Ford government to change rules after PC MPPs billed $120K for Toronto hotel rooms

The Ontario government is moving to eliminate a loophole that allowed elected officials to bill taxpayers for hotel stays in Toronto, even when they live within driving distance of the legislature. The decision comes after significant public backlash against Progressive Conservative MPPs who charged the province more than $120,000 for hotel rooms under a "special circumstance" designation.

Global News first reported that several PC MPPs, including Tourism Minister Stan Cho, who lives less than six kilometers from Queen's Park, incurred substantial hotel expenses. Cho alone billed taxpayers over $16,000 for stays in downtown Toronto hotels. The "special circumstance" category was intended for genuine emergencies, not routine overnight stays for those living nearby.

In response to the growing scandal, the Ford government announced it would seek to remove this "special category" from the expense rules. Government House Leader Steve Clark has indicated he will push to scrap the policy altogether. While the Ontario NDP leader, Marit Stiles, supports the rule change, she insists the government must provide a full accounting of the expenses and proof of repayment. Stiles criticized the government, stating, "The problem wasn’t the rule, the problem was that you were abusing the rule and they know it."

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The problem wasn’t the rule, the problem was that you were abusing the rule and they know it.