Investigation into Brampton MPP’s expenses needed amid hotel scandal, NDP says

The Ontario NDP is calling for an investigation into the expenses of a Brampton politician and says he spent tax dollars on advertisements in a newspaper owned by his father.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Styles said on Monday that she’s asked the province’s Integrity Commissioner to investigate the spending of Hardeep Grewal’s spending amid a hotel expense scandal that revealed two local politicians have spent more than $42,000 over the last few years on Toronto hotels, despite living 45 minutes away in Brampton.

The call comes amid a hotel spending scandal that’s already led to two Ontario Conservative resignations.

Grewal is the MPP for Brampton East and billed nearly $27,000 in hotels between 2023 and 2026, while Brampton Centre MPP and Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity Charmaine Williams of Brampton Centre expensed more than $15,000 on Toronto hotels.

Grewal is also Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation and Brampton South MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria.

But Grewal also spent tax dollars on ads in a newspaper owned by his own father, like full-page advertisements promoting Grewal’s events including a summer BBQ. Styles says she’s asked the Integrity Commissioner to investigate. Requests for comment from Grewal were not returned by publication time.

READ MORE: Will Brampton politicians resign over $40K hotel expenses?

“If Grewal’s family is profiting from public dollars, the people deserve to know,” Styles said in a release. “Doug Ford sets the tone for his caucus. His MPPs fund their lifestyles with your money and keep his confidence. What else can you expect from a Premier who tried to buy himself a private jet on your dime?”

The ads were run in the Punjabi Post – a “leading independent newspaper that caters to the Asian Punjabi” with around 35,000 readers, according to the organization’s website.

Toronto Willowdale MPP Stan Cho has resigned his post as minister of tourism, culture and gaming after spending some $16,000 in Toronto hotel stays expensed to tax payers. He will remain MPP for the riding. But on Monday, news broke that Cho reportedly also expensed nearly $100,000 in food through his riding association, including a $6,970 meeting at a Blue Jays game.

Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden announced last week he is also retiring from cabinet and the legislature on Aug. 4 amid the spending scandal.

Grewal and Williams have not returned multiple requests for comment, but Grewal told Global News he “should have consulted with the Integrity Commissioner and (has) since reached out to her office for advice.”

Ford deflected questions from reporters on Monday regarding why other MPPs caught in the scandal including Grewal are hanging onto their roles.

“They’re all paying it back, and it’s unacceptable,” Ford said on Monday.

In May, Grewal was one of several Brampton MPPs called out by protesters for voting against a Bill 113 – a piece of legislation put forward by the NDP which would have removed a portion of the harmonized sales tax on some food items and non-alcoholic beverages. Grewal also said in 2025 that he and his family were the target of racial slurs and threats while visiting a popular Ontario tourist town.