Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expense FAQ

Information on this website is indexed by the name of the claimant and the ministry or agency involved. There is also a section which provides a summary of the expense claims of Cabinet Ministers and ministry senior managers.

This website also features links to the claims of senior managers and the top 5 claimants at 22 of Ontario's largest agencies that are required to disclose travel, meal and hospitality expenses. These agencies are responsible for creating their own disclosure websites and making their expense claims accessible.

This website provides a summary of the expenses incurred by individuals for air fare and other forms of transportation, accommodation, meals, hospitality and any incidental costs associated with government business. Information about expenses will be associated with an individual’s name.

Expenses claimed and reimbursed after April 1, 2010 will be disclosed through this website.

For the months of April to December 2010 expense information will be disclosed on a monthly basis. After December 2010, expense information will be disclosed on a quarterly basis.

Information is expected to be on the website as soon as possible after expense claims are processed.

The positions required to post expense claim information are:

• Cabinet Ministers
• Cabinet Minister’s staff
• Parliamentary Assistants
• Staff to Parliamentary Assistants

The ministry positions required to post expense claim information are:

• Archivist of Ontario
• Assistant Deputy Attorney General
• Assistant Deputy Minister
• Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health
• Associate Deputy Minister
• Chief Coroner (for Ontario)
• Chief Diversity Officer
• Chief Forensic Pathologist
• Chief Information Officer
• Chief Internal Auditor
• Chief Legislative Counsel
• Chief Medical Officer of Health
• Commissioner - Community Safety
• Corporate Chief
• Corporate Chief I&IT Officer
• Deputy Attorney General
• Deputy Chief Coroner
• Deputy Chief Coroner for Ontario
• Deputy Minister
• Executive Director (OPS Ministry)
• Executive Lead (OPS Ministry)
• Fire Marshal of Ontario
• Provincial Controller
• Secretary of the Cabinet

The individuals required to post are the senior leadership positions within the ministries. These people are those most likely to have higher travel expense claims, and they are also responsible for approving the expense claims of the people who report directly to them.

The following 22 agencies designated under the Public Sector Expenses Review Act, 2009 (PSERA) are required to post information on expenses on their agency websites:

• Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
• Cancer Care Ontario
• eHealth Ontario
• Hydro One Inc.
• Independent Electricity System Operator
• Liquor Control Board of Ontario
• Metrolinx
• Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre Corporation
• Ontario Clean Water Agency
• Ontario Educational Communications Authority
• Ontario Energy Board
• Ontario Financing Authority
• Ontario French-language Educational Communications Authority / Office des télécommunications éducatives de langue française de l’Ontario
• Ontario Human Rights Commission
• Ontario Infrastructure Projects Corporation
• Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
• Ontario Power Authority
• Ontario Power Generation Inc.
• Ontario Public Service Pension Board
• Ontario Racing Commission
• Ontario Realty Corporation
• Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

The government requires that all positions designated under the Public Sector Expenses Review Act, 2009 (PSERA), must publicly disclose their expenses. The positions designated under PSERA are:

• Every person appointed to the public entity by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, the Lieutenant Governor or a minister;
• The CEO, or in the case of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), the CEO and the Chief Operating Officer;
• Every member of senior management that reports directly to the CEO, or in the case of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the CEO and the Chief Operating Officer; and
• The top five employee expense claimants each year in the public entity will have to submit their expenses annually. It is expected that the top claimants would be senior managers. However, it could be any employee of the agency.

The government is currently focusing on agencies that have a higher public profile and usually have more travel related to their operations. As such, these agencies are required to post their expenses at this time. However, other broader public sector organizations and government agencies are not restricted from posting expense claim information and can create websites to disclose this information.

All claims for reimbursement for travel and other expenses must comply with the principles and rules of the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive which is available on the Ministry of Government Services website.

The principles for reimbursement of expenses in the Directive include:

• Taxpayer dollars are used prudently and responsibly with a focus on accountability and transparency.
• Expenses for travel, meals and hospitality support government objectives.
• Plans for travel, meals accommodation and hospitality are necessary and economical with due regard for health and safety.

All expense claims are subject to oversight and approval and are reimbursed only if the expense is appropriate and reasonable.

All claims for reimbursement from ministers must comply with the Cabinet Ministers and Opposition Leaders’ Expenses Review and Accountability Act, 2002. The Act requires that Cabinet Minister’s expenses are reasonable, and the threshold for reasonable is determined through a review of the claim by the Integrity Commissioner.

In cases where there aren’t expenses listed for a specific ministry or agency, it means there are no submitted and approved expense claims associated with that ministry or agency. New expense information is posted on a quarterly basis.

There may be cases where quarterly expense information appears to be missing for a specific individual, for the following reasons:

• The individual may not have incurred any expenses within the time period;
• The individual may have changed positions or ministries;
• The individual may have left the OPS; or
• The individual’s claim is under review and not yet posted.

Several categories of information appear on the expenses disclosure website. Those categories and their definitions are:

For - This is the individual who submitted the claim and was reimbursed.

Purpose - The purpose of the expense (e.g., the trip related to the travel expense claim).

Date(s) - The time period when expenses were incurred.

Fiscal year paid - This category allows the public to reconcile the expenses listed on the public disclosure website with Public Accounts. Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants, Deputy Ministers and OPS employees who are reimbursed $10,000 or more for travel expenses in a fiscal year also need to be listed in Public Accounts - Volume 3.

Destination(s) - The location(s) where the expense was incurred.

Air Fare - All expenses related to air travel.

Other Transportation - This includes all taxi, rail, vehicular travel.

Accommodation - All expenses related to accommodation while on government business.

Meals - This category provides a total of the meal costs directly incurred by the claimant (does not include group meals - see "Other").

Travel Incidentals - Items such as medical insurance.

Hospitality - This cost is directly related to the provision of food, beverage, accommodation, transportation and other amenities at public expense to people who are not engaged in work for the government of Ontario.

Other - Costs associated with group meals for government staff when held outside of the office.

Government Attendees - This category names individuals if they are part of the following groups:

• Cabinet Ministers;
  
• Parliamentary Assistants;
  
• Political staff;
  
• Ministry employees;
  
• Classified agency employees;
  
• Appointees to ministries or agencies; and
  
• Agencies designated under the Public Sector Expenses Review Act, 2009.

Other Attendees - A numeric listing of any other individuals who received a benefit from an expense paid for by the claimant (e.g. attended a conference hosted by the claimant).

An attendee is an individual who received a benefit (e.g. had a meal paid for by the claimant) from an expense paid for by the claimant; for example, a person who attended a conference or event hosted by the government.

No. The names of attendees who are acting in a professional or official capacity, and who have received a benefit will be disclosed.

The government requires that information on expenses is posted on a quarterly basis.

Ministry name changes will be reflected in expense information after the release of Public Accounts in the fall.  This may result in a time lag between the date the name change was effective and when the information is changed on this website.  Historical information will not be changed (i.e. the expense information posted under the old ministry name will remain under the old ministry name). Expense information posted after the ministry name is changed on this website will appear under the new ministry name.

All posted expense information relates to people performing specific jobs. That person may have changed positions while the previous expense claim records are being retained.

The Government of Ontario’s public disclosure of expenses website and Public Accounts of Ontario are two separate but complementary means of ensuring the accountability and transparency of the use of public funds.

The expenses disclosure website provides information on expense claims for those designated by the Public Sector Expenses Review Act, 2009, for cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants, and political staff that are captured under the Cabinet Ministers’ and Opposition Leaders’ Expenses Review and Accountability Act, 2002, and senior ministry employees as per the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive. Individuals whose travel, meal and hospitality expenses have been charged to the dedicated travel card and or paid out of pocket and have been reimbursed, are disclosed, regardless of their value.

Public Accounts - Volume 3 provides all the travel expenses incurred, and paid during the fiscal year, by cabinet ministers, parliamentary assistants and deputy ministers, as well as other persons who have incurred $10,000 or more in travel expenses.  All other travel expenses for individuals whose expenses were less than $10,000 in a fiscal year are presented in a single aggregate amount.

The types of expenses that are captured and disclosed on the website and in Public Accounts differ from one another.  

Public Accounts reports all expense information based on the fiscal year in which the expense was paid.  

The public disclosure site captures only travel, meal and hospitality expenses as per the Travel, Meal and Hospitality Expenses Directive.  Expenses that have been paid centrally through direct invoice by ministries (e.g. hotel accommodation expenses billed directly to the ministry and paid by the ministry) are not included on this web site but are contained in the travel costs shown in Public Accounts.  Another key difference is that the public disclosure website displays expense information by the quarter in which the expense was incurred which may result in a difference to Public Accounts, particularly for expenses incurred but not paid at the close of a fiscal year.

For more information on Public Accounts – Volume 3 please go to the Ministry of Finance website and follow the links.

Information about expenses is posted on a quarterly basis. Generally, this means that expense information is posted in the quarter after the claim was approved.

Ministerial expense information will be posted once it has been reviewed by the Integrity Commissioner.

Ministry and agency staff who have incurred a reimbursable expense must submit a claim at least once a quarter. However, all positions required to post their expense information are encouraged to file their expenses on a monthly basis. This will provide the best balance of public accountability and operational flexibility.

There is no requirement under the Cabinet Ministers’ and Opposition Leaders’ Expenses Review and Accountability Act, 2002 for when Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Assistants, and political staff must submit an expense claim. However, Cabinet Ministers Parliamentary Assistants, and political staff are encouraged to file their expenses on a monthly basis. This will provide the best balance of public accountability and operational flexibility.

Expense claim information for cabinet ministers and political staff as well as agency senior executives, appointees and the top 5 claimants of the designated 22 agencies will be posted to the website as soon as possible after the claims are reviewed by the Integrity Commissioner.

All expense information will be available on this website for seven years. Current information (under three years old) will be maintained on the main website, all information between four and seven years old will be kept in an archive section of the website.