Legal fight over election ads isn't over

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The legal fight over Ontario’s controversial law limiting third-party election advertising isn’t over yet.

A coalition of labour groups including the Working Families Coalition and teacher unions is challenging the law — which doubles the restricted pre-campaign ad spending period for third-party groups to 12 months, but keeps the cap at $600,000.

The old arguments: While the PCs claim the changes would protect elections from outside influence, the unions argued they violate the constitutional rights of voters. But a judge disagreed last month, siding with the government and upholding the ad limits — now, the unions are appealing that decision.

The new arguments: Per the application for appeal, the unions say the judge erred in that decision-making, by failing to conclude that the law violates voters’ rights to meaningful participation, an informed vote, and free and fair elections.

The judge erred “by concluding that the requirement that spending limits be ‘carefully t…