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McNaughton remains labour minister in provincial cabinet shuffle

June 18, 2021

Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton remains the Labour Minister after Premier Doug Ford shuffled his cabinet this afternoon.

Some notable changes included long-time Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman was removed from the portfolio, Lisa Thompson, the MPP for Huron Bruce, who farms with her husband in Teeswater, takes over. An MPP since Oct. 2011, she had been Education Minister in the past and has a degree in public administration and consumer economics.

And Rod Phillips returns to cabinet as the Minister of Long Term Care. Phillips left cabinet in January after taking a tropical vacation while the province was in a lockdown order and posting pre-recorded videos to hide the fact he was away.

Dr. Merrilee Fullerton – who was highly criticized as nearly 4,000 seniors died in long term care homes during the pandemic, now becomes the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

  • Jill Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North, becomes Minister of Colleges and Universities.
  • Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, MPP for Kanata-Carleton, becomes Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.
  • Parm Gill, MPP for Milton, becomes Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.
  • Rod Phillips, MPP for Ajax, becomes Minister of Long-Term Care.
  • Dave Piccini, MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South, becomes Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
  • Greg Rickford, MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, assumes a merged role as Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, as well as remains Minister of Indigenous Affairs. This new northern and economic focused ministry will enhance development potential and sustainability in the North. Energy will transfer to a new separate ministry.
  • Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte, becomes Minister of Energy.
  • Rosario Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, becomes Minister of Government and Consumer Services.
  • Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, MPP for Brampton South, becomes President of the Treasury Board.
  • Kinga Surma, MPP for Etobicoke Centre, becomes Minister of Infrastructure.
  • Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron Bruce, becomes Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
  • Stan Cho, MPP for Willowdale, becomes Associate Minister of Transportation, reporting to Minister Mulroney.
  • Jane McKenna, MPP for Burlington, becomes Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, reporting to Minister Fullerton.
  • Nina Tangri, MPP for Mississauga Streetsville, becomes Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, reporting to Minister Fedeli.
  • Kaleed Rasheed, MPP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, becomes Associate Minister of Digital Government, reporting to Minister Bethlenfalvy.

Peter Bethlenfalvy, MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge and Minister of Finance, will assume responsibility for Ontario’s digital government strategy within the Ministry of Finance.

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