The spending habits of two MPPs from Brampton have sparked backlash from both the Ontario NDP and Ontario Liberals – Hardeep Grewal from Brampton East (left) and Charmaine Williams representing Brampton Centre (right).
Members of the opposition are demanding that these two politicians resign after discovering they incurred over $42,000 in hotel expenses in Toronto, even though they reside just 45 minutes away.
It was revealed last week that certain cabinet ministers and other caucus members associated with Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who live near Toronto, have been racking up hotel bills in the city since around 2023.
Grewal has charged nearly $19,000 for hotel stays while Williams has billed more than $15,000. Both MPPs are facing scrutiny from both the Ontario NDP and Ontario Liberals.
In addition to her role as an MPP for Brampton Centre, Williams is also the associate minister responsible for women’s social and economic opportunity.
Stan Cho, the MPP for Toronto Willowdale, resigned from his position as minister of tourism, culture and gaming after incurring approximately $16,000 in hotel charges billed to taxpayers. He will continue serving as MPP for his riding.
Last week, Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden announced he would also be stepping down from cabinet and leaving the legislature on August 4 amid this spending controversy.
However, Ontario Liberal Interim Leader John Fraser mentioned on Friday that these two resignations are merely “just the tip of the iceberg,” urging any cabinet minister who misused taxpayer funds-including Williams-to step down.
“There are 16 members of the PC caucus involved in this hotel room scandal along with two ministers-who had access to a driver. It’s outrageous how they spent taxpayer money like this. Those two ministers? They need to resign,” Fraser stated in a social media post.
: Ontario cabinet minister resigns in hotel expense saga
“The sense of entitlement starts at the top with the Premier buying himself a luxury private jet; it trickles down,” Fraser later added in a release. “Doug Ford needs to show us receipts: who was where, when, and why. The public deserves transparency.”
Ford labeled this spending as “unacceptable” on Friday but sidestepped questions regarding whether he anticipates further resignations. NDP Leader Marit Styles questioned if Grewal and Williams still have confidence from the Premier.
A social media post on Friday demanded Grewal and Williams’ resignation while NDP raised concerns about whether Grewal might also be next on their website www. respectfortaxpayers. ca.
“Stan Cho’s resignation doesn’t clarify any individual hotel bill. He lived luxuriously at your expense until caught-now he’s avoiding accountability,” Styles remarked in a statement. “A refund is still necessary along with answers.”
INsauga. com reached out to both Grewal and Williams seeking comments regarding their plans to resign or provide details about their expenses; however no responses were received by publication time.
NDP data reveals that during 2025-2026 Williams charged $6,579 for hotels; she spent $6,239 in 2024-2025; plus another $3,047 during 2023-2024. For his part, Grewal billed $13,282 for hotels in 2025-2026; he spent $6,546 during 2024-2025; and $7,447 through 2023-2024.
The highest overall expenses were reported by Grewal at $27,275 while having higher single year hotel costs compared to others on record. Chop followed closely behind with second-highest yearly costs totaling $11,691 during 2025-2026 alongside total hotel expenses amounting to $16,203 across three years.
The province intends to eliminate a rule allowing members living within a 50-kilometer radius of Queen’s Park to claim such hotels under specific circumstances like snowstorms. Nonetheless opposition parties argue that it wasn’t really about rules but rather misuse by Progressive Conservative caucus members instead.
– With files from The Canadian Press
INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies
Last 30 Days: 44,873 Votes
All Time: 1,438,599 Votes
2089 VOTES
Source link
Source link
