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Toronto Mayor Cracks Dad Joke Over City's $1.9 Million In Claims For Penis Pills

Oh, politics.

A rise in erectile dysfunction drug claims by city workers has Toronto’s mayor shaking his head.

According to an auditor general report released Monday, city workers were reimbursed $1.9 million for claims submitted for impotence-related drugs last year.

When asked about the finding on Wednesday, Toronto Mayor John Tory searched for the right words to answer media.

“It stiffens my resolve — I shouldn’t use that word today,” he said jokingly, quickly correcting himself.

Toronto currently has no maximum coverage limit for city employees to claim for erectile dysfunction drugs. The report found 37 claimants were reimbursed over $3,000; five reimbursed for claims over $5,000.

The drug claims form a pattern that’s “potentially excessive,” the 71-page report noted. And the mayor warned against the possible abuse of the city’s employee health benefits plan.

Tory noted that if any evidence of fraud surfaces, the city should pursue it in a “very aggressive” manner, and “terminations are an appropriate kind of penalty."

“I’m happy to honour all kinds of athletes down here, and I would even perhaps invite the person in for a visit.”

The mayor admitted he has not read the report in detail, but said implementing a cap on claims may be necessary. And if there’s evidence of a person using anything like 500 pills in a year, that’s at very least worthy of an accolade, he said.

“I’m happy to honour all kinds of athletes down here, and I would even perhaps invite the person in for a visit,” he said in a Toronto Sun video. “But I would say that goes beyond what the citizens of Toronto would say was reasonable of what the taxpayer should support.”

Effects of common erectile dysfunction pills last between two to three hours. If an erection lasts more than four hours, people are asked to seek medical attention. The resale of pills is also a possibility.

The city’s audit committee will review the report’s findings on Friday.

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