Dwight Duncan remains as Ontario's finance minister, but many other familiar faces were moved and four newcomers brought into Premier Dalton McGuinty's reshuffled cabinet.

The changes were made public at a swearing-in ceremony with Lt.-Gov. David Onley Monday.

"Building a strong Ontario takes a strong team," the premier told reporters after the ceremony.

This revamped cabinet will continue to build the government's priorities of the economy, education and the green energy agenda, he said.

However, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak said Duncan and some other senior cabinet ministers should have been sacked for the province's poor economic performance.

"Dalton McGuinty tried to slap a fresh coat of paint on Canada's worst government, with Canada's worst economic record," he said.

Ontario's is down 195,400 jobs from its pre-recession peak, a decline of 2.9 per cent. That is the worst record of any province, but reflects the hard hit delivered to its manufacturing and construction industries.

"I don't think it's much of a change because the guys at the top are exactly the same," said NDP finance critic Michael Prue.

Toronto MPP Brad Duguid is Ontario's new minister of energy and infrastructure. He is taking over the portfolio from veteran MPP Gerry Phillips, who was temporarily assigned the position after George Smitherman resigned as MPP.

Smitherman stepped down to take a stab at Toronto's municipal election where he is running for mayor.

The energy and infrastructure portfolio is seen as one of the most important in cabinet as it is charged with overseeing billions of taxpayer dollars. Funding new nuclear reactors at sites in Darlington and Pickering, something that will cost tens of billions of dollars, will be among Duguid's new responsibilities.

"Brad will help deliver the next steps in our green energy plan and our ambitious infrastructure plan," McGuinty said.

Duguid recently served as minister of aboriginal affairs. Attorney General Chris Bentley will take on that portfolio too.

Phillips will stay as chair of cabinet. He will be a minister without a portfolio, and responsible for seniors.

Other moves include:

  • Education  - Leona Dombrowsky replaces Kathleen Wynne
  • Transportation - Wynne replaces Jim Bradley
  • Municipal Affairs and Housing - Bradley replaces Jim Watson, who resigned to run as a mayoral candidate in Ottawa
  • Tourism and Culture - Michael Chan takes this portfolio, moving from citizenship and immigration. Aileen Carrol got dropped as culture minister
  • Citizenship and Immigration - Dr. Eric Hoskins (St. Paul's; new)
  • Consumer Services - Sophia Aggelontis (Hamilton Mountain; new), replacing Ted McMeekin, who got dropped
  • Agriculture and Rural Affairs - Carol Mitchell (Huron-Bruce; new), replacing Dombrowsky
  • Natural Resources - Linda Jeffrey (Brampton-Springdale; new), replacing Donna Cansfield, who got dropped

Monique Smith, who had been tourism minister, remains as government house leader and becomes minister of intergovernmental affairs.

Cabinet's 'new faces'

Twelve ministers have new responsibilities.

The shuffle resulted in four new cabinet ministers being brought in from the backbenches, three of whom are women. McGuinty joked he brought the four "up from the minors."

Three were dropped from cabinet. McGuinty thanked them for their service.

Sources said before the shuffle that former finance minister and veteran MPP Greg Sorbara would not be returning to cabinet, despite rampant speculation that he would be. Instead he would concentrate on co-chairing the Liberals' election campaign. McGuinty wouldn't say if he invited Sorbara back to cabinet.

The shuffle comes after a few high-profile cabinet ministers recently resigned from provincial politics.

Smitherman wasn't the only minister to drop out of provincial politics for the municipal election race. Jim Watson, who was the minister of municipal affairs and housing, said last week he would be stepping down from cabinet to run for mayor in Ottawa. Watson has yet to resign as MPP.

McGuinty temporarily handed Watson's portfolio to Environment Minister John Gerretsen.

Ontarians will see the revamped 26-member cabinet in action at the Queen's Park bearpit when the legislature resumes sitting on Feb. 15.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss and files from The Canadian Press