The instant Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles blasted out the words “gravy plane,” it became obvious that the private jet purchased by Ontario Premier Doug Ford was not long for this province.

It wasn’t simply that the act of spending $28.9-million of taxpayers’ money on a private aircraft for the Premier’s office was hideously off-brand, though that was a major part of it. Mr. Ford and his late brother, Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford, built their entire political brand on being custodians of the public purse; Rob Ford made a public spectacle of cutting up the free memberships handed out to city councillors when he held that job.

The Fords pledged to “stop the gravy train,” to cut the waste. As Ontario Premier, Mr. Ford has boasted about giving his cellphone number out to anyone; about working “for the people.” He shovelled snow for a driver stuck during a snowstorm a few years ago. Against that history, there is probably no single purchase that could destroy his brand so swiftly, so completely, as a private jet.