Ford gets to work assembling cabinet
Roundtable 10 days before vote might have offered some clues
Premier-designate Doug Ford and his transition team are quietly and methodically putting together the first Progressive Conservative government at Queen’s Park in 15 years.
Fresh from toppling Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberals last Thursday, he and his top advisers are gearing up for the swearing in of the administration on June 29.
Ford said his “biggest problem” will be whittling down his cabinet selections from the dozens of Tories elected around the province.
“We have 75 incredible people to choose from and that’s going to be the toughest decision. We haven’t made that decision yet, but we will,” he said Sunday.
Wynne’s departing cabinet, which will meet for the final time Wednesday, has 28 members presiding over 30 departments.
Her successor has not yet determined how large his cabinet will be, but it is widely expected to be streamlined slightly with reconfigured ministries.
While the incoming premier insisted he has not decided who will be on his executive council, he tipped his hand on May 28 when he showcased some of his star candidates at a roundtable in Newmarket.
The Tory leader indicated that day his cabinet could include newly elected candidates Christine Elliott (Newmarket-Aurora), Rod Phillips (Ajax), Caroline Mulroney (York-Simcoe), Peter Bethlenfalvy (Pickering-Uxbridge), Greg Rickford (Kenora-Rainy River), Doug Downey (Barrie-Spring-water-Oro-Medonte), and Donna Skelly (Flamborough- Glanbrook).
Ford also highlighted MPPs Lisa MacLeod (Nepean), Raymond Cho (Scarborough North), and Vic Fedeli (Nipissing), and he is known to be impressed by Todd Smith (Bay of Quinte), John Yakabuski (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke) and Monte McNaughton (Lambton-Kent-Middlesex).
Other veterans believed to be under consideration for cabinet include MPPs Jim Wilson (Simcoe- Grey), Steve Clark (Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands), Ross Romano (Sault Ste. Marie), and Sylvia Jones (Dufferin-Caledon).
Because the Tories won 76 seats in the expanded 124member Legislature — compared to 40 for Andrea Horwath’s New Democrats, seven for Wynne’s Liberals and one for Green Leader Mike Schreiner — Ford has the luxury of choice.
When cabinetmaking, premiers traditionally look at geography, cultural background, gender and work-life experience, among other factors.
During the election, Ford promised that his agriculture minister “would be a farmer,” which means either Toby Barrett (Haldimand-Norfolk) or Lisa Thompson (Huron-Bruce) will likely make cabinet.
It is expected that MPPs Rick Nicholls (Chatham-KentLeamington) or Ted Arnott ( Wellington Halton Hills) could end up as speaker of the Legislative Assembly, a position elected by MPPs in a secret ballot.
Ford will gather his caucus at Queen’s Park next Tuesday.
“I feel great. I feel energized. I feel ready to go,” he said. “We’re getting our transition team together and we’re going to get moving and we’ll move rapidly.”
“We have 75 incredible people to choose from and that’s going to be the toughest decision.” DOUG FORD PREMIER-DESIGNATE