What to know
- Willowdale MPP Stan Cho has resigned as Ontario’s minister of tourism, culture and gaming.
- Cho repaid $16,203 in Toronto hotel expenses after questions were raised about claims made despite living roughly 6 kilometres from Queen’s Park.
- Premier Doug Ford accepted Cho’s resignation Friday, saying the spending was “totally unacceptable.”
- The hotel claims were made under a legislative rule allowing local MPPs to seek reimbursement in certain circumstances, but Ford’s government now plans to eliminate the provision.
- Cho will remain the Progressive Conservative MPP for Willowdale despite leaving cabinet.
Ontario cabinet minister Stan Cho has resigned after repaying more than $16,000 in taxpayer-funded Toronto hotel expenses that sparked criticism this week.
Premier Doug Ford announced Friday that he had accepted Cho’s resignation as minister of tourism, culture and gaming, one day after publicly calling the spending “totally unacceptable” for an MPP who lives about six kilometres from Queen’s Park.
“Earlier today, I accepted the resignation of Stan Cho from cabinet, effective immediately,” Ford said in a statement.
“He has acknowledged and taken responsibility for his mistake. He will continue to serve the people of Willowdale as their Member of Provincial Parliament.”
Cho, who represents the Toronto riding of Willowdale, repaid $16,203 after questions were raised about hotel expenses claimed while staying in downtown Toronto.
Although Cho’s office maintained the claims complied with existing legislative expense rules, the repayment came shortly after the spending became public.
Why the hotel claims sparked controversy
Current Legislative Assembly rules allow MPPs who live within 50 kilometres of Queen’s Park to claim hotel accommodation in Toronto under “special or unusual circumstances,” including severe weather or late-night legislative sittings.
Cho’s office argued the expenses fell within those rules.
However, Ford said the arrangement no longer reflects public expectations and announced his government would move to eliminate the reimbursement provision altogether.
Government House Leader Steve Clark has written to the legislature’s Board of Internal Economy seeking to remove the rule. Opposition parties have indicated they support ending the practice.
Another cabinet shuffle at Queen’s Park
Cho’s departure is part of a broader cabinet shakeup announced Friday.
Ford also confirmed that Sport Minister Neil Lumsden will retire from cabinet and resign as MPP for Hamilton East–Stoney Creek effective Aug. 4.
The premier thanked Lumsden for his work in government, including helping support Ontario’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will see Toronto host six matches next summer.
Cho’s resignation marks one of the highest-profile departures from Ford’s cabinet this term and comes as the Progressive Conservative government continues to face heightened scrutiny over ministers’ spending and accountability.
The controversy also prompted the government to move quickly to change legislative expense rules that had allowed Toronto-area MPPs to bill taxpayers for hotel stays under limited circumstances. While the claims were permitted under the existing policy, Ford has made clear he believes the practice should end.
