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MPP Jones doesn’t expect much from shuffled provincial cabinet

June 23, 2016   ·   0 Comments

Premier Kathleen Wynne shuffled her cabinet last week, but that shouldn’t bring many positive results, as far as Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones is concerned.

The new cabinet has 30 members, including seven who have been promoted from the back benches. Twelve members of the cabinet are women, amounting to 40 per cent.

Ms. Jones is also children and youth services critic for the Progressive Conservative caucus, and she said she was pleased to see Ms. Wynne gave that file to someone else.

“I’m happy that the former minister of Children and Youth has been shuffled out,” she said.

The former minister, Tracy MacCharles, has now taken on the responsibility for Women’s Issues and Accessibility. Michael Coteau is now in charge of Children and Youth Services, as well as anti-racism, having been moved from Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Ms. Jones said she found it frustrating to get answers from Ms. MacCharles.

On Monday, she sent an open letter to Mr. Coteau, congratulating him on his appointment and asking that he reverse the March 29 decision of his predecessor to cut off children over the age of 5 from accessing IBI therapy.

“I hope the new Minister of Children and Youth Services will listen to the thousands of parents impacted, the numerous experts and municipalities and allow children over the age of 5 to access this life-changing therapy,” Ms. Jones said.

“I look forward to hearing the Minister announce he will be reversing this decision,” Jones said.

She was also not too taken with the size of the new cabinet, pointing out that only three people were dropped, and they had all announced their resignations before the shuffle. They were Mario Sergio, who was responsible for seniors’ issues, former attorney general Madeleine Meilleur and Ted McMeekin, who had been in charge of municipal affairs and housing.

“I think it’s too big,” Ms. Jones declared. “I don’t think we need half of the entire Liberal caucus in cabinet.”

She also speculated that Ms. Wynne is trying to buy loyalty with the promotions.

She didn’t think this will help Ms. Wynne much.

“She has put such a brand on that Liberal government,” Ms. Jones commented. “It’s clearly her agenda; her mandate.”

She predicted that the new faces won’t make much of a difference.

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