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The practice of Toronto-area members of the Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus billing taxpayers for thousands of dollars’ worth of hotel stays in the city is “unacceptable,” Premier Doug Ford said Thursday.
Publicly available expense records show that some of Ford’s cabinet ministers and other caucus members who live in and near Toronto had been using a so-called special circumstances rule on Toronto hotel expenses since about 2023.
Hardeep Grewal, who represents Brampton East, had more than $27,000 in Toronto hotel expenses since 2023. Nina Tangri, the associate minister of small business who represents Mississauga-Streetsville, billed nearly $19,000.
Tourism, Culture and Gaming Minister Stan Cho, who represents the north Toronto riding of Willowdale, had more than $16,000 in Toronto hotel expenses since 2023. Charmaine Williams, the associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity who represents Brampton Centre, expensed more than $15,000.
Ford said Thursday at an unrelated event in Windsor, Ont., that he was furious when talking to his caucus about it this week.
“Totally unacceptable,” he said. “I told them, ‘You’re paying back every single penny. That’s not the way we operate.'”
His office has previously said any expenses that did not meet the intent of the rule would be reimbursed.
The government said Wednesday it intends to eliminate the rule that let members who live within 50 kilometres of Queen’s Park expense those hotel stays in extenuating circumstances, such as snowstorms.
Opposition parties say there still needs to be a full accounting of the expenses and the reasons behind them.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2026.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press
