TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford is shuffling his cabinet, bringing back a minister who resigned last year after violating pandemic travel guidelines.
As part of the shuffle, Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop becomes minister of colleges and universities, as Ross Romano is moving to government and consumer services.
In the last cabinet shuffle in June of 2019, Dunlop, a rookie MPP, was named associate minister of children and women’s issues.
At that time, when she was told she’d be at the helm of children and women’s issues — an arm of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services — she was “honoured.”
“I’m thrilled,” Dunlop told OrilliaMatters. “As a woman and a mom, I think it’s perfect.”
Meanwhile, Rod Phillips, who left his role as finance minister after travelling to St. Barts in December, is back in cabinet as the new minister of long-term care.
He replaces Merrillee Fullerton, who is leaving the long-term care file to become minister of children, community and social services.
David Piccini becomes minister of environment, replacing Jeff Yurek, and Kinga Surma is replacing Laurie Scott as minister of infrastructure.
Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria is the new president of the treasury board, which has been split from the finance file, while Lisa Thompson replaces Ernie Hardeman in agriculture, food and rural affairs.
Health Minister Christine Elliott, Education Minister Steven Lecce, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, Attorney General Doug Downey (an Orillia lawyer and MPP for Barrie, Springwater and Oro-Medonte) and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy remain in their prominent positions.
Meanwhile, John Yakabuski is out as minister of natural resources, as that file goes to Greg Rickford, who is taking on a merged file as minister of northern development, mining, natural resources and Forestry, as well as Indigenous affairs,
Todd Smith becomes minister of energy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2021.
--With files from The Canadian Press
