TORONTO - Ontario's outgoing finance minister said Monday he has no regrets about leaving his post as the premier's right-hand man after spending one of the most relaxing weekends he's had in a long time pressing apples with his grown son.

Greg Sorbara, who stunned colleagues and observers by leaving cabinet Friday, said he has missed the autumn tradition four years in a row and enjoyed taking part this year with his grandchildren.

"It was a really relaxing moment,'' the 61-year-old Liberal heavyweight who orchestrated the party's second majority said as he headed into his last caucus meeting as a cabinet minister.

"I truly loved my work. ... It was the greatest honour of my life. On the other hand, there is an anticipation of doing something somewhat different with the next seven years of my life.''

Premier Dalton McGuinty's new cabinet will be sworn in Tuesday, and Sorbara's departure left a large hole for him to fill. But Sorbara said he's confident it will be filled quickly.

"This mandate has been renewed,'' said Sorbara, who was chairman of the recent Liberal election campaign. "We do have a larger caucus than at dissolution. It's a very strong team. I think my absence will be, in very short order, taken up and taken up well.''

Sorbara said he doesn't have any advice for his successor, but added he's leaving the economy in good hands despite the soaring Canadian loonie and the struggling manufacturing sector.

The opposition has hinted Sorbara may be leaving the public eye because his ministry is at the centre of a legal dispute between a developer and York Central Hospital in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto.

"They are so incredibly silly,'' Sorbara said of the claims, adding they had nothing to do with his decision to leave cabinet.

"I think what I'm being accused of is encouraging York Central Hospital to place its dialysis unit in a community health centre that the province is building. In doing that, I was doing the work that I was elected to do.

"The first time I read it, I laughed and thought, `Isn't this stupid.'''

McGuinty admitted it was a safe bet that Sorbara would have remained at his post had he not decided to step down. But McGuinty said he was thrilled to have Sorbara in his cabinet for as long as he did.

"He was so strong in terms of the energy and the passion that he brought to all of our discussions, to the leadership he brought to the party and the contribution he made to the caucus and the cabinet,'' McGuinty said, adding he doesn't think he's heard the last from Sorbara.

"It's in his nature. He cannot help himself. He will continue to be actively involved, I can guarantee you that.''

First on Sorbara's list will be getting former NDP adversary Bob Rae a seat in the federal Parliament. Sorbara, who backed the former Ontario NDP leader in the last Liberal leadership race, said he isn't shifting his focus to Ottawa, but will do his best to see Rae take a seat once a byelection is called in his Toronto riding.

"It should be called today, if you want my advice,'' Sorbara said. "I'm going to try and help Bob a little bit ... in whatever way I can. But my efforts are going to remain here. This is my political home.''