The Ontario Progressive Conservative caucus was given the green light to book hotel rooms in downtown Toronto at the taxpayer’s expense whenever night sittings were scheduled, Global News has learned, despite Premier Doug Ford’s repeated public assertion that the expenses were “unacceptable.”
For more than a week, Progressive Conservative MPPs have been facing scrutiny for charging downtown Toronto hotel stays to the taxpayer instead of commuting to and from Queen’s Park.
Former tourism minister Stan Cho resigned after claiming $16,000 over three years despite living six km away from the Ontario Legislature, while three Peel Region MPPs billed $50,000 between them over two years.
“They’re all paying it back, and it’s unacceptable,” Premier Doug Ford fumed at a news conference on Monday. “If you guys think for a second I’m happy about this, you’re wrong. It’s unacceptable. They’re all paying it back. As simple as that.”
But behind the scenes, it was the government that told its MPPs to make use of the hotel perk when legislative sessions went late.
One email, sent in late 2025 by the Progressive Conservative whip’s office, highlighted the need to be near Queen’s Park for night sittings, pointing to hotels as an option for MPPs who didn’t get funds for a home in Toronto.
“For those Members with no Toronto Accommodation allowance, you may choose to book a hotel room downtown for the two days of night sittings,” the email, obtained by Global News, read.
Sources explained that PC MPPs needed to maintain their majority presence in the legislature at all times or risk being outvoted by members of the opposition.
The official government direction appears to have paved the way for MPPs in the Ford government to bill taxpayers thousands of dollars in hotel rooms — an expense the premier later suggested crossed a line.
“I apologize for it even happening in the first place. It’s very frustrating … to say the least,” Ford said. “We’re going to make sure that we put a microscope on this and it won’t happen again,”
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Asked for comment on this story, the premier’s office said, “The premier has been clear, all MPPs will reimburse the legislature in full.”
PC government pushed to expand rules
The hotel expense categories are controlled by the Board of Internal Economy — a legislative body composed of members from all official parties along with the Speaker, which oversees financial affairs at Queen’s Park.
The government first raised the issue of hotel expenses at the board in May 2024, moving a motion to update the allowance.
Around the same time, some MPPs within the Progressive Conservative caucus, who live within the 50-km radius, began skipping the commute home and staying in Toronto hotels.
Then, in November 2025, Education Minister Paul Calandra and House Leader Steve Clark raised the issue a second time at the Board of Internal Economy.
“Moved by Mr. Clark, seconded by Mr. Calandra, that Members who are ineligible for accommodations … be reimbursed for their actual cost of accommodation during days that the Assembly is authorized to sit until midnight,” the board’s documents read.
The motion was carried, allowing MPPs to use the “special circumstance“ designation to book a hotel room during a night sitting — when MPPs debate legislation until midnight to pass laws within a certain window.
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The regularity of those sittings is controlled by the government when they look to move legislation through quickly.
One month later, Minister Cho submitted more than $6,000 in hotel expenses — all of which were approved by the legislature.
Ford faces pushback over hotel expenses
While Ford offered taxpayers contrition for his government’s use of the benefit, the apology, along with the insistence that MPPs will repay every penny, also appears to be a change from what the premier told his caucus behind closed doors last week.
Shortly after Global News broke the story, Ford held a virtual meeting with his caucus and struck an angry tone over the expenses and pleaded with MPPs to stop harming the party.
But the issue of repaying the expenses appears to have been nuanced, with no specific discussion about the dollar amount or whether MPPs faced an obligation to return the money.
Multiple sources said Ford suggested only those who had claimed expenses for hotels that didn’t fit the spirit of the policy would be required to repay them.
MPPs took that to mean some, but not all, would have to hand the money back — something he appeared to confirm the next day.
“If we were sitting, that’s one thing. But anything else, they’re paying back,” Ford said on July 15. “I have zero tolerance for that.”
But by July 16, Ford hardened his stance, insisting all expenses — including for night sittings when MPPs were told they could get hotels — would be repaid.
“As my colleagues know: unacceptable,” he said at an unrelated event that day. “Totally unacceptable and I’ve told them they’re paying it back.”
While Stan Cho said he has repaid all $16,000 in hotel expenses, the premier’s office has yet to provide evidence of that payment.
Yes lets keep focusing on this instead of reporting on the economic issues created by 10 years of Federal Liberal governments, what economists call the lost Liberal decade.
A record number of Canadians moved away and left Canada in 2024, a year before any tariffs.
2025 saw that record broken with an even higher number.
Remember that the Conservatives tried to reference economic facts in parliament prior to the last election campaign, but the Liberals prorogued parliament and delayed the election to make Trump the issue of the election, in order for the Liberals to cling onto power. Hundreds of thousands of us saw loved ones leave Canada in 2024 or 2025 prior to tariffs, and we don’t even have a government that wants to address this even remotely. This is unforgivable.
They all lie, they all cheat us out of our tax dollars , every level , every party . When we stop bickering with eachother and realize we are stronger together as one citizen voice . They want us arguing online and distracted from the theft from us . That’s what it is THEFT,outright theft our hard earned money. We can all have what we want , what we need , it’s doesn’t have to be one or the other . We NEED TO DEMAND change and accountability, transparency, and much better standard of life in Canada.
Doug Ford will continue to lie to cover his assk.
Ubers to get home would be cheaper . Too much temptation the other way
Night sittings… you mean for when there’s an ’emergency’ and they have to desperately pass a bill to hide cellphone records for Doug’s corruption?
How shameless! Such politicians should be dismissed immediately. The government should strictly investigate excessive reimbursement. Are all the reviewers during the reimbursement process just for show? It’s not that there is no corruption in democratic societies, but rather that corruption is legal. This is terrifying and self-deception.
Those late night sittings where they pushed through every controversial bill, including the retroactive FOI cover-ups. It seems there’s corruption with every move that government makes. I can only imagine Ford’s meal expenses.
So, he lied? Do I have that right? The same guy who retroactively changed laws to hide his crimes, who made our roads less safe removing cameras to keep his staffers out of jail, who has spent millions upon millions destroying Ontario landmarks to carve pork for his funders… No, he is just straight lying.
Shame!
The average worker doesn’t get expenses for a hotel when working late. First the government gives the MPP’s permission and then when caught, deflects and claims it was an error. Same grifting and scandals from this government.
If it’s a perquisite, it’s a taxable benefit. They sat for 85 days in 2024 and only 51 days in in 2025. In those two years, they had 24 night sessions. I guarantee if they get full details, the bills won’t coincide with night sessions.
FORD is a pos
So he gave permission. Pretended he didn’t.
So “night sittings” mean they work until midnight? I bet most of them have stayed out past midnight, made it home and went back to work the next day…like any normal working schmo. I thought when they said night sessions they’d be working through until the next morning.
Wow, this guy is better than the PM when being cornered with his outlandish claims that they will all reimburse all their hotel expenses.