Executive Council of Ontario


The Executive Council of Ontario, informally, and more commonly, the Cabinet of Ontario, plays an important role in the
Government of Ontario, in accordance with the Westminster system.
A council of ministers of the Crown chaired by the Premier of Ontario, the Executive Council, almost always made up of members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, advises the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario on how to exercise the executive functions of the Ontario Crown. The members of the council are appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, on the advice of the Premier. Though the Lieutenant Governor does not generally attend council meetings, directives issued by the viceroy on the advice of his or her ministers are said to be ordered by the Governor-in-Council. Ministers hold the honorific prefix "The Honourable" while members of the council.
The cabinet is thus similar in structure and role to the federal Queen's Privy Council for Canada, though smaller in size, and, whereas the federal cabinet is actually a committee of the Queen's Privy Council, the Executive Council of Ontario and Cabinet of Ontario are one and the same. Also, unlike the Queen's Privy Council, members of the Ontario Executive Council are not appointed for life, and are not entitled to post-nominal letters due to their position.
Most cabinet ministers are the head of a ministry, but this is not always the case. The Lieutenant Governor, advised by the Premier, determines which portfolios will be created. It is then up to the new minister to organize his or her department, and to present legislation for the new ministry if none exists.

Current cabinet

and his cabinet were sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell on June 29, 2018, after the previous government of Kathleen Wynne was defeated in the general election of June 7, 2018. On November 2, 2018, Jim Wilson resigned and his portfolio was assigned to Todd Smith on an interim basis. There was a small cabinet shuffle on November 5, 2018, that gave Todd Smith, the portfolio full-time. The portfolio of Minister of Government and Consumer Services was then assigned to the newest member of the Executive Council, Bill Walker, previously the Chief Government Whip. This cabinet shuffle also included having Michael Tibollo and Sylvia Jones swap their respective portfolios, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. The final piece to this cabinet shuffle saw Jeff Yurek swap portfolio with John Yakabuski.
On April 4, 2019, Sylvia Jones was sworn in as Solicitor General of Ontario.
On June 20, 2019, Premier Ford shuffled his cabinet, by making the following changes:
MinisterPortfolioSince
Doug FordPremier of Ontario2018
Doug FordMinister of Intergovernmental Affairs2018
Christine ElliottDeputy Premier2018
Christine ElliottMinister of Health2019
Michael TibolloAssociate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions2019
Merrilee FullertonMinister of Long-Term Care2019
Rod PhillipsMinister of Finance2019
Vic FedeliMinister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade2019
Vic FedeliChair of Cabinet2018
Prabmeet SarkariaAssociate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction2019
Stephen LecceMinister of Education2019
Ross RomanoMinister of Colleges and Universities2019
Todd SmithMinister of Children, Community and Social Services2019
Paul CalandraGovernment House Leader2019
Monte McNaughtonMinister of Labour2019
Lisa MacLeodMinister of Tourism, Culture and Sport2019
Jill DunlopAssociate Minister of Children and Women's Issues2019
Raymond ChoMinister of Seniors and Accessibility2018
John YakabuskiMinister of Natural Resources and Forestry2018
Laurie ScottMinister of Infrastructure2019
Greg RickfordMinister of Northern Development and Mines2018
Greg RickfordMinister of Energy2018
Greg RickfordMinister of Indigenous Affairs2018
Sylvia JonesSolicitor General of Ontario2019
Ernie HardemanMinister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs2018
Steve ClarkMinister of Municipal Affairs and Housing2018
Jeff YurekMinister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks2019
Peter BethlenfalvyPresident of the Treasury Board2018
Bill WalkerAssociate Minister of Energy2019
Lisa ThompsonMinister of Government and Consumer Services2019
Caroline MulroneyMinister of Transportation2019
Caroline MulroneyMinister of Francophone Affairs2018
Kinga SurmaAssociate Minister of Transportation 2019
Doug DowneyAttorney General2019

Former portfolios