Ford government reverses MPP hotel expense rules after backlash

Ontario's Progressive Conservative government is moving to reverse changes to expense rules that allowed Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) to charge taxpayers for hotel stays in downtown Toronto. These changes, which expanded the "special circumstances" category beyond extreme weather to include night sittings, were quietly pushed by government members in 2024 and enacted in late 2025.

According to meeting minutes, Education Minister Paul Calandra and Government House Leader Steve Clark initiated the motion to update the allowance. Around the same time, some PC MPPs living within the 50-km radius of Queen's Park began expensing hotel rooms. In 2025, these claims escalated, with Tourism Minister Stan Cho billing over $11,000, Brampton East MPP Hardeep Grewal expensing $13,000, and Mississauga-Streetsville MPP Nina Tangri charging more than $8,500.

In November 2025, Calandra and Clark again raised the issue, proposing that MPPs ineligible for accommodation be reimbursed for actual costs during days the Assembly sits until midnight. This motion passed, enabling the use of the "special circumstance" designation for night sittings. Minister Cho subsequently submitted over $6,000 in hotel expenses, which were approved.

Following public backlash, Premier Doug Ford stated that MPPs would repay the funds, attributing the situation to a third-party agreement that all parties had accepted. He acknowledged the late sittings as a factor but insisted on repayment. NDP Leader Marit Stiles criticized the government's actions, dismissing the idea that members would require special accommodation.

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It was a third-party; all three parties agreed to it. We had late sittings, no excuse, they’re paying it back.