Following just four months in office, Premier Doug Ford has pressed the reset button.As first disclosed by the Star, Ford has shuffled his cabinet, demoting some under performers and promoting up-and-coming ministers.âAfter four months of unprecedented action, we are taking this opportunity to calibrate our cabinet assignments to ensure we continue to deliver on our commitments to the people,â the rookie premier said Monday.Read more:Premier Doug Ford shuffles cabinet after Jim Wilsonâs departureOntario minister Jim Wilson quits to tackle addiction issuesPremier unveils âopen for businessâ signs as Ontarioâs unemployment rate remains lowâWe have the best team in politics and a plan that is working,â he said after meeting with Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell at Queenâs Park for a hastily called swearing-in ceremony.Ford said his hand was forced by the surprise resignation Friday of Jim Wilson, who was minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade.Only hours after the premier told reporters in Sarnia that Wilson was an âall-star minister,â the veteran Simcoe-Grey MPP announced he was stepping down from cabinet to deal with addiction issues.He has also left the Progressive Conservative caucus for reasons that remain unclear.Government house leader Todd Smith is the new Economic Development minister.Demoted was Michael Tibollo, who moves to Tourism, Culture, and Sport after a shaky 129 days minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.Tibollo got off to a rocky start in July when he boasted of going on a police ride-along to Jane and Finch while sporting a bullet-proof vest.âI want to reassure everyone that the focus of this government is to ensure that safety is paramount in all communities. Personally, I went out to Jane and Finch, put on a bulletproof vest and spent 7 oâclock to 1 oâclock in the morning visiting sites that had previously had bullet-r ...
|