TORONTO – The message is clear: no revolution, in Queen’s Park right now the priority is to give continuity to the government action inaugurated in the past legislature.
The “new” executive that was sworn in last Friday actually has very little “new”. It was essentially a simple government reshuffle, with the main ministries being re-entrusted to the outgoing ministers. In the hierarchies of the circle of loyalists of Prime Minister Doug Ford to rise was Sylvia Jones, who in the government organization chart takes the place of Christine Elliott: the role of deputy prime minister and, at the same time, of Minister of Health, certify how the mp elected in Dufferin-Caledon has now become the right arm of the conservative leader. First elected to Queen’s Park in 2007, in the last legislature she held the positions of Minister of Tourism and Sport and later of Solicitor General, before the double promotion in the Ford bis.
The choice of the composition of the government team therefore follows the line of stability and continuity. All key ministers remained in place, starting with Peter Bethlenfalvy for Finance, Vic Fedeli for Economic Development, Mount McNaughton for Labour, Caroline Mulroney for Transport, Stephen Lecce for Public Education, and Paul Calandra in the triple role of Minister for Long-Term Care Homes, Minister for Legislative Affairs and Conservative group leader in the House. The hard core of the new government remains unchanged compared to the executive that accompanied us to the polls in the last legislature.
As for the Italian Canadians, five of the eight deputies of Italian origin remain in government: together with Fedeli, Calandra and Lecce, we find David Piccini as Minister of the Environment and Michael Tibollo in the role of Minister Associated with Mental Health. Nothing to do for Ross Romano, Anthony Leardi and Rudy Cuzzetto, who will have to wait for a possible future reshuffle of half a legislature to enter – or return, in the case of Romano – in the conservative executive.
Now, after the next institutional steps are quickly completed – with the reading of the government program in the Speech from the Throne and the vote of confidence in Queen’s Park – the new legislature will come to life. There are many government challenges for for Ford bis, starting with the precarious economic situation, with galloping inflation, the skyrocketing cost of living and a post-pandemic economic recovery that is struggling to take off.
Along with this, the two years of Covid have also bequeathed us a very heavy budget hole: the provincial government will necessarily have to approve a multi-year fiscal road map to return to a balanced budget.
In Queen’s Park, in any case, the majority of the Progressive Conservative will have a free hand. The two opposition parties, NDP and Liberal Party, in addition to having been reduced numerically at the votes of last June 2, have lost their leadership: both Andrea Horwath and Steven Del Duca announced their resignation on the evening of the vote and the two parties will be engaged in reorganizing their leadership.
