Kathleen Wynne, Ontario's 25th Premier, introduced her cabinet at Queen's Park on Monday afternoon, Feb. 11, and Ottawa's Bob Chiarelli has landed in the hotly controversial energy portfolio. The 71-year-old former Mayor of Ottawa is no stranger to either politics or controversy. Undoubtedly, the new Premier selected the Ottawa lawyer and businessman for his long experience and his ability to manage difficult files. Chiarelli is well remembered around the national capital region for his adept handling of the ice storm which struck eastern Ontario and western Quebec a few days after Chiarelli had been elected to the Regional Chairmanship of Ottawa-Carleton in 1997.
Ontario's new minister of energy will need all of his diplomatic and political skills over the coming weeks as his department is surely going to be in the news on an almost daily basis. The Auditor-General of Ontario is expected to report shortly on his investigation into the power plant controversy in the western GTA. The Ontario government is still in a precarious minority situation in the legislature and both opposition parties have clearly indicated that they will be taking the Provincial Auditor's report on power plants to a legislative committee at the earliest opportunity this spring.
Another high-profile appointment to the new Wynne cabinet is former Winnipeg Mayor and Toronto Centre MPP Glen Murray who takes over the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, an assignment that will give the energetic and loquacious Murray plenty of opportunity to interact with Toronto City Council on the growing concerns about gridlock in Canada's largest city. And to no one's surprise, Ms. Wynne appointed Mississauga South MPP Charles Sousa, a 54-year-old former banker, as Ontario's next minister of finance. Well-liked and respected by his Liberal colleagues as a good listener and conciliator, Sousa played a pivotal role at the recent Liberal leadership convention throwing his support on the second ballot to the eventual winner, Ms. Wynne.
At the swearing-in ceremony, Premier Wynne, Ontario's first female government leader, indicated that she intends to "reach out" to both opposition parties to find ways to make the minority government work. It remains to be seen how long Ontarians will be spared another election given the many contentious issues on the agenda and with the ever-present multi-billion deficit ($11.9B) limiting spending options. However, it was left to Mississauga's legendary 92-year-old Mayor Hazel McCallion, on hand at Queen's Park for Premier Wynne's installation, to observe "Now that we have a woman in charge, things will be different!"
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