Minister Stan Cho faces backlash over $16K Toronto hotel bill

Ontario opposition leaders are furious that Stan Cho, minister of tourism, culture and gaming, expensed over $16,000 for Toronto hotel stays over three years, despite living only six kilometres away from the legislature.

Opposition leaders are calling this “an abuse of taxpayer money” and say there is no reason for the expense.

“He’s gotten caught partying on the taxpayer dime by the look of it to me. You are only allowed to expense those hotel rooms if it’s an emergency situation,” NDP Leader Marit Stiles says.

“You can hop on a subway, you don’t even have to change trains from Queen’s Park to get back to Willowdale.”

However, Cho would not even need to use the subway because as a cabinet minister he has a taxpayer-funded car and driver.

“Why did the minister get these hotel rooms … cause he felt entitled to them,” Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser says.

Cho has promised to repay the money following the backlash.

READ MORE: Stan Cho, tourism minister and Toronto MPP, to repay $16K in city hotel expenses

“While these expenses meet the criteria for special circumstances as set out by the legislative guide for member’s expenses, I will be personally reimbursing the legislature for the entire amount of the expenses incurred,” he says.

Cho has not explained why he spent the money, but says the expenses meet the criteria for special circumstances including snow storms.

Otherwise, members who live within 50 kilometres of Queen’s Park are not allowed to expense hotel rooms.

“This is about the exception, not the norm and what you see here is someone treating the exception as the norm,” Fraser says.

Public expense disclosures show Cho expensing about $1,400 in Toronto hotels in 2023-24, about $3,000 the following year and about $11,700 in 2025-26.

Stiles has a press conference on Wednesday where she says she will reveal other Toronto hotel stays by local Ford Toronto area MPPs.

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