SCOOP: Meet the new chiefs of staff
Plus: A "rigged" Speaker's race, Education Minister mulls 4-year teacher contracts, Premiers go West, Bill Walker's new gig, and get ready for fourth doses
ABOVE THE FOLD
First in Queen’s Park Observer — We’ve been teasing it all week, and here it is: The new, post-cabinet-shuffle chiefs of staff lineup.
JAMIE WALLACE, chief to Premier DOUG FORD, sent the roster in a staff memo on Friday morning.
Of note: While HEATHER WATT, longtime chief of staff to ex-Health Minister CHRISTINE ELLIOTT, was expected to stay on with new Minister SYLVIA JONES — that’s no longer the case. VIJAY CHAUHAN will take over the role.
Wallace had plenty of praise for Watt:
“I am sad to report that Heather Watt will be transitioning out of Health but will remain for a time to ensure a smooth handover to the new chief. Heather has been the chief at Health since Day 1 of this government, leading that complex and challenging ministry not only during normal times but during Covid. To suggest that Heather’s been an iron woman doesn’t tell half the story and I couldn’t have done my job if Heather had not done hers so well. I understand Heather will be spending some well-earned time with her family before no doubt tackling great challenges down the road.”
The exodus continues: Wallace also gave a special shout-out to the outgoing chiefs at Treasury Board, CHRIS RASTRICK, and Trade, RON ROSS — who will be returning to the private sector, but not anytime soon. Rastrick “has agreed to remain with us for a brief time to lead some difficult policy files” in the Premier’s Office, Wallace explained, while Ross “leaves with our thanks and good wishes.”
Meanwhile, the chiefs on Government and Consumer Services, CHRIS SCOTT, Women’s Issues, ALEXANDRA HUBBERT, and Digital Government, HOLLY FULLAGER, are getting new, as-yet-unannounced roles. “I’m grateful that Alexandra, Holly and Chris Scott will remain on our team and will have more to say about their new roles shortly,” Wallace said.
Parting shot: Wallace also gave thanks to the departing chiefs, previously scooped by Queen’s Park Observer:
— “MATT HIRAISHI served both in the Premier’s Office and with Minister [STEPHEN] LECCE in Education, landing a negotiated settlement with the teachers in the last term and the new child-care deal with the federal government.
— “ARI LASKIN recently left Colleges and Universities for an important role in that sector. Ari has been a key leader in our government including time in the Premier’s Office and a constant source of good advice.” Laskin is now CEO at Career Colleges Ontario.
— “KAISHA BRUETSCH has also recently departed government for just reward but left behind an incredible record of work and accomplishment with Ontario’s Indigenous communities.” Bruetsch has joined Navigator as associate principal.
Introducing the chiefs of staff, in alphabetical order by ministry:
JOSEPH HILLIER, chief to Attorney General DOUG DOWNEY
TARA BARRY, chief to Agriculture Minister LISA THOMPSON
KRYSTLE CAPUTO, chief to Children, Community and Social Services Minister MERRILEE FULLERTON
DAVID DIPAUL, chief to Citizenship and Multiculturalism Minister MICHAEL FORD
DOUG BREWER, chief to Colleges and Universities Minister JILL DUNLOP
HEATHER POTTER, chief to Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister VIC FEDELI
BLAIR HAINS, chief to Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE
DAVID DONOVAN, chief to Energy Minister TODD SMITH
PHIL WELFORD, chief to Environment Minister DAVID PICCINI
RICHARD CLARK, chief to Finance Minister PETER BETHLENFALVY
VIJAY CHAUHAN, chief to Health Minister SYLVIA JONES
ARYN AZZOPARDI, chief to Infrastructure Minister KINGA SURMA
JOSH WORKMAN, chief to Labour Minister MONTE MCNAUGHTON
OWEN MACRI, acting chief to Legislative Affairs Minister PAUL CALANDRA
MICHAEL KLIMUNTOWSKI, chief to Calandra on the Long-Term Care file
LESLEY WILLIAMS, chief to Mines Minister GEORGE PIRIE
RYAN AMATO, chief to Housing Minister STEVE CLARK
ADAM BLOSKI, chief to Natural Resources and Forestry Minister GRAYDON SMITH
EMILY VASSOS, chief to Northern Development and Indigenous Affairs Minister GREG RICKFORD
MICHELLE STOCK, chief to Public and Business Service Delivery Minister KALEED RASHEED
ROBERT THOMPSON, chief to Red Tape Reduction Minister PARM GILL
JAY JUNG, chief to Seniors and Accessibility Minister RAYMOND CHO
SUSAN TRUPPE, chief to Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister NEIL LUMSDEN
MIKE BEATON, chief to Transportation and Francophone Affairs Minister CAROLINE MULRONEY
JENNA BENDAYAN, chief to Treasury Board President PRABMEET SARKARIA
DAVID GARLAND, chief to Solicitor General MIKE KERZNER
As for the junior ministers:
ALEXANDRA HOENE, chief to Associate Housing Minister MICHAEL PARSA
SUZANNE DENNISON, chief to Associate Mental Health and Addictions Minister MICHAEL TIBOLLO
MICHAEL THOMAS, chief to Associate Transportation Minister STAN CHO
PATRICIA BEST, chief to Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity Minister CHARMAINE WILLIAMS
SPEAKER BOXED — The race for MPP referee is getting heated.
I’ve confirmed reports that the Official Opposition NDP sent a letter to PC Government House Leader PAUL CALANDRA accusing him of “backroom deal-making” over the race for the next Speaker.
As first reported by Queen’s Park Observer, current Speaker TED ARNOTT is vying to stay on. His competition thus far is NINA TANGRI, former junior small biz minister, who would become the first woman Speaker in provincial history.
In the letter, NDP House Leader PEGGY SATTLER accused Calandra of threatening to strip her party of three deputy speaker roles and six committee vice-chair positions if they didn’t join the PCs to express support for Tangri. Sattler demanded Calandra “withdraw [his] threat and allow the democratic process for the election of speaker to unfold without the taint of a rigged election.”
Calandra’s office denied the claims and said he had only “appealed to Ms. Sattler for the NDP’s support.”
All MPPs get a secret ballot vote to decide who will steer them through legislative debates, procedure and decorum. The next Speaker, who is supposed to be neutral, will be decided as soon as the House reconvenes on August 8.
FOUR YEARS GOOD, THREE YEARS BAD — Collective bargaining is ramping up in Ontario’s Education sector.
In a memo, LAURA WALTON, president of CUPE’s Ontario School Boards Council of Unions — obtained by Queen’s Park Observer — said the union will sit down with government negotiators on Monday, July 18. According to Walton, the government initially suggested three dates (the 18th, 20th and 21st), but in the end only agreed to one, for now.
Said Walton: “While we’re disappointed that the trustees’ association and the government aren’t prepared to devote more time to actually negotiate with frontline education workers considering there are only eight weeks left until September, we will be across the table from them on July 18 trying to get a fair deal done that provides more supports for students and makes sure workers’ pay is no longer eroded.”
Meanwhile, Walton revealed Education Minister STEPHEN LECCE is “contemplating a four-year term” for the next collective agreement — a change from the three-year standard that’s laid out in law and would require tweaks to regulation.
The union’s response to the government is due by July 22.
ALL-PREMIERS MEETING — It’s that time of year again.
Canada’s Premier’s are headed West for the summer Council of the Federation meeting — the first in-person event since before the pandemic in 2019, hosted by B.C. Premier JOHN HORGAN, who’s chairing the ceremonies this year.
The meeting goes down Monday and Tuesday with a closing presser slated for Tuesday afternoon.
Top of mind for the first ministers is — you guessed it — joining forces to push PM JUSTIN TRUDEAU on their oft-repeated call to boost provincial health transfers. Trudeau has said those increases would be put on hold until the country got through the worst of the pandemic, and the premiers believe the time is nigh. They want Ottawa to cover 35 per cent of health care costs, up from the current 22 per cent.
Also on the agenda: “affordability issues and economic recovery.”
Green Party leaders from across the country took the opportunity to re-up their call for “a windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies that would be redistributed directly to Canadians.”
HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND
— 6 p.m.: The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario holds their annual general meeting over the weekend. The theme: “COVID-19 Pandemic: Nursing Through Crisis.” Featured MPP speakers include the NDP’s PEGGY SATTLER, the Grits’ JOHN FRASER and the Greens’ MIKE SCHREINER. A PC rep is still being confirmed.
IN OTHER NEWS…
— FOURTH DOSE INCOMING: “Ontario is set to make a decision early next week on whether to expand eligibility of fourth doses of COVID-19 vaccines, amid a seventh wave of the virus.” More from the Canadian Press: “Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. KIERAN MOORE said in an interview that he anticipates news on that will come next week on "both whether and how" to expand the rollout, but he said he is most concerned about the number of people who have not had a third dose yet.”
— BROWN BOMBSHELL: Another day, another whopper in PATRICK BROWN news — this time, featuring another familiar face around Queen’s Park. The latest from the Star: DEBBIE JODOIN, “a veteran Conservative operative who worked on Brown’s campaign has come forward to say she flagged concerns to party brass that led to his disqualification from the leadership contest. Jodoin, employed for about a month as a regional organizer on the Brown campaign, revealed Thursday night that she blew the whistle on how she was paid for her work.
‘Mr. Brown told me that it was permissible for me to be employed by a company as a consultant, and then for that company to have me volunteer with the campaign,’ Jodoin said in a statement through her lawyer…The Conservative Party has said it believes such an arrangement would contravene Canada’s election finance laws and has referred the matter to the federal elections watchdog.”
— LABOUR PAINS: “Sluggish labour force growth and ongoing supply chain disruptions are contributing to recruiting challenges for the red-hot construction industry, leading some builders to defer or even cancel projects as they seek to fill record-high job vacancies.” Story from the Financial Post.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
BEYOND THE BUBBLE — Former Minister and longtime MPP BILL WALKER has returned to his roots in the energy sector, as the new president and CEO of the Organization of Canadian Nuclear Industries.
— LUCCA BUCCI, who most recently served as chief of staff to Housing Minister STEVE CLARK, has landed at the Ontario Home Builders’ Association as CEO.
WANTED — Colleges and Universities Minister JILL DUNLOP is on the hunt for new recruits to join her policy team.
SPOTTED:
Ontario Chamber of Commerce President ROCCO ROSSI on a trade mission in Seoul, Korea…MPPs’ legislative offices getting re-keyed, a post-election routine and another sign that the House is gearing up for the summer sitting on August 8.
LOBBYING DISPATCH
Here are the new, renewed and amended registrations over the past 24 hours:
— Alex Bernst, StrategyCorp: National Association of Canadian Consulting Businesses
— John Penner, StrategyCorp: Carfax Canada
— Kelly Baker and Kailey Vokes, StrategyCorp: Mondelez Canada
— Ralph Palumbo, The Hillcrest Consulting Group: Used Car Dealers Association of Ontario, Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario, The Shad Foundation, Ontario Federation of Trail Riders, Mitigokaa Develoment Corp., MCW Group of Companies
— Daniel Pascucci, Rubicon Strategy: Alamos Gold Inc
— Jan O'Driscoll, Rubicon Strategy: KWG Resources Inc
— Will Stewart, Hill + Knowlton Strategies: Neuron Mobility
In-house organizations: Ontario Retirement Communities Association — Ontario Library Association — Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada — Alectra.
🥳 HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Infrastructure Minister KINGA SURMA…KATE HARRISON, vice-chair at Summa Strategies…(BELATED): Veteran Tory operative JENNI BYRNE.