An NDP government would ban MPPs from receiving "allowances" or other payments from their riding association, Leader Andrea Horwath said Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the NDP exposed two PC cabinet ministers for receiving tens of thousands of dollars in "allowances" from their riding associations over the last few years. Global News then reported yesterday that eight Progressive Conservative MPPs in total benefitted from expenses paid by their riding association since Doug Ford's PC government was elected in 2018. The payments are documented in public filings to Elections Ontario.

They effectively amount to a wage boost for MPPs, whose salaries range from about $125,000 to $210,000, which is as much as the premier makes.

Riding associations are funded by political donations and a taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy. How they're allowed to spend their money is laid out in Ontario's election laws.

The eight PC MPPs did not break the law; the payments they received were legal.

Federal election laws prevent similar payments to MPs, however. And Horwath said the payments PC MPPs received from their riding associations were "disgusting."

"It's not like MPPs are hurtin' in terms of the salaries that are provided at the legislature," she said. "To see people who are donating their money to candidates to run for election, or donating to the riding association to keep that party's presence going year after year, to see that money then go to bonuses or payments out to these to these MPPs, it's pretty troubling."

Horwath promised an NDP government would ban MPPs from receiving allowances from riding associations.

Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca said he's open to outlawing them too if a panel he's promising to appoint to review election laws recommends it.

The Liberals promise in their platform to appoint a "Citizens' Assembly" to consider changes to Ontario's elections. This group would include members representing each of the political parties, Elections Ontario, academics and advocates, Del Duca said. Its mandate would include reconsidering election finance laws, the Liberal leader said.

Del Duca also called the practice "troubling" — especially so because of the decisions the PC government has made at a time when affordability is top of mind for Ontarians, he said.

"We see the cost of everything: the cost of food, the cost of owning a home, trying to purchase a home to rent, everything — everything going in the wrong direction," Del Duca said. He went on to rally off a string of moves by the PCs — freezing minimum wage, stalling implementing longer sick leave during the pandemic, only saying they'd raise ODSP payments after they were pressured — which he called "callous and cruel."

PC Leader Doug Ford has not addressed the allowances.

"All riding association expenses are approved by the local riding association executive, audited by a licensed auditor, and all audited financial statements are reviewed and approved by Elections Ontario," Ivana Yelich, spokesperson for the PC campaign, said in a statement on Monday.

Ford hasn't taken reporters' questions since Sunday morning.

He was expected to face reporters after his first debate against other party leaders on Tuesday, but hightailed it out of North Bay as fast as he could once it was over.

His spokespeople said he wasn't able to scrum with reporters because he had to go back to Toronto.

He didn't go directly back to Toronto.

He stopped at least once along the way to hang out and take photos in the parking lot of a burger joint with Jill Dunlop, the PC candidate for Simcoe North and minister of colleges and universities.

Dunlop tweeted the photos on Wednesday and then quickly deleted them.

Ford will be available to answer reporters' questions tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. in Kitchener, the PC Party said in a media advisory.

NDP would ban riding-paid MPP ‘allowances’ and so might Liberals, leaders say

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