Home » Doug Ford announces the appointment of new ministers in Ontario

Doug Ford announces the appointment of new ministers in Ontario

by Naomi Parham

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced his new 30-person cabinet, including Sylvia Jones as deputy premier and health minister.

Many cabinet ministers retain the same portfolios they held under the last Ford government, such as Stephen Lecce in education, Peter Bethlenfalvy as finance minister and Caroline Mulroney in transport.

Steve Clark remains Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Monte McNaughton remains at work, Doug Downey will again be Attorney General and Vic Fedeli remains in Economic Development.

There are a few new faces in the cabinet, including Ford’s nephew, Michael Ford, who is named Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

Michael Kerzner, a bioscience and technology entrepreneur elected in York Center, will serve as solicitor general.

Neil Lumsden, a former Canadian Football League player who long won the NDP seat of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, is named Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

He replaces Lisa MacLeod in this portfolio, who is one of the few people to have been removed from Cabinet.

Merrilee Fullerton will remain in the Children, Community and Social Services portfolio, which includes autism file navigation. A handful of people from the autism community stood on the legislature lawn just after the outdoor swearing-in ceremony to protest the growing waitlist for services.

There are seven women in Ford’s cabinet, up from nine in the previous one.

David Piccini remains environment minister and Todd Smith remains energy minister.

Other new faces include Graydon Smith, the former mayor of Bracebridge, Ont., who will serve as Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. The portfolio was held by Greg Rickford, who remains Minister of Northern Development and Aboriginal Affairs.

He also previously held the mining portfolio, which is now in the hands of George Pirie. The former mayor of Timmins won that city’s seat after the NDP held it for 32 years. A press release indicates that it has a specific mandate to develop the Ring of Fire.

Several other ministries have been modified or have had their mandates added. Prabmeet Sarkaria remains President of the Treasury Board, but with an expanded mandate for emergency management and procurement. Kinga Surma remains infrastructure minister, but with an additional mandate for government real estate.

Kaleed Rasheed is promoted from the post of Associate Minister for Digital Government to the newly created portfolio of Minister for Public and Business Service Delivery.

Michael Parsa is promoted to cabinet to become associate housing minister, a new post. Charmaine Williams, a new member of the caucus, will fill the new position of Associate Minister for Women’s Social and Economic Opportunities.


This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 24, 2022.

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