‘Unacceptable’: Ford says Toronto-area caucus members will repay Toronto hotel bills
Written by The Canadian Press on July 16, 2026
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says the practice of Toronto-area members of his caucus billing taxpayers for thousands of dollars’ worth of hotel stays in the city is “unacceptable” and has told them to reimburse the money.
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.
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.
Ford said today at an unrelated event in Windsor, Ont., that he was furious when talking to his caucus about it this week and told those involved to pay back “every single penny.”
His office has previously said any expenses that did not meet the intent of the rule would be reimbursed.
The largest tally came from Hardeep Grewal, who represents Brampton East, with more than $27,000 in Toronto hotel expenses since 2023.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2026.
Allison Jones, The Canadian Press