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