The Globe and Mail
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Laura Stone, Jeff Gray
Ontario Premier Doug Ford reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, moving nine ministers to new positions while positioning the changes as a response to the trade war with the U.S., though opposition parties saw them as cosmetic. Notably, David Piccini moved from Labour to Infrastructure despite facing an ethics investigation for alleged misuse of a $2.5-billion skills training fund. The shuffle also involved Kinga Surma becoming Treasury Board president and Trevor Jones taking over as Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Ontario Premier Doug Ford reshuffled his cabinet on Thursday, moving nine ministers to new positions amid an ethics investigation involving David Piccini. Formerly head of the Labour Ministry, Piccini is now in charge of infrastructure, overseeing major projects and billions in spending, while facing a probe by Integrity Commissioner Cathryn Motherwell.
In response to recent resignations and under scrutiny for handling a controversial matter improperly, Ford appointed Kinga Surma as Treasury Board president, replacing Caroline Mulroney who stepped down in June. Other changes include Ms. Cooper becoming associate minister of mental health and addictions and Mr. Rae taking on the role of associate minister of energy-intensive industries.
Ford defended these changes as part of his plan to counter U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs but opposition parties viewed them skeptically, arguing they were merely superficial adjustments. The shuffle also included naming former Olympic rower Gordon MacQUEEN-SAUNDERS as Sports Minister, taking over from Neil Lumsden who resigned earlier this summer.
These cabinet changes reflect Ford’s efforts to manage political challenges and maintain stability within his government while addressing economic tensions with the U.S., although their effectiveness remains questionable given opposition skepticism.
Written for “Canada Cabinet Shuffle” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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.
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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.
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which → involve → Trump
But opposition parties dismissed the changes as merely cosmetic.
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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.
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Ford → fight → Park
“I’m 100 per cent zoned in on the tariffs and on President Trump.”
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I → zone → Trump
Some of the changes announced were spurred by recent resignations from Mr. Ford’s cabinet.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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that → investigate → fund
The report has not yet been released.
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report → release → ?
The new cabinet will be in the legislature when the fall session begins on Oct. 27, after an extended summer break.
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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.
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it → face → Oct.
And he made it clear Thursday that he has no intention of bringing the legislature back earlier.
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he → make → legislature
“We get so much more done when we aren’t in the house,” he said.
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he → get → house
Other top ministers in finance, education, energy and health remain unchanged.
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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.
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minister → defend → workers
Trevor Jones, previously agriculture minister, becomes Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
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Jones → become → Labour
Sam Oosterhoff, formerly the associate minister of energy, becomes Agriculture Minister.
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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.
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which → become → Energy
Zee Hamid, formerly the associate minister of auto theft and bail reform, becomes Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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which → take → Development
The government said the role is being created “to ensure Ontario remains at the forefront of responsible AI adoption.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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numbers → see → Trump
Opposition MPPs dismissed the shuffle as window dressing.
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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.
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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.
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MPP → seem → dollars
“They simply get moved around to another cabinet post.”
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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.
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Ford → say → cabinet
“Ontarians were hoping for a plan today.
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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.”
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Fraser → get → history
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