Ontario Premier Doug Ford shuffled his cabinet Thursday, moving David Piccini, who is under an ethics investigation, from labour to infrastructure, naming Kinga Surma as Treasury Board president and switching other members of his front bench.
asserted
who → shuffle → bench
The shuffle, which involved nine members, was positioned by Mr. Ford’s office as a response to the trade war with U.S. President Donald Trump.
asserted
which → involve → Trump
But opposition parties dismissed the changes as merely cosmetic.
asserted
parties → dismiss → changes
“This is a good team for our plan to fight the tariffs, fight President Trump,” Mr. Ford told reporters at Queen’s Park.
asserted
Ford → fight → Park
“I’m 100 per cent zoned in on the tariffs and on President Trump.”
asserted
I → zone → Trump
Some of the changes announced were spurred by recent resignations from Mr. Ford’s cabinet.
asserted
Some → announce → cabinet
Ms. Surma, formerly infrastructure minister, will take over as Treasury Board president from Caroline Mulroney, who resigned as both a minister and MPP in June.
asserted
who → take → June
The Premier moved Mr. Piccini – who is facing an ethics probe – from the Labour Ministry to infrastructure, a large role overseeing megaprojects and billions in spending.
asserted
who → move → spending
Integrity Commissioner Cathryn Motherwell is investigating whether Mr. Piccini contravened the rules that govern MPPs in his handling of a controversial $2.5-billion skills training fund.
asserted
that → investigate → fund
The report has not yet been released.
asserted
report → release → ?
The new cabinet will be in the legislature when the fall session begins on Oct. 27, after an extended summer break.
asserted
session → begin → break
The government has faced criticism from opposition parties for the long recess but Mr. Ford has said it was necessary to avoid interfering with municipal elections on Oct. 26.
asserted
it → face → Oct.
And he made it clear Thursday that he has no intention of bringing the legislature back earlier.
asserted
he → make → legislature
“We get so much more done when we aren’t in the house,” he said.
asserted
he → get → house
Other top ministers in finance, education, energy and health remain unchanged.
asserted
ministers → remain → finance
Mr. Ford defended his decision to keep Mr. Piccini on the front bench, calling the portfolio change a “natural move” from labour, where the minister oversaw the training of tens of thousands of workers.
asserted
minister → defend → workers
Trevor Jones, previously agriculture minister, becomes Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
asserted
Jones → become → Labour
Sam Oosterhoff, formerly the associate minister of energy, becomes Agriculture Minister.
asserted
Oosterhoff → become → energy
Mr. Saunderson, a former Olympic rower, becomes Sports Minister, taking over from Neil Lumsden, who resigned earlier this summer.
Ms. Cooper becomes associate minister of mental health and addictions, and Mr. Rae is associate minister of energy-intensive industries, which is part of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
asserted
which → become → Energy
Zee Hamid, formerly the associate minister of auto theft and bail reform, becomes Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.
asserted
Hamid → become → Tourism
He takes over the portfolio from Toronto MPP Stan Cho, who resigned from Mr. Ford’s cabinet in July after it was revealed he billed thousands in local hotel stays in recent years.
asserted
he → take → years
The government said it eliminated Mr. Hamid’s previous post because its mandate “has been fulfilled,” pointing to stronger bail compliance rules and better tools for police to keep repeat offenders behind bars.
asserted
police → say → bars
Vijay Thanigasalam takes on the new role of associate minister of artificial intelligence adoption, which is part of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
asserted
which → take → Development
The government said the role is being created “to ensure Ontario remains at the forefront of responsible AI adoption.
asserted
Ontario → say → adoption
The changes come on the heels of three by-elections held last week, which saw Mr. Ford’s PCs retain the two seats they held before the votes were called.
asserted
votes → come → seats
The results followed months of controversy for the Premier, including over his aborted decision to buy a $28.9-million private jet.
asserted
results → follow → jet
But in recent weeks, Mr. Ford saw his poll numbers rebound after the escalation of the trade war – and an exchange of public insults with Mr. Trump.
asserted
numbers → see → Trump
Opposition MPPs dismissed the shuffle as window dressing.
asserted
MPPs → dismiss → dressing
The NDP’s Kristyn Wong-Tam said moving Mr. Piccini from labour to infrastructure was an attempt to distract from the ethics investigation.
asserted
moving → say → investigation
“There seems to be no punishment for wrongdoing when a Ford cabinet minister does something egregious, mismanages public dollars,” the Toronto MPP said.
asserted
MPP → seem → dollars
“They simply get moved around to another cabinet post.”
asserted
They → move → post
Interim Liberal leader John Fraser said the shuffle does nothing to help workers facing tariff-induced job losses – and pointed to the fact that, with 37 ministers, Mr. Ford has maintained his record-sized cabinet.
asserted
Ford → say → cabinet
“Ontarians were hoping for a plan today.
asserted
Ontarians → hop → plan
They got a new seating chart,” Mr. Fraser said in a statement, calling Mr. Ford’s the “most bloated cabinet in Ontario’s history.”
asserted
Fraser → get → history
The Aporia
