Ontario Premier Doug Ford's new cabinet to be sworn in Friday
Ontario Premier Doug Ford's cabinet will be sworn in on Friday, as he gets set to name an executive council out of his new and larger Progressive Conservative caucus.
The ceremony is set to take place at 10 a.m., followed by remarks by the premier. Invitations have gone out to guests, but a senior government source says the premier has not yet made the calls to new cabinet ministers to inform them of their new posts.
Ford's previous cabinet had 28 people in it, but he has a much larger caucus to choose from this time, with 83 Tories elected earlier this month.
That's leading to some speculation that Ford will increase the size of his cabinet, perhaps by breaking up larger ministries into more focused portfolios..
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Health and education will be two important jobs for Ford to fill, both as the two largest ministries and with the government planning billions in hospital infrastructure spending and teacher negotiations on the horizon.
Christine Elliott, who was the health minister for all four years of Ford's first government, decided not to run again in this election. Her retirement leaves a large hole, and some observers have suggested Sylvia Jones -- who most recently served as Solicitor General -- may be in line for that promotion.
Based on the focus of the Progressive Conservatives' budget -- that was introduced but not passed before the election and stood as their platform -- ministries overseeing transportation and infrastructure will also be important to the premier.
Much of Ford's plan centred on building hospitals and highways such as Highway 413, proposed for the Greater Toronto Area.
Ford will likely keep Peter Bethlenfalvy as finance minister. The portfolio is generally one from which governments like to project stability, but Bethlenfalvy ended up being Ford's third finance minister, after the file saw much turmoil. Vic Fedeli was shuffled out of the portfolio after a much-maligned budget and Rod Phillips resigned after he vacationed in the Caribbean during a provincewide lockdown.
Fedeli was moved to Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, where he launched an auto strategy that saw the province attract billions in new investments, including a new electric vehicle battery facility in Windsor, Ont.
The next housing minister will also have a mammoth task ahead.
Ford has pledged to build 1.5 million homes over 10 years, a key recommendation from a government-appointed task force earlier this year.
Legislation that was passed shortly before the election call contained measures to speed up approvals and other processes, but lacked bolder steps such as changing municipal zoning rules to allow more housing to be built aside from single-family homes.
The government blamed a lack of co-operation from municipalities, but the Tories have promised further action on housing supply.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 20, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.