Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott will not seek re-election, sources say
Christine Elliott, one of the high-profile members of Premier Doug Ford's cabinet, will not be running in the provincial election in June, CTV News has learned.
Sources said Elliott, the Progressive Conservative MPP for Newmarket-Aurora, will announce she will not seek re-election on Friday.
Elliott has served as Ontario's health minister since 2018, overseeing the province's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elliott, who is also the deputy premier, is the latest notable PC MPP to leave Queen's Park. In January, Ajax MPP and Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips announced that he was resigning and won't seek re-election.
Political strategist Marcel Wieder said Elliott's pending departure is "earth-shattering" as she is considered one of the most trusted ministers of the Ford government.
"Christine Elliot was one of the most able ministers of the Ford government. She was the voice of reason. She was able to bring in a calming influence. She reassured people. She did everything textbook--wise that you would want in a minister in a crisis that we face, and now she's gone," Weider said.
"And who would be able to step in at this late stage to take over?"
Elliott was first elected to the provincial legislature in 2006 before resigning in 2015 following her second failed bid to become the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.
In 2018, in her third attempt to become the party leader, Elliott was beaten by Ford.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Happy tears' of victim's sister after prison attack on serial killer Robert Pickton
Cynthia Cardinal said she was 'overwhelmed' with happiness when she received a text message on Monday with the news that serial killer Robert Pickton, who murdered her sister, was attacked in prison. She called it 'karma.'
DEVELOPING Republican National Committee in Washington evacuated after blood vials received in package
The headquarters of the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C., was briefly evacuated on Wednesday morning after a suspicious package containing two vials of blood was delivered to the building, the police said.
Fish oil supplements may raise risk of stroke, heart issues, study suggests
As an excellent source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, daily fish oil supplements are a popular way to keep the risk of cardiovascular disease at bay.
Woman found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017 matches identity of missing person in Switzerland
Genetic genealogy has helped Toronto police identify a woman who was found dead in Lake Ontario in 2017.
Montreal photographer captures dramatic Canada goose vs. fox fight on video
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Interpol says more than 1,500 stolen Canadian vehicles identified since February
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
Thunderstorms with tornado risk in some areas in Ontario, snow elsewhere in Canada
Canadians can expect a mixed bag of weather, with forecasts warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and snow in some areas across western Canada.
opinion Biden steals debate issue from Trump campaign, makes it his own
Donald Trump had spent weeks needling U.S. President Joe Biden for his refusal to commit to a debate. But Washington political columnist Eric Ham describes how in one fell swoop, Biden ingeniously stole the issue from the Trump campaign and made it his own.
'All hell broke loose': Passengers on Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet
Passengers on a Singapore Airlines flight hit by severe turbulence on Tuesday described a sudden, dramatic drop as 'all hell broke loose' on board the Boeing airliner carrying 229 passengers and crew.