Ontario Premier Doug Ford will shuffle his cabinet Thursday morning, CTV News Toronto has learned.
Rumours of a cabinet shuffle started to circulate earlier this month after Progressive Conservative insiders told CTV News Toronto that Ford was planning to promote ministers who performed well and break up ministries to decrease the workload on other ministers.
When previously asked about a cabinet shuffle, Ford said that he had a talented team and he wasn’t “going to speculate” on the possibility of a shakeup.
Political analyst Jim Warren said the summer is an ideal time for the government to “hit the reset button,” as it gives new cabinet ministers time to learn their files.
“The premier is facing a real dive in the polls recently. They haven’t been happy as a government with how the budget has been communicated,” he said. “I think he is looking to press the reset button. I think he’s looking to re-energize.”
A Mainstreet Research poll released in May found that support for the PC’s has “collapsed,” putting the party in third place behind the Ontario Liberals and the NDP.
Warren said that some ministers have been recalled from their vacations to have a one-on-one conversation with the premier.
In a news release issued Wednesday evening, the Ontario government invited the media to “witness a ceremony” with the premier around 10:30 a.m. According to the release, Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell will also attend the ceremony.
This will be Ford’s second cabinet shuffle since he was elected a year ago. Last November the premier was forced to shuffle the candidate after his then-Economic Development Minister Jim Wilson was accused of sexual misconduct.
The Legislature is currently adjourned for summer break.
