QUEEN'S PARK -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford is creating a new council to focus on the intersection of federal and provincial issues, as his government looks to extract more investment from the new minority Liberal parliament in Ottawa.

Ford announced the council Thursday, one day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a new expanded federal cabinet that puts Chrystia Freeland in charge of intergovernmental affairs.

"We are ready to work with the new federal cabinet to get shovels in the ground quickly on important projects, increase health care funding and create an environment where businesses and job creators can thrive,” Ford said in a statement.

ford, trudeau

The council, chaired by the premier, consists of some of his top cabinet ministers including: Finance Minister Rod Phillips; Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy; Health Minister Christine Elliott; Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney; Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott and Economic Development Minister Vic Fedeli.

The government said the goal was to coordinate the “engagement strategy” with the federal government especially on important projects such as Ford’s $28.5-billion Ontario Line transit system.

Transit and infrastructure projects are among the top priorities, the government said, as well as increased funding for healthcare.