Ford names new cabinet, with Jones as health minister and a role for his nephew

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

Many of the cabinet ministers remain in the same portfolios they held during Ford's last government, such as Stephen Lecce in education, Peter Bethlenfalvy as minister of finance, and Caroline Mulroney in transportation.

Steve Clark remains as municipal affairs and housing minister, Monte McNaughton remains in labour, Doug Downey will be attorney general again, and Vic Fedeli stays in economic development.

• READ MORE: This is who's in and who's out of Doug Ford's cabinet

There are some new faces in 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 Centre will be Solicitor General.

Neil Lumsden, a former Canadian Football League player who won the long-time NDP seat of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, is named as minister of tourism, culture and sport.

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He replaces Lisa MacLeod in that portfolio, who is one of only a handful of people to be dropped from cabinet.

Merrilee Fullerton will stay in the children, community and social services portfolio, which includes navigating the autism file. A handful of people from the autism community stood on the lawn of the legislature just beyond the outdoor swearing-in ceremony to protest the growing wait list for services.

There are seven women in Ford's cabinet, down from nine in his previous one.

David Piccini remains as environment minister, and Todd Smith will stay as 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 had been held by Greg Rickford, who stays as minister of northern development and Indigenous affairs.

He had also formerly held 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 news release says he has a specific mandate to develop the Ring of Fire.

Several other ministries have been tweaked, or have had mandates added. Prabmeet Sarkaria remains as Treasury Board president, but with an expanded mandate for emergency management and procurement. Kinga Surma stays on as minister of infrastructure, but with an additional mandate for government real estate.

Kaleed Rasheed is promoted from associate minister of digital government to the newly created portfolio of minister of public and business service delivery.

Michael Parsa is promoted into cabinet to become associate minister of housing, a new position. Charmaine Williams, a new caucus member, will serve in the new position of associate minister of women's social and economic opportunity.

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