The members of Ontario's new Liberal cabinet were sworn into office Thursday afternoon as Premier Dalton McGuinty promised to work with other parties at Queen's Park and not tolerate divisive politics.
"We will not be dissuaded by those who seek to divide Ontarians at a time when we need to be strong," McGuinty said during the swearing-in ceremony. "We will welcome those who seek to offer constructive ideas, inspiration and insights. We will judge an idea not on the basis of where it originates, but on where it can take Ontario."
McGuinty was joined by Lt. Gov. David Onley to swear in the 21 Liberal MPPs who will join him in the new slimmed-down cabinet.
The number of cabinet members has been reduced to 22 from the 28 that held titles during the last session at Queen's Park, many of them familiar faces from the previous cabinet.
McGuinty promised a smaller cabinet after the Liberals lost four former ministers in the October election and fell to 53 seats from 72.
The Liberals have said the cabinet has the experience Ontario needs during an uncertain global economy.
"The challenges we face today we again face together," McGuinty said. "We do so with strength, confidence and optimism. We in government are here to do our part to move Ontarians forward together."
Attorney General Chris Bentley will become Ontario's energy minister and Finance Minister Dwight Duncan will become the new deputy premier.
Opposition parties said on Thursday that the number of familiar faces returning to cabinet was a sign that the Liberals had no plans to change the way they govern.
NDP House Leader Gilles Bisson told reporters that the results of the October election suggest Ontarians do not want to see the status quo at Queen's Park.
Bisson said the cabinet announcement was a missed opportunity for McGuinty, who he says should have appointed more new members to cabinet as a way to show he understands his party's new mandate.
Progressive Conservative MPP Peter Shurman claimed the politicians who returned to the cabinet were the same who led the province into disarray.
"Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result," he told reporters on Thursday.
The NDP and Progressive Conservatives both picked up extra seats in the election, while the Liberals lost seats and were held to minority government status.
Both the NDP and the Conservatives have said they are ready to work with the Liberal government when they return to Queen's Park.
McGuinty's new cabinet:
- Ted McMeekin, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
- John Gerretsen, Attorney General
- Eric Hoskins, Children and Youth Services
- Charles Sousa, Citizenship and Immigration
- Madeleine Meilleur, Community Safety and Correctional Services, Francophone Affairs
- John Milloy, house leader, Community and Social Services
- Margarett Best, Consumer Services
- Brad Duguid, Economic Development and Innovaton
- Laurel Broton, Education, Women's Issues
- Jim Bradley, Environment
- Harinder Takhar, Government Services
- Deb Matthews, Health
- Linda Jeffrey, Labour, Seniors
- Kathleen Wynne, Municipal Affairs, Housing, Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs
- Michael Gravelle, Natural Resources
- Rick Bartolucci, chair of cabinet, Northern Development and Mines
- Michael Chan, Tourism and Culture
- Glen Murray, Training, Colleges and Universities
- Bob Chiarelli, Transportation, Ministry of Infrastructure
