The Doug Ford of old would have never tolerated such indulgences as MPPs billing taxpayers for hotel rooms despite living within commuting distance, writes Robyn Urback.Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press
Can we just try to empathize with poor Tourism Minister Stan Cho, who is currently enjoying his five-month summer break from the provincial legislature, while earning $232,340 annually thanks to a pay bump legislators gave themselves last year?
He had to spend 30 whole days at Queen’s Park during the spring session, and 28 days during the fall session, which means this beleaguered PC MPP – along with all the others – had to go to and from work nearly 60 times! Fortunately for Mr. Cho, he doesn’t live too far from the legislature: fewer than six kilometres by car, or seven subway stops. And while Mr. Cho is entitled to his own car and driver as a cabinet minister, who knows – maybe it’s stressful browsing luxury villas to spend his extended break at while someone else drives him home.
If so, Mr. Cho was probably tired from one of his dozens of work days this session; it’s very hard to be part of a governing majority that needs to constantly think of gimmicks to distract from the various actual problems plaguing the province. And with such weak opposition parties, why wouldn’t he indulge in a little taxpayer bounty – it’s not like he’s buying himself a luxury jet, after all – and rest his head in a hotel for a night, or maybe 30? How many Toronto hotel rooms can you get for $11,700, which is roughly what Mr. Cho spent in 2025-2026, anyway?
Mr. Cho, who has spent more than $16,000 of taxpayers’ dollars on hotel rooms since 2023, was not the only one to fear that they might expire if they had to make the arduous journey past a few major intersections. As first reported by The Trillium, a handful of other Toronto-area MPPs have billed taxpayers for hotel rooms despite living within commuting distance. Brampton East MPP Hardeep Grewal expensed almost $20,000 in hotels since 2023. Brampton Centre MPP Charmaine Williams spent around $16,000 over the past three years. Mississauga-Streetsville MPP Nina Tangri expensed $13,568.12. In total, more than a dozen Toronto-area MPPs spent more than $100,000 of taxpayer money on hotels in just the past few years.
These MPPs were able to bill for rooms under a “special circumstance” provision that makes allowances for accommodations in extraordinary scenarios, such as severe snowstorms. Initially, the Premier’s office responded to the reports by saying that “any expenses incurred that did not meet the spirit of the rules will be reimbursed to the legislature in full,” but then followed up by saying it would eliminate the provision altogether. Because poor Mr. Cho et al. should not be punished for abusing the allowance – it’s the rule that was wrong! Please, your honour: Don’t punish me for stealing that laptop. It was the store’s fault for not expressly telling me that it wasn’t mine to take.
Ford promises MPPs will pay back ‘every single penny’ for hotel expenses as his office cuts staff
The Doug Ford of old would have never tolerated these sorts of indulgences. The guy who promised to “stop the gravy train,” and said “the party with the taxpayers’ money is over,” would have sent these guys packing – certainly from cabinet where applicable, and maybe from caucus.
But things change when you’ve spent eight years getting everything you want, with only the most anemic of opposition in the legislature. Animals with no natural predators become flabby and complacent. They over-indulge. They buy private jets. They expense hotel rooms. They change freedom-of-information request rules so they are less accountable to the public, because the opposition parties are busy with their own business, and the media have too many different things to cover.
The problem for Mr. Ford, however, is that when too many of these scandals start piling up, the public begins to realize that the party with the taxpayers’ money is not, in fact, over, but instead has been moved to the 14th floor of the Park Hyatt on Bloor St. in Toronto.
The Premier knows this one looks particularly bad. On Thursday, a conveniently timed memo sent to Premier’s Office staff and government chiefs of staff leaked out, announcing a hiring freeze in Mr. Ford’s office and the elimination of 10 positions, which is expected to save more than $1-million annually. According to the memo, the government “takes very seriously our responsibility to treat taxpayers with respect,” noting that it has “prudently managed the size of the Ontario Public Service.” It also says the Premier’s Office will be working with certain ministries “to encourage comparable savings” and that chiefs are encouraged “to put their hand up if they believe they can achieve savings.”
No one will be available to tally up those raised hands, however, until the legislature resumes in another 14 weeks. Hopefully the Progressive Conservative caucus is well-rested by then. Would they like to see a pillow menu?