KAWARTHA LAKES-Premier Doug Ford announced changes to his Cabinet just hours after the resignation of long-time MPP Monte McNaughton.
McNaughton announced on Friday he was leaving politics to work in the private sector.
“I realize that recent events will cause some to speculate about the reasons for my departure. I want those people to know that my decision is completely unrelated to those events,” he said in a statement.
The move comes on the heels of two other resignations and Ford’s reversal of his decision to open part of the Greenbelt to housing construction.
The Premier thanked McNaughton for his service.
“I’m very grateful for Monte’s work as a key member of our team, both as minister of infrastructure and, more recently, minister of labour, immigration, training, and skills development,” Ford said.
McNaughton was elected in 2011 as the MPP for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and was appointed as infrastructure minister in 2018.
In the shuffle David Piccini becomes Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development; Andrea Khanjin becomes Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; Todd McCarthy becomes Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery; and Vijay Thanigasalam becomes Associate Minister of Transportation.
Andrea Khanjin will retain additional responsibilities as Deputy Government House Leader. All other ministers maintain their existing portfolios.
