Premier Ford Appoints Renewed Cabinet in the Face of Looming Trade War

Today, Premier Doug Ford and his newly appointed cabinet were officially sworn in following the Progressive Conservative Party’s third consecutive majority government victory. The Premier’s new Cabinet is comprised of 36 members – in line with his previous Cabinet. With the backdrop of ongoing tariff threats from the US and wide-spread economic uncertainty, this cabinet will be focused on strengthening Ontario’s economic prosperity.  

Aside from the acute tariff concerns, the Ford Government will continue to focus on the items highlighted in its campaign platform including:  

• Building Ontario’s economy, including investing in infrastructure, transit, and housing.
• Protecting Ontario workers.
• Keeping Ontario competitive, particularly in the face of tariffs.  
• Cleaning up our streets.
• Delivering better care and services in Ontario’s health care system.

What Does This Mean?

With uncertainty becoming the new norm, the Premier has opted to keep his most senior cabinet positions relatively unchanged. However, he has also made some changes to the rest of the bench, including some promotions, some demotions, and a number of portfolios being shuffled between Ministries.  

Throughout the campaign, Ford maintained a narrative that the people of Ontario should give him a mandate for stability. While we saw more change today than many expected, by keeping his senior ministers in place, he is largely standing by his campaign commitments.  

The Premier has made it clear that responding to the US’s threats by strengthening Ontario’s own economy and trade relationships will be a top priority for this government. Having been re-elected with a strong majority mandate, Ford won’t have to answer to voters for another four years, meaning his government can take swift action without the fear of an election looming.  

As ministers get back to work, we can expect them to consult industry stakeholders on how best to respond to the situation in the US and how to prevent significant disruption in Ontario. Without fully understanding the implications of the tariffs on different sectors in Ontario, they cannot fully implement a plan to respond. Now is the time for businesses in Ontario to be advocating to the provincial government to ensure disruption is limited.

Find out who's in, who's out and what's next for Ontario by reading our full analysis here.