Premier Ford Restructures the Ontario Government

... continued 

No one will be going on holidays soon. The Legislature will begin sitting on July 9, with the first job of electing a Speaker, and priority legislation to follow. This will likely include Labour legislation to end the York University strike, and possibly walking back much of Bill 148 which included Employment Standard issues, a $15 minimum wage and personal leave provisions, amongst others.

Labour Minister Laurie Scott is a caucus veteran and an outstanding choice for the position. She will be tough but fair in a traditional labour management battleground on many issues. The construction industry was promised an overhaul of Bill 148 and she will be under pressure to move in the July sitting of the house.

OGCA, with the CEC, have also opened a discussion of the funding of WSIB and the opportunity to cut premiums with the unfunded liability now retired.

The old Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities is now back with a refreshed mandate, including full responsibilities for the oversight of the College of Trades which had been with the Ministry of Labour.

The new Minister is Merrilee Fullerton, a newly elected member and a medical doctor. George Zegarac becomes Deputy Minister. They will be challenged to respond to the Skilled Trades crisis and deal with the political deadlock in OCOT, which is struggling to deal with the demands on labour, management, compulsory and non-compulsory trades. We are involved with the Ontario Skilled Trades Alliance (OSTA) to recommend a new direction going forward.

Caucus veteran Monte McNaughton is the new Infrastructure Minister. We have worked on many files with Monte and he knows the industry well. He is an excellent selection. Infrastructure remains a standalone Ministry but it will share a Deputy with the Transportation Ministry. Scott Thompson is the new Deputy with a mandate to coordinate the Infrastructure and Transportation files.

We have written to the Premier and Minister McNaughton with a proposal to identify $1 billion in savings in process without losing value in the infrastrture investment. Giles Gherson  is now Deputy Minister to Cabinet Office with responsibilities for Red Tape and Regulatory Burden Reduction. This is a clear sign that government will be focused on cost savings and budgetary controls.

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