Government Sworn In

Government Sworn In

On June 24, Ontario’s MPPs and the Ford government’s cabinet, also known as the executive council, were sworn in. The cabinet contains ministers of the provincial crown, all of whom are appointed by the Premier and accepted by the lieutenant governor who rules on behalf of the Queen. The 30-person council now directs the activities of the entire government. The legislature, made up of newly elected MPPs, had no say as an elected body in the membership of the council, let alone the people of Ontario. The council is accountable to the Premier and the private interests that they represent.  

It is reported that the recommendations for membership in the council were made by a 12-person transition team headed by Premier Ford’s chief of staff, Jamie Wallace. The transition team is not elected nor are they accountable to anyone but the Premier in choosing who to recommend and on what basis.  

The mandate letters Premier Ford issued to his new ministers directing their focus will not be made public despite the fact that in 2019 the Information and Privacy Commissioner ordered the mandate letters for Ford’s first government be disclosed. The Ford government has refused to make them public and appealed the order. Now, despite having its appeals dismissed at every other level of court, the government has sought leave to appeal the order to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court has said it will hear the appeal, but a date has yet to be announced.

The Cabinet

The cabinet includes the following:

Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Prabmeet Sarkaria, President of the Treasury Board, with an expanded mandate for emergency management and procurement, including Supply Ontario

Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance

Doug Downey, Attorney General

Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health

Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery

Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education

Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities

Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care, Minister of Legislative Affairs and Government House Leader

Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility

Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions

Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity

Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

Michael Parsa, Associate Minister of Housing

David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism

Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, with an additional mandate for small business

Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction

Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General

Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Francophone Affairs

Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation

Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, with an additional mandate for government real estate

Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs

Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry

George Pirie, Minister of Mines, with a mandate to develop the Ring of Fire

Todd Smith, Minister of Energy