Skip to Content Subscribe Our Offers My Account Manage My Subscriptions FAQ Newsletters Canada Canadian True Crime Canadian Politics Health World Israel & Middle East Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Comics NP News Quiz New York Times Crossword Horoscopes Life Eating & Drinking Style Sponsored Play for Ontario Travel Travel Canada Travel USA Travel International Cruises Travel Essentials Culture Books Celebrity Movies Music Theatre Television Business Essentials Advice Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Buy Canadian Home Living Outdoor Living Kitchen & Dining Tech Style & Beauty Personal Care Entertainment & Hobbies Gift Guide Travel Guide Amazon Prime Day Deals Savings National Post Store More Sports Hockey Baseball Basketball Football Soccer Golf Tennis Driving Vehicle Research Reviews News Gear Guide Obituaries Place an Obituary Place an In Memoriam Classifieds Place an Ad Celebrations Working Business Ads Archives Healthing Epaper Manage Print Subscription Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ Newsletters Canada World Financial Post NP Comment Longreads Puzzmo Diversions Life Shopping Epaper Manage Print Subscription HomeNP CommentScott Stinson: Ontario minister who lives in Toronto billed $16,000 for Toronto hotelsThe Willowdale MPP's riding is just a few kilometres from Queen's ParkLast updated Jul 15, 2026 You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Stan Cho, Ontario minister of tourism, culture and gaming, in June 2026. Photo by Peter Power/PostmediaThe passage of time and the rising cost of groceries have rendered Bev Oda’s infamous $16 glass of orange juice somewhat quaint in the annals of politicians and their expense-account largesse.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorEnter Ontario Tourism Minister Stan Cho and more than $16,000 in Toronto hotel stays, just a short drive from his home.As Oda discovered, when the former Tory MP billed taxpayers for the juice during her stay at the swanky Savoy for a London conference, it’s the hotels that get you. Cho, first elected when Doug Ford came to power in 2018, represents the riding of Willowdale in Toronto’s north end. His constituency office is on Sheppard Avenue, which is accessible on the same subway line as Queen’s Park.The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture.By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Right? will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againAnd yet, as first reported by Global News, public disclosure records show Cho billed taxpayers more than $11,700 for Toronto hotel stays in 2025-26 alone, and more than $4,400 in the two years before that.Cho initially told Global that while the hotel stays were permissible under provincial rules that allow local MPPs to stay downtown under “special circumstances,” such as extremely late nights or weather events, he would pay back those stays that did not meet the “spirit” of the regulations. While everyone was trying to figure how someone could spiritually justify staying in a hotel instead of taking a government-supplied car and driver for the quick drive home, as is available to all members of cabinet, Cho’s office issued a new statement that said he would repay all the hotel expenses.It is a baffling misstep. While the disclosure records do not include details such as length of stay or the cost of an individual visit, it seems likely that Cho, 48, stayed in a Toronto hotel for several dozen nights in the past year. Either that, or he had particularly extravagant taste in hotels.The odd overnight stay might be explainable for reasons of convenience or personal safety, but as opposition politicians were only too happy to point out at Queen’s Park, Cho’s usage looks more like a personal preference.“It’s got kind of a luxury private jet vibe to it,” said interim Liberal Leader John Fraser, a reference to the Ford government’s brief, ill-fated ownership of a private jet that had been purchased to facilitate the premier’s travels. The “gravy plane” was bought for just under $30 million and sold back to Bombardier for the same amount this past spring, once it became clear that the gravy-plane moniker was going to stick.NDP Leader Marit Stiles noted that Cho could take the subway back to his riding, even late at night.“I don’t understand it, and I think the people of Ontario deserve answers,” she said. Both party leaders noted that Cho’s promise to reimburse taxpayers came only after the hotel stays became the subject of news reports.Cho can at least claim that he was not alone among Toronto-area MPPs who billed the public for local hotel stays.The Trillium reported on Tuesday that 16 Progressive Conservative MPPs have used the “special circumstances” hotel allowance in recent years. Most of them, including Brampton East MPP Hardeep Grewal, who has billed more than $28,000 for hotel stays since 2022, represent ridings that are considerably further from Queen’s Park than Willowdale. 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