Energy Minister Dwight Duncan will replace Greg Sorbara as finance minister when Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announces his new cabinet on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Press is reporting that Michael Bryant will be handed the Aboriginal Affairs portfolio, and colleges and universities minister Chris Bentley will become attorney general in McGuinty's new cabinet.
Sources also told CTV News that Health Minister George Smitherman and Education Minister Kathleen Wynne will stay in their posts.
Duncan, the MPP for Windsor, held the finance portfolio in 2005 when Sorbara stepped down because of an RCMP investigation into a land deal involving his family business. Both members returned to their posts when Sorbara was cleared in 2006.
Sorbara shocked fellow Liberals on Friday when he announced he did not want a cabinet position. The Vaughan MPP said he made the decision to spend more time with his family.
Earlier in the day, the 70 Liberals gathered for their first caucus meeting since their Oct. 10 majority government victory. They welcomed the premier with a standing ovation and loud chants.
Most members remained tight-lipped when asked what cabinet position they would like, repeating the line they were just happy to be re-elected.
Smitherman, however, told reporters he was in no hurry to leave his post. He had been touted as a possible replacement for Sorbara.
"Have you seen me over the last three weeks making sure that everybody knew that I was looking for a change? No," Smitherman said.
"I'm in a contented spot. It's been an exhilarating opportunity, but the premier has the responsibility of making those decisions, and I have complete confidence in him."
Wynne also said she wanted to keep her portfolio.
"Do I love my job? I love my job, yeah, I love my job," Wynne said with a large smile. "But I will do whatever the premier asks me to do."
Duncan said he hadn't been asked to serve as finance minister on Tuesday morning.
"The premier has an enormous wealth of talent in his government and I'd be pleased to serve in any capacity, but I haven't been offered anything yet," he told reporters.
Sorbara, who received more votes than any other Liberal and was chairman of the Liberal election campaign, said he has no regrets about last week's decision. He told reporters he spent time with his son on the weekend pressing apples.
Sorbara said he doesn't have any advice for his successor, but added he's leaving the economy in good hands, despite the soaring Canadian loonie and the struggling manufacturing sector.
"This mandate has been renewed,'' he said."We do have a larger caucus than at dissolution. It's a very strong team. I think my absence will be, in very short order, taken up and taken up well.''
McGuinty admitted it was a safe bet Sorbara would have remained at his post had he not decided to step down.
"He was so strong in terms of the energy and the passion that he brought to all of our discussions, to the leadership he brought to the party and the contribution he made to the caucus and the cabinet,'' the premier said after the 90-minute meeting.
McGuinty added Sorbara "will continue to be actively involved, I can guarantee you that.''
The opposition, however, has hinted Sorbara may be leaving the public eye because his ministry is at the centre of a legal dispute between a developer and York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill. Sorbara calls the claims "incredibly silly."
Aboriginal leaders, meanwhile, are hoping McGuinty comes through with his promise Tuesday of appointing a stand-alone minister of aboriginal affairs. Many aboriginals are unhappy seeing David Ramsay in charge of both the natural resources and aboriginal affairs ministries.
Political observers suggest McGuinty will not make major changes to the cabinet.
"They presented me with a real challenge as premier when it comes to putting my cabinet together because I have been blessed with an abundance of talent," McGuinty said.
"I will do my very best to be fair to the caucus members, but especially to the people of Ontario, to ensure that they are represented in every possible way in our new cabinet."
The premier announced the legislature would be recalled for a throne speech and brief session before Christmas. A date has not yet been made public.
"We do want to come back because we have a lot of work to get done," McGuinty said.
With a report from CTV's John Musselman and files from The Canadian Press
