire legislature after the snap election in 2025.
When the plan came into effect, MPPs were expected to contribute to their pension plans and weren’t given the option to opt out of the retirement package.
Adding to the frustration, MPPs were told that in order to qualify for their maximum annual pension once they retire, they would have to top-up their years of service.
They could participate in a buy-back program allowing them backdate their pensions to when they were first elected and unlocking the full amount.
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Participation, however, would also mean taking out loans for hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay into their locked-in retirement funds.
Earlier this year, sources said, the government agreed to resolve the issue by spending roughly $35 million to give all 124 MPPs access to a pool of funds to allow them to top up their pensions to recognize their entire term in office.
One source with knowledge of the situation said that in order to activate the funds, the government needed to introduce a regulatory change, which would have made the entire scheme public when it was posted to a provincial website.
Then came weeks of turbulent polling and blowback.
The government’s decision to buy a $28.9 million Challenger 650 private jet to let the premier skip commercial flights for travel across North America was made public.
Ford apologized for how the issue was communicated and returned the aircraft to Bombardier.
Meanwhile, his government quickly pivoted to reminding taxpayers that the province has spent billions of dollars to offer a suite of affordability measures, from housing HST rebates to removing tolls from highways.
In early May, as the Ontario PC Caucus gathered for its weekly meeting on the second floor of Queen’s Park, the two issues collided.
MPPs were told that, given the blowback over the jet, the premier would no longer authorize the pension top-up because it would be viewed as “enriching each other,” sources said.
Will Bouma, who served as the chair of the PC caucus, then took on the issue on behalf of colleagues and confronted the premier.
Multiple sources said Bouma told Ford directly that MPPs were being negatively affected because of his decision to purchase a jet and that it was a disappointment.
Immediately after the caucus meeting ended, sources said, Bouma was pulled into a meeting with Premier Ford, where he was relieved of his duties as caucus chair.
The next day, PC MPPs were sent an email informing them of the change.
“As of today, MPP Matthew Rae will be serving as Chair of Caucus,” the email read. “We would like to thank MPP Bouma for these years of service as chair.”
While the email made no mention of the caucus battle, some MPPs suggested the move sent a second message: that the conversion over pensions had been silenced.
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