It was a joyous night for Premier Doug Ford and his team last Thursday as they celebrated their second consecutive majority government – a feat not accomplished since the McGuinty Liberals in 2007. With the ballots counted, the Tories now turn their attention to selecting the team that will deliver on their priorities moving forward.
The PC’s campaign promises, all of which were telegraphed in their April budget, were tailored around affordability. Whether it is the housing file or the day-to-day cost of living, Premier Ford will need a strong cabinet to help him alleviate the pressures facing Ontarians.
During the election, Ford emphasized his commitment to build highways and other critical infrastructure. This will require high performing ministers in both Infrastructure and Transportation; MPPs (perhaps some with future leadership ambitions themselves) could see this as an opportunity to be in the spotlight.
The premier will also need to find a capable replacement for some of his most trusted ministers in increasingly challenging portfolios. Former Health Minister Christine Elliott and Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips respective departures leave large holes in the front bench, so Ford will need to choose their successors carefully. Whether it is building new hospitals, recruiting doctors and nurses and rebuilding a broken long-term care system, the health file will remain a political hot potato over the next four years.
It is now on Premier Ford and his senior advisors to review the new 83-member caucus and make selections for the cabinet. It is expected that he will announce the revamped team by the end of this month. With all roles up for grabs, Ford will need to evaluate who should return to the cabinet table, which returnees deserve a promotion, and which rookies should join the inner circle. All while, of course, striking the right geographical and gender balance.
Poised for Promotion:
- Sylvia Jones (Dufferin-Caledon): Other than Christine Elliott, no minister was by the premier’s side more during the COVID-19 pandemic than Sylvia Jones. As Solicitor General, she had to stickhandle the implementation of emergency orders and public health restrictions. With relatively few blemishes on her track record, Jones could be in line for a promotion from the premier.
- Stephen Lecce (King-Vaughan): Lecce was the very public face of an always contentious file and bore the brunt of repeated criticisms from educators and parents. Despite teachers’ unions best efforts to mobilize against Lecce and Ford, he emerged victorious and is seen as a rising star.
- Prabmeet Sarkaria (Brampton South): Over the past few years, Minister Sarkaria has quietly built his ministerial CV, spending the past year as President of the Treasury Board. Sarkaria is seen as ready for primetime after guiding the Tories to a sweep in Brampton on Thursday night.
- Steve Clark (Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands): As Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Clark was adept at handling controversial issues like Ministerial Zoning Orders (MZOs) and the housing affordability crunch. He is seen as a strong communicator and someone who could easily step into a more senior role.
- Stan Cho (Willowdale): Winning in the 416 is not easy for a conservative. Doing it twice is even more of an accomplishment. Cho started as the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance and was then elevated to be an Associate Minister of Transportation. The next logical step is a promotion into a full cabinet position.
Experienced Rookies
Regional representation is always a factor when selecting a cabinet. In 2018, Ross Romano, Greg Rickford and Vic Fedeli were the only Northern PC MPPs elected and, by the end of the term, all three were in cabinet.
The premier’s decision will be more difficult this time around with the election of Graydon Smith (Parry Sound-Muskoka), Kevin Holland (Thunder Bay-Aitkokan) and George Pirie (Timmins). Smith, Holland and Pirie all have significant political experience having served as the mayors of Bracebridge, Conmee Township and Timmins respectively.
Greg Rickford currently holds the main northern files (Northern Development and Mines, Natural Resources, and Indigenous Affairs) but they could easily be broken into two, or even three separate ministries. Ford will just have to decide how big he is willing to make his cabinet.
Once cabinet is appointed this month, they will have the summer to get briefed and become familiar with their files before the Legislature returns on September 12th.
