Rapid Recap: Premier Ford’s Post-Election “Renewed” Cabinet

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Hon. Edith Dumont, has sworn in Premier Ford as well as members of his cabinet, forming the 44th Ontario Ministry. Premier Ford has kept cabinet at the same size as prior to the general election with 37 members, including himself, and minimal changes. “I’m blessed with the best caucus, and the best cabinet,” he said, adding that made it difficult to choose from the 80 Progressive Conservative (PC) MPPs available for ministerial roles. Premier Ford has decided not to appoint a separate tariff minister stating that multiple ministers work collectively to respond to U.S. tariffs.

Notably, Vijay Thanigasalam has replaced Michael Tibollo as Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions; Jill Dunlop has replaced Trevor Jones as Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response (the portfolio has also been expanded to become a full ministerial role); and Stephen Crawford has replaced Todd McCarthy as Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement. Sylvia Jones remains Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Natalia Kusendova–Bashta remains Minister of Long–Term Care.

Minister Role Changes:

Nolan Quinn had his portfolio expanded to become the Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security.
Mike Harris was shuffled from his previous role as Minister of Red Tape Reduction to become the Minister of Natural Resources.
Andrea Khanjin was shuffled from her previous role as Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks to become the Minister of Red Tape Reduction.
Jill Dunlop was shuffled from her previous role as Minister of Education to become the Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response (formerly an associate portfolio).
Trevor Jones was shuffled from his previous role as Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response to become the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness.
Rob Flack was shuffled from his previous role as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness to become the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Paul Calandra was shuffled from his role as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to become Minister of Education.
Todd McCarthy was shuffled from his previous role as Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, with responsibility for Supply Ontario to become the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks.
Graham McGregor was shuffled from his previous role as Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform to become the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. He held his portfolio in the previous parliament after Premier Ford’s nephew, Michael Ford, temporarily stepped down due to health reasons and decided to not seek re-election as the MPP for York South-Weston.
Stephen Lecce had his portfolio expanded to become the Minister of Energy and Mines.
George Pirie had his portfolio as Minister of Mines merged under Stephen Lecce and Pirie became the Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth.
Greg Rickford had his portfolio expanded to Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation and the Minister Responsible for Ring of Fire Economic and Community Partnerships.

Associate Minister Role Changes:

Michael Tibollo was shuffled from his previous role as Associate Minister Mental Health and Addictions to become the Associate Attorney General.
Vijay Thanigasalam was shuffled from his previous role as the Associate Minister of Housing to become the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, as part of the Ministry of Health.
Graydon Smith was shuffled from his previous role as Minister of Natural Resources to become the Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
Zee Hamid joins cabinet as the Associate Minister of Auto Theft and Bail Reform, as part of the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Changes to Ministries’ Areas of Authority and Responsibilities:

The Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks will now have responsibility over conservation authorities.
The Minister of Energy and Mines and the Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries will now have responsibility over broadband expansion and connectivity.

The full list of cabinet members can be found here. The biographies of health-related Ministers are also available at the end of this update.

What Happens Next?

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario will begin the first session of the 44th Parliament on Monday, April 14, 2025, where the Lieutenant Governor will resume parliamentary business with the election of a new Speaker. The role has been vacated as former long-term Speaker Ted Arnott decided to not seek re-election as the MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills. Jennifer French, NDP MPP for Oshawa, and Donna Skelly, PC MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook, are both viable candidates after both served as Deputy Speakers during the 43rd Parliament.

The government’s plans and priorities for the new session will be outlined in the Speech from the Throne, to be delivered by the Lieutenant Governor on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. The Speech from the Throne is expected to largely re-iterate the PC Party’s “Protect Ontario” Plan that served as the party’s platform during the general election. The PC Plan is expected to largely form the basis of the 2025 Ontario Budget which will likely be tabled shortly afterwards and is anticipated to focus on the province’s ongoing response to U.S. tariffs and the multi-year commitments detailed in previous provincial budgets.

Minister Victor (Vic) Fedeli is the MPP for Nipissing, the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, with an additional mandate for small business and Cabinet Chair. He was previously Mayor of North Bay, the Minister of Finance, and the Opposition leader and interim leader of the PC party. Fedeli has served as MPP for Nipissing since 2011.

The Honourable Natalia Kusendova–Bashta, Minister of Long-Term Care

Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta is the MPP of Mississauga Centre and the Minister of Long-Term Care. On July 10, 2018, Kusendova-Bashta was elected to become the first MPP of the newly formed Mississauga Centre riding in Ontario. She is a Registered Nurse who has worked on the front line of our health care system at the Etobicoke General Hospital in the Emergency Department, as well as the Vanier Centre for Women, Ontario’s only female provincial Correctional facility.

The Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance

Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy is the MPP for Pickering-Uxbridge and the Minister of Finance. Bethlenfalvy has also served as the president of the treasury board and the Minister Responsible for Digital and Data Transformation. He led the creation of Ontario’s Office of the Comptroller General – the first of its kind in any Canadian province. He is also the Chair of the Audit and Accountability Committee and the Future State Modernization Committee. Bethlenfalvy has represented Pickering-Uxbridge as MPP since 2018.

The Honourable Caroline Mulroney, President of the Treasury Board

Minister Caroline Mulroney is the MPP of York-Simcoe, Minister of Francophone Affairs, and President of the Treasury Board. She previously served as the Minister of Transportation and as Attorney General. Mulroney has represented York-Simcoe as MPP since 2018.

The Honourable David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Minister David Piccini is the MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South and the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills. He previously served as the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and the Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges and Universities. Piccini has been the MPP for Northumberland-Peterborough South since 2018.

The Honourable Raymond Sung Joon Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility

Raymond Sung Joon Cho is the current MPP for Scarborough North and the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility. He was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 2016 by-election for the former riding of Scarborough-Rouge. Prior to this, he served as a City Councillor in Toronto for Ward 42 Scarborough-Rouge. Cho has also worked as a social worker for the Catholic Children’s Aid Society, the Toronto Board of Education, and the Scarborough Board of Education.

The Honourable Jill Dunlop, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response (Formerly Minister of Education)

Minister Jill Dunlop is the MPP for Simcoe North and has been appointed the Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response. Previously, Dunlop served as the Minister of Education, the Minister of Colleges and Universities and the Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues. Dunlop has represented Simcoe North as MPP since 2018.

The Honourable Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions (Formerly Associate Minister of Housing)

Associate Minister Vijay Thanigasalam is the MPP for Scarborough-Rouge Park and the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. Previously, Thanigasalam was the Associate Minister of Housing as part of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. He previously served as the Associate Minister of Transportation and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation. Thanigasalam has been the MPP for Scarborough–Rouge Park since 2018.

Rapid Recap: Premier Ford’s Post-Election “Renewed” Cabinet

Rapid Recap: Premier Ford’s Post-Election “Renewed” Cabinet

Minister Role Changes:

Associate Minister Role Changes:

Changes to Ministries’ Areas of Authority and Responsibilities:

What Happens Next?

Further Reading

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