Tory MPP Peter Shurman, who ran afoul of his leader Tim Hudak over accommodation expenses, announced Tuesday he is resigning his seat at the end of the month.

“This decision is entirely my own and results from lengthy reflection and discussion with my family,” the member for Thornhill said in an open letter,

The once rising star in the Progressive Conservative Party was dropped from his finance critic’s role in September by Hudak after he refused to pay back a taxpayer-funded housing allowance.

Hudak said unbeknownst to him Shurman, a former radio executive, had moved to $660,000 home in Niagara-on-the-Lake several years ago but was still collecting living expenses for an apartment in Toronto. He was moved further back in the Tory benches after being fired as finance critic.

“Having now carefully considered my situation for several months, I have concluded that continuing with my political career would be a mistake,” stated Shurman, who thanked the residents of Thornhill for their support.

Shurman, however, has said repeatedly he talked to Hudak about the move to Niagara and that the party leader had assented to him taking the subsidy, which was $20,719 last year.

Shurman said he believed he was entitled to a Toronto apartment because he lived more than 50 kilometres from Queen’s Park, but critics argued he was taking advantage of a loophole.

As a result of this, the Ontario government has closed a long-standing loophole that enabled MPPs to receive housing allowances even if their ridings were close to Queen’s Park.

Under the Members’ Accommodation Allowances Act — crafted with input from all three parties — MPPs whose ridings are 50 km or less from legislature would be ineligible regardless of where they live.

The resignation sets the stage for a byelection, which Premier Kathleen Wynne has six months to call. A general election could come as early as next spring if the minority Liberal government falls on the 2014-15 budget.

“The resignation of Peter Shurman today as the Ontario PCs' MPP for Thornhill leaves the good people of his riding without the strong presence at Queen's Park that Peter represented on their behalf since first elected in 2007,” said Hudak in a statement.

“We wish Peter well in his future endeavours, and thank him for his determination and hard work. He was one of the finer communicators in the Legislature.”

As recently as Dec. 3, Hudak further took Shurman to task for continuing to claim mileage of 44 cents a kilometre from his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake to Queen’s Park, a distance of about 135 kilometres.

“In my mind and that of taxpayers, there is no distinction between the mileage claims and the housing issue you dealt with in September . . . taxpayers expect parliamentarians to hold themselves to a higher standard when it comes to expenses,” Hudak wrote.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Shurman told CP24 he cleared the mileage expenses with legislative finance officials, so “I have no idea what Mr. Hudak is talking about.”

He further suggested Hudak’s letter was designed to discredit him on the way out the door.