Mulroney returns as Ontario’s Transportation Minister, Bethlenfalvy returns to Finance
Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney Photo: Ontario PC Party
The Honourable Caroline Mulroney has been returned to her position as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Francophone Affairs.
On June 24th, Ontario Premier Doug Ford unveiled his new cabinet which will be tasked with delivering his government’s agenda. Projects already announced include infrastructure, highways, transit and the road to the Ring of Fire.
With the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy returning as Finance Minister, this means that transportation industry members hoping for government to adopt new policies around highway safety and vehicle insurance will continue working the same ministers as before the June 2nd election.
“All we can do is hope for the best,” says Travis McDougall of Truckers for Safer Highways. His group has expressed dismay over the fact that Ontario’s Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk found only 18 per cent of the recommendations she had made for truck driving safety in 2019 had been implemented by December, 2021.
Kristine Hubbard, Operations Manager at Beck Taxi, is fervently hoping Ontario’s new Finance Minister will look at provincial insurance policies which are harming Taxi drivers, especially Accessible Taxi drivers.
“Wheelchair accessible vehicles are being parked. Once again, the people who suffer most are our most vulnerable, including clients who need Accessible Taxis to get to medical appointments,” she points out. As hundreds of Toronto’s customized Accessible vans age out of the system in 2022/23, users fear insurance costs, fuel expenses and lack of vehicle availability will bring the already-overloaded system to collapse.
ICYMI: Gas and insurance rates, maintenance costs for an ageing fleet. Who suffers first? Our most vulnerable citizens. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are being parked. This needs attention from the city and the province now. Thanks again @KellyCutrara!! https://t.co/fMToVfCqoL
— Kristine Hubbard (@KristineHubbard) June 17, 2022
Ontario’s new Executive Council includes the following:
- Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health
- Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance
- Paul Calandra, Minister of Long-Term Care, Minister of Legislative Affairs and Government House Leader
- Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility
- Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
- Doug Downey, Attorney General
- Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities
- Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, with an additional mandate for small business
- Michael Ford, Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism
- Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services
- Parm Gill, Minister of Red Tape Reduction
- Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General
- Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education
- Neil Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
- Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
- Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation and Minister of Francophone Affairs
- David Piccini, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
- Graydon Smith, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry
- George Pirie, Minister of Mines, with a mandate to develop the Ring of Fire
- Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery
- Greg Rickford, Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs
- Prabmeet Sarkaria, President of the Treasury Board, with an expanded mandate for emergency management and procurement, including Supply Ontario
- Todd Smith, Minister of Energy
- Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure, with an additional mandate for government real estate
- Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
- Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation
- Michael Parsa, Associate Minister of Housing
- Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
- Charmaine Williams, Associate Minister of Women’s Social and Economic Opportunity
