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Ontario MPPs who claimed hotel expenses in Toronto to repay funds after minister resigns
🇨🇦 Canada /Elections & Politics

Ontario MPPs who claimed hotel expenses in Toronto to repay funds after minister resigns

From Global News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced all MPPs who charged hotel expenses for stays in Toronto will repay them, following a minister's resignation.
  • Minister of Tourism Stan Cho resigned after claiming over $16,000 for hotel stays in his home city, though he stated he had repaid the sum.
  • Other Progressive Conservative MPPs, including two cabinet ministers, also spent significant amounts on Toronto hotels, raising questions about fiscal responsibility.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has stated that all his MPPs who expensed hotel stays in downtown Toronto will repay the costs, a move prompted by the resignation of Tourism Minister Stan Cho. Cho stepped down Friday after it was revealed he claimed more than $16,000 over three years for hotel stays in Toronto, a city where he resides.

It’s unacceptable, it’s not how we operate. We have to be prudent fiscal managers.

— Doug FordPremier of Ontario commenting on the hotel expenses claimed by his MPPs.

Cho, the MPP for Willowdale, asserted that he had repaid the full amount by the time of his resignation. However, he was not the highest spender among his Progressive Conservative colleagues. Charmaine Williams claimed $15,865 for Toronto hotels, while Nina Tangri spent $18,976. Hardeep Grewal, a parliamentary assistant, charged the legislature a staggering $27,275 over three years for similar expenses.

It’s just unacceptable, and they’re paying back every single penny of it.

— Doug FordPremier of Ontario confirming that all expenses will be repaid.

These three individuals, two of whom are cabinet ministers, represent ridings in Mississauga, located between 35 and 45 kilometers from Queen's Park. Ford described the situation as "unacceptable" and stated that the MPPs "have to be prudent fiscal managers." He confirmed they are "paying back every single penny of it."

Yes. If they have a driver, if they have abused taxpayer money by taking advantage of a loophole in the rules, should they really be ministers?

— John FraserOntario Liberal interim leader questioning the integrity of ministers who claimed hotel expenses in their home city.

Questions remain about whether the other MPPs have already repaid the expenses, as Ford's office has not responded to inquiries about who else has settled their accounts. Ontario Liberal interim leader John Fraser called for the other MPPs to follow Cho's lead and resign, questioning their suitability for ministerial roles if they abused taxpayer money. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles demanded transparency, urging for receipts to be made public and for the MPPs to seriously consider resignation while her party continues to seek answers on how such expenses were deemed acceptable.

Minister Cho did the thing that seemed to be the right thing, albeit too late.

— John FraserOntario Liberal interim leader commenting on Stan Cho's resignation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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