Prime Minister Doug Ford on Friday unveiled his new slightly expanded cabinet, with several key positions unchanged and Sylvia Jones taking on the role of health minister, one of the province’s most important files.
Jones, Dufferin-Caledon MPP, was the attorney general of Ford’s previous government. He takes over as health minister Christine Elliott, who did not seek re-election after holding the post for more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ford’s new executive council has 30 deputies. Its last cabinet had 28 members.
“We are ready to unite behind a positive outlook, ready to unite behind a plan for Ontario’s future,” Ford said after the Queen’s Park swearing-in ceremony. The address included sections taken directly from his campaign speech.
“I sincerely believe, I feel it in the bottom of my heart, that this is a government that should represent everyone,” he added.
The new cabinet includes seven women, below the nine of the previous one, as well as seven people of color and five new deputies.
Several key portfolios will see the same MPs return as ministers. The list includes Peter Bethlenfalvy in finance, Stephen Lecce in education, Caroline Mulroney in transportation, Monte McNaughton in employment, Paul Calandra in long-term care, Steve Clark in municipal affairs and housing, and Doug Downey as attorney general.
Merrilee Fullerton will remain in the portfolio of social, community and children’s services, which includes browsing the autism file. A handful of people from the autism community planted themselves on the grass of the legislature just beyond the outdoor swearing-in ceremony to protest the growing waiting list for services.
MPP Michael Ford led to the cabinet
One of the new MPs elevated in the cabinet was Michael Ford, nephew of the Prime Minister, who will be Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
Graydon Smith, who was elected to Parry Sound-Muskoka, will take over the ministry of natural and forest resources. The portfolio had been held by Greg Rickford, who continues as Minister of Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs.
He had previously also occupied the mining portfolio, which has now been given to George Pirie. The former mayor of Timmins won the seat in that city after the NDP held it for 32 years. A press release says it has a specific mandate to develop the Ring of Fire.
Ontario Prime Minister Doug Ford shakes hands with the province’s lieutenant governor, Elizabeth Dowdeswell, in front of Queen’s Park in Toronto on June 24, 2022. (Evan Mitsui / CBC)
Several other ministries have been modified or mandates have been added. Prabmeet Sarkaria continues as chairman of the Treasury Board, but with an extended mandate for emergency management and recruitment. Kinga Surma continues as infrastructure minister, but with an additional mandate for government real estate.
Kaleed Rasheed moves from associate minister of digital government to the newly created portfolio of minister for the provision of public services and business.
Michael Parsa is promoted to cabinet to become Associate Minister of Housing, a new post.
MacLeod, Romano left the cabinet
Missing from the list is Nepean MP Lisa MacLeod, who held various positions in the cabinet of the previous Ford government, most recently as Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and the Culture Industries. First-time MP Neil Lumsden, a former Canadian Football League player who won the NDP seat at Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, will play the role.
Sault Ste. Marie MPP Ross Romano, former Minister of Government and Consumer Services, was also excluded.
Apart from Ford, the full list of cabinet ministers includes:
- Sylvia Jones, Minister of Health and Deputy Prime Minister.
- Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance.
- Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care, Minister of Legislative Affairs and Leader of the House of Government.
- Raymond Cho, Minister of Elderly and Accessibility.
- Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
- Doug Downey, Attorney General.
- Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities.
- Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
- Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
- Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
- Parm Gill, Minister of Bureaucratic Reduction.
- Michael Kerzner, Attorney General.
- Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education.
- Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
- Mount McNaughton, Minister of Labor, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
- Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transport and Minister of Francophone Affairs.
- David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
- Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
- George Pirie, Minister of Mines.
- Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Services.
- Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs.
- Prabmeet Sarkaria, Chairman of the Treasury Board.
- Todd Smith, Minister of Energy.
- Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure.
- Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
- Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation.
- Michael Parsa, Associate Minister of Housing.
- Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
- Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister for Women’s Social and Economic Opportunities.
Ford “adds more cars to its salsa train”: NDP
Meanwhile, the opposition New Democratic Party has called on the new cabinet to present a new budget to stop what they say is $ 2.7 billion in cuts currently in Ford’s plan.
“The end result for people is that it doesn’t matter who is in Ford’s cabinet if the government is not on the side of the people. We ask Ford to lead this cabinet to stop the cuts and start solving the problems we have. face off, ”NPD MP Jeff Burch said in a statement.
The PC government budget, presented in April, envisions spending $ 198.6 billion, with billions earmarked for infrastructure this year and over the next decade. The document promises $ 158.8 billion over 10 years for roads, traffic and hospitals.
The NDP says it wants the government to hire tens of thousands of health workers, reduce class sizes and eliminate Act 124, which limits wage increases for public sector workers such as teachers and nurses to 1%. annual.
The party also criticized the size of the new cabinet, saying Ford “was adding more cars to its salsa train” by expanding the MPP number from 21 in 2018 to 30.
“While everyday families face painful inflation with no relief in sight, Ford is making sure that more people than his own people can live more comfortably,” Burch said.