Who's up, who's down
And cocktails with Carney
☀️ Before we dig in, a programming note: MPPs may have left the building but don’t worry, Queen’s Park Observer is sticking around and will continue daily coverage on all things #onpoli. It’ll be a summer of deep dives, so if you’ve got a story, cause, tip or anonymous brown envelope that requires some digging into, hit me up. 💌
And some housekeeping: For our new subscribers, I want to take the opportunity to remind you about my time-off policy. Each year, I take four weeks off — two in the summer and two in the winter. During some of those weeks, you’ll receive no new newsletters. But during other weeks, you’ll receive one or two roundup posts, depending on the news cycle. That way, you won’t miss any important goings-on at Queen’s Park, and the time off helps me recharge and write better stuff the rest of the year. Happy summer!
ABOVE THE FOLD
A wild end to the spring session — and the summer is shaping up to be no different. Here’s what you need to know about a whirlwind 24 hours at Queen’s Park.
We called it! — SHUFFLE UP — Premier DOUG FORD put us gossip-mongers out of our misery and pulled the trigger on his cabinet shuffle on the last sitting day of the spring session.
It’s topical: Ford is halfway through his second mandate and could use some fresh blood on the front bench. Whether the next election is Spring 2025, as first intimated in this newsletter, or as-scheduled in June 2026, this latest shuffle is a preview of, as Ford might put it, his all-star champion reelection squad.
The timing is also ripe because MPPs won’t be back in the House until October 21 (more on that momentarily), allowing shuffled ministers plenty of time to get up to speed on their new files. As we first told you, Ford is headlining a $1,000-a-head summer kickoff fundraiser in Toronto on June 20, where he’ll debut the fresh faces.
At 36 ministers, Ford is now steering the biggest cabinet ever. Who’s who:
Biggest move: STEPHEN LECCE is taking over Energy, which has now tacked on Electrification with an eye to EV policy. TODD SMITH is taking up the mantle for Lecce at Education.
Don’t call it a comeback: STEVE CLARK — ex-housing minister who resigned amid the ongoing Greenbelt drama — is back in the inner circle as Government House Leader. PAUL CALANDRA is still in charge at MMAH.
Fresh faces: NATALIA KUSENDOVA-BASHTA (Mississauga Centre) is taking over Long-Term Care. MIKE HARRIS JR. (Kitchener-Conestoga) takes over Red Tape Reduction, which was put into play when PARM GILL bolted to run for PIERRE POILIEVRE. Ottawa also scored its closest representation in NOLAN QUINN (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry), who’s junior minister of the newly created Associate Forestry portfolio. Ex-OPP TREVOR JONES (Chatham-Kent-Leamington) is now Associate Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response.
STEPHEN CRAWFORD (Oakville) is Associate Minister of Mines and SAM OOSTERHOFF (Niagara West) is Lecce’s Associate Minister on Energy-Intensive Industries.
Downsizing and splitting: STAN CHO is now at Tourism, Culture and Gaming, with responsibility for the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. CFL Hall of Famer NEIL LUMSDEN is staying on Sport. ROB FLACK (Elgin-London-Middlesex) goes from Associate Minister of Housing to minister of the renamed Ministry of Farming, Agriculture and Agribusiness, while LISA THOMPSON helms the downsized Ministry of Rural Affairs. GREG RICKFORD leads the now-standalone Ministry of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. He’s sticking around on Northern Development too. VIJAY THANIGASALAM goes from Associate Transportation to Associate Housing Minister. TODD McCARTHY adds Procurement to his Public and Business Service Delivery file.
MIA: Rookie ZEE HAMID (Milton) — but he did score a Parliamentary Assistant gig under the Finance Minister.
Staying put: Ministers on the highest-profile portfolios — Finance, Health, Transportation, Infrastructure and Municipal Affairs and Housing. Full roster.
In the corner office: Ford’s chief of staff PATRICK SACKVILLE is sticking around for now.
The shade: Green Leader MIKE SCHREINER said the revamp isn’t enough to “repair the damage caused by this government.”
SO LONG UNTIL AFTER THANKSGIVING — MPPs are trekking back to their ridings for the summer recess a week early, and won’t be back until October 21.
That lops off six weeks of the fall session, which was originally scheduled to kickoff after Labour Day in September. PAUL CALANDRA, who was PC House Leader up until last evening, said the government managed to clear its high-priority bills while the leftovers remaining on the Order Paper need more consultation. More on that in a sec.
To the furrows: The House typically adjourns so MPPs can attend the annual International Plowing Match, which is slated for the first week in October. The new schedule means all MPPs will be able to swap their blazers and ties for rubber boots and 10-gallon hats to court rural Ontarians, while party leaders hop on tractors to compete for who can plow the straightest furrow.
Excuses, excuses: Calandra’s line aside, and coupled with the shuffle, the extended break isn’t doing much to rein in early election speculation, which Premier DOUG FORD addressed at a recent cabinet meeting. As Grit captain BONNIE CROMBIE put it: “It will be a summer of campaigning.”
At her year-end presser, Crombie said she’s hitting the summer barbecue circuit and next stops on her tour include southwestern pockets of the province, where the Liberals need to pick up seats — including London and Windsor. She’s also headed back east and up north, to Sudbury and Thunder Bay.
SCOOP — Cocktails with Carney: Crombie is also ramping up on the fundraising side, co-hosting a cocktail night next week at Miller Thomson LLP’s offices on King Street alongside MARK CARNEY, the former Bank of Canada head with political ambitions. Tickets go for $1,750 a pop.
Back at the Leg, Oppo accused the government of getting out of dodge to avoid accountability on health care, education and the good ol’ gravy train.
NDPer WAYNE GATES reupped his favourite phrase from his St. Catharines Collegiate days to make the point: “When the going gets tough, the tough get going. And what is this government doing? When the going gets tough, what are you guys doing? You’re running out of this Legislature, not only a week early, but you’re not filing out until October 21,” he said during debate on the adjournment motion.
Others were blindsided. “That’s not right,” said Liberal JOHN FRASER.
HAPPENING TODAY
11 a.m.: NDP CHRIS GLOVER marks the second National Day Against Gun Violence alongside advocates and community members.
FUNDRAISING WATCH — 7 p.m.: PC ROB FLACK is hosting in London for $200 a head. Invite.
THE HOUSE IS OUT. Ditto committees. It’s summer! MPPs get back at it October 21.
No rest for the committees: While there’s no Question Period, debates or laws being tabled or tweaked for the next four months or so, committees are still on the grind, including to continue their study of Ministry Estimates.
THURSDAY’S RUNDOWN
Bills, bills, bills: It was another mad dash to get items on, or or off, the Clerk’s table ahead of the recess.
Tabled I: Bill 210, from the NDP backbench, which would crackdown on gun smugglers by requiring the minister of the day to come up with an illegal handgun litigation plan.
Tabled II: Bill 211, co-sponsored by the NDP’s KRISTYN WONG-TAM, Green AISLINN CLANCY and Liberal MARY-MARGARET McMAHON, to proclaim every October 18 as Persons Day.
Passed: PC NATALIA KUSENDOVA-BASHTA’s motion calling on the government to expand eligibility for access to the Lung Cancer Screening Program.
Killed, perhaps unsurprisingly: NDPer JENN FRENCH’s motion to bring back EV chargers for new homes in the Building Code. Despite making it rain for EVs, DOUG FORD previously refused to restore those measures.
Off to committee: Liberal LUCILLE COLLARD’s private member’s Bill 133 — to proclaim September Kids’ Online Safety and Privacy Month — will go under the microscope at Social Policy after clearing second reading on a voice vote (which means no major opposition to it).
Royal nod: Lieutenant Governor EDITH DUMONT did her usual last-day-of-the-session thing and visited the chamber to give Royal Assent to the following: Bill 99, the movable soccer goalposts legislation — Bill 159, the puppy-mill crackdown PUPS Act — Bill 171, which beefs up veterinary care — Bill 185, the housing red-tape reduction package — Bill 188, which bolsters child welfare protections — Bill 200, the NOSI-banning legislation.
MPP RECEIPTS REVEALED — Another end-of-session gift for the accountability wonks: MPP expense reports are out, and I’ve exclusively laid them out for you here. Check out ministerial expense claims here, and Oppo receipts here.
CLIPPINGS
While you were sleeping — THE BETTER WAY — A TTC strike was averted with both sides securing a deal at the eleventh hour. That’s a major relief for your morning commute downtown — especially since Premier DOUG FORD shot down the possibility of back-to-work legislation (unless Mayor OLIVIA CHOW had asked).
— SCORE!: DBRS has upgraded Ontario’s credit rating for the first time since 2006.
— IN MISSISSAUGA: “CAROLYN PARRISH’s lead in Mississauga's mayoral byelection has almost disappeared in the final days before the vote on June 10, according to polling data.” CBC reports.
Ex-Mayor BONNIE CROMBIE urged folks to go out to the polls as advanced voter turnout tanked.
— SO LONG SUBSIDIES: Sun columnist Brian Lilley bemoans the eye-watering taxpayer-funded per-vote subsidy political parties received in 2023. The subsidy is being phased out this year — and offset by rising donation limits — which could put the NDP and Liberals at a financial disadvantage in particular.
In case you missed it, we got the jump on political parties’ fiscal standings in 2023 and so far in 2024.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
PROMOTIONS — In Transportation Minister PRABMEET SARKARIA’s office, SYDNEY DUBIN is now manager of communications. ADAM ABER is now senior public appointments and policy adviser.
BEYOND THE BUBBLE — Grassroots Public Affairs’ PETER SEEMANN is now president of Tory hangout the Albany Club.
QUESTION PERIOD
The last debate of the spring started on a sombre note with a moment of silence for the AFZAAL family.
THE HIGHLIGHTS: “Will the Premier admit that he has lost touch with the people of Ontario?” — “FAO’s projection that there’s going to be an overall shortfall of $3.7 billion” at MCCSS — “What immediate steps will this government take to make sure that we never see another family and another community devastated by Islamophobic hate?” — “Tell me how the party that prides itself on fiscal responsibility is running a $9.8-billion deficit. Let’s also not forget about the $6.9 million that it costs to staff the Premier’s office” — “Instead of funding for-profit clinics, will the Premier provide sustainable funding to Hope Air” — “Ontarians have lost trust in the ability of the Licence Appeal Tribunal to fairly adjudicate homeowner warranty disputes with Tarion” — “When will you update the Air Quality Health Index so people have the information that they need to keep themselves and their families safe?” — “With a serious gap in the federal government’s current ability to test waste water in Ontario, why would this government abruptly cut.”
Expecting the Lobbying Dispatch here? Don’t worry, you’re not missing anything. There were no new, renewed or amended registrations on record over the past 24 hours.
🥳 HAPPY BIRTHDAY: ON SUNDAY — Green Party Leader MIKE SCHREINER…Host of TVO’s The Agenda STEVE PAIKIN.
🍽️ ON THE MENU: Wondering whether to pick up lunch or brown-bag it? The basement cafeteria is slinging Thai tofu curry on special.
⏳ COUNTDOWN: T-minus 136 days until the House reconvenes…3 days until the Mississauga mayoral election.