Public service head resigning
Steve Orsini, secretary of the cabinet, will step down Jan. 31.,
The head of the Ontario public service is calling it quits.
Steve Orsini, the secretary of the cabinet, announced he will be retiring effective Jan. 31.
Orsini, who has spent 27 years in government, had been in charge of the 68,000-member public service since 2014.
He was instrumental in the selection of Toronto police Supt. Ron Taverner as commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police.
“I am extremely proud of the … team and our continued efforts to make the Ontario public service a more inclusive, diverse and respectful place,” he said in an internal email Friday night that was obtained by the Star.
“You should all take pride in your commitment to the values of the public service,” the cabinet secretary told his colleagues.
Appointed by former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne, he was also well-regarded by Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford. Ford frequently touts Orsini’s skills in public.
“I want to thank Steve Orsini for his service to the people of Ontario and his leadership at the helm of the Ontario public service. For 27 years, Steve worked supporting governments across the political spectrum,” the premier said in a statement.