Ontario school board trustees are calling Education Minister Paul Calandra a “hypocrite” for going after individual expenses, pointing out he has racked up tens of thousands of dollars in his own expenses as a member of cabinet and provincial parliament.
It’s the latest twist in a growing battle between the government and school board trustees, many of whom face the possibility of being eliminated.
Calandra recently hammered school boards for what the government argues is wasteful spending and has tasked provincially-appointed supervisors to comb through trustee spending and highlight individual expenses.
Examples include the $15 Toronto Catholic District School Board Chair Markus de Domenico spent on a milkshake, the purchase of five TV wallmounts and a payment of $145 for an Apple watch band.
“I think people would expect that you ensure the integrity of the expenses of the people who are managing the system,” the education minister recently told Global News.
“Some of the things that we found have been obviously hugely surprising. Just the other day, I was told that one of the trustees expensed $1.32 (for) Apple Music, ‘Suspicious Minds’ song, on her way back from the casino in Niagara Falls, where she expensed a meal.”
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
Calandra’s office said the expenses he was referring to were for Toronto Catholic District School Board trustee Maria Rizzo. They said she had also claimed an Apple TV subscription, Amazon and iCloud.
A news release issued by the Toronto and York Region Labour Council on Thursday, quoting trustees including Rizzo, went after Calandra’s expenses, accusing him of hypocrisy.
“Minister Paul Calandra likely receives $40,000 a year for a constituency office and is expensing tens of thousands to taxpayers for food, hotels and events,” Rizzo said in a statement.
“My fellow trustees and I don’t have a constituency office — it’s the local Tim Horton’s. The cost of our offices is a coffee or a milkshake for a constituent. It’s unbelievably hypocritical to call $15 expense questionable when the Minister is spending thousands on strawberry pancakes and BBQs.”
The minister’s office said it was “laughable” to compare the expenses of part-time school board trustees to those of a minister, pointing out the pancake events and BBQs were free for anyone in the riding to attend and are designed to connect with residents.
The expense for a “Strawberry Festival Pancake Breakfast” refers to an event hosted by Calandra, the local mayor and two members of parliament, his office said.
The funds MPPs are allowed to claim are strictly governed and generally relate to accommodation near Queen’s Park during debates, hosting events to connect with constituents or travel to and from the legislature.
Last year, Calandra tallied $54,142 in office rent, according to staff and office expense disclosures.
One of Calandra’s expenses that the group focused on was titled “special circumstances accommodation in Toronto.”
“Is Minister Calandra going to pay back all of the $5,700 he expensed for stays in Toronto hotels?” Marianne Larsen, a Thames Valley District School trustee, asked in a statement.
“Why is he allowed to bill tax payers almost $6,000 for hotel stays when he lives so close by, especially as he’s accused others in school boards of ‘extremely poor judgement’ in the use of public funds?”
Calandra’s office said the minister lives in Stouffville on the edge of the area where he would qualify for a Toronto property under the rules at Queen’s Park and stays in Toronto when there are late-night debates or early ministerial duties.
Over the past several months, Calandra has focused on the issue of questionable financial decisions as the driver of his plans to reform school boards.
A trip to Italy and another to the Blue Jays Hotel were among the catalysts for a slew of school board takeovers.
In recent days, he has softened his stance on savings and said he wants broader reform to address the “polarized political cesspool” he believes school boards have become.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
