Ford’s Fall Reset: Stability at Home as Uncertainty Builds Abroad
Today, Premier Doug Ford unveiled his refreshed Cabinet, opting for significant continuity in major portfolios at Queen’s Park as his government heads into the next chapter of its third term.
The shuffle comes after an unusually eventful summer. The departures of experienced Ministers like Caroline Mulroney and Neil Lumsden, along with Stan Cho’s resignation from Cabinet, left several portfolios vacant or temporarily housed with other Ministers.
With trade tensions and economic uncertainty continuing beyond Ontario’s borders, the Premier appears to be prioritizing political and operational stability at home. Most of his Cabinet remains exactly where it was and no sitting Ministers were demoted from Cabinet. Today’s changes largely address the vacancies created over the summer while making a handful of strategic adjustments around the edges.
New Jobs, Familiar Faces
Where Ford did move pieces around the board, he largely turned to Ministers already sitting at the Cabinet table.
These existing Ministers will be sporting new business cards following today’s shuffle:
- Sam Oosterhoff, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness
- David Piccini, Minister of Infrastructure
- Zee Hamid, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming
- Trevor Jones, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
- Kinga Surma, President of the Treasury Board
- Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Artificial Intelligence Adoption, as part of the Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade
Surma’s move to Treasury Board gives her one of the government’s most consequential fiscal roles, with responsibility sitting much closer to the centre of decisions. Piccini’s move to Infrastructure is also notable after he faced earlier controversy over management of the flagship Skills Development Fund, which will be the subject of an upcoming Integrity Commissioner’s report expected to be released shortly. The new portfolio is a clear indication of the Premier’s continued confidence in him, while taking him out of the line of fire on the Skills Development Fund during Question Period when the Legislature returns this fall.
Oosterhoff’s move to Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness is a significant vote of confidence in one of the government’s younger Cabinet ministers. Since first being elected in 2016, Oosterhoff is now one of the longest-serving members of the PC caucus and has steadily taken on greater responsibility at Queen’s Park, and the move gives him leadership of a politically important economic portfolio at a consequential moment for Ontario’s agri-food sector.
For Hamid, this is a particularly big upgrade. He entered Cabinet following the 2025 election as Associate Solicitor General for Auto Theft and Bail Reform, a position that has been eliminated in today’s shuffle. The appointment also continues a relatively quick rise for the Milton MPP, moving him from parliamentary assistant, to associate minister, to a full Cabinet portfolio in a short period.
The appointment of Thanigasalam to a new dedicated Associate Minister role for Artificial Intelligence Adoption reveals the government’s recognition that more political ownership is needed behind the fast-moving AI revolution. The government’s focus to date has been on strengthening cyber security and creating guardrails for the use of AI in the public sector.
Welcome to the Table
Today’s shuffle also brings three new faces into Cabinet:
- Brian Saunderson, Minister of Sport
- Matthew Rae, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries, as part of the Ministry of Energy and Mines
- Michelle Cooper, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, as part of the Ministry of Health
All three MPPs are well-regarded for their strong constituency focus, energetic engagement in the Legislature, and as constructive and effective colleagues within the Government caucus. For Saunderson, much like Lumsden before, his elevation to the Minister of Sport is a recognition of his contributions to Canadian athletics – having competed for Canada in the 1988 and 1992 as part of the rowing team. For Rae, the appointment comes after a series of promotions including becoming Caucus Chair last spring. Cooper has a long history of significant contributions to the Ontario PC Party, having previously served as Executive Director of the party’s fundraising arm.
Stay Put: Ford’s Core Team
If there is one takeaway from today’s shuffle, it may be just how much stayed the same.
The rest of Ford’s Ministers are keeping their existing portfolios, including many of the most senior players: Sylvia Jones (Health & Deputy Premier), Paul Calandra (Education), Doug Downey (Attorney General), Vic Fedeli (Economic Development, Job Creation & Trade), Stephen Lecce (Energy & Mines), Rob Flack (Municipal Affairs & Housing), and Prabmeet Sarkaria (Transportation).
The Bigger Picture
Throughout the summer months, the discussions amongst the Premier’s inner circle have been whether or not a larger change to the front bench was needed. For all the anticipation surrounding a Cabinet shuffle, today’s changes look more like a recalibration than a reset.
They also reflect a longstanding feature of Ford’s political style: loyalty. The Premier has generally been reluctant to move ministers who continue to have his confidence unless there is a compelling reason to do so. He tends to stick with Ministers he trusts, and today’s shuffle suggests that trust remains intact across much of his team.
Cabinet shuffles often tell us as much through what doesn’t change as what does. This time, Ford’s message appears straightforward: with plenty of uncertainty outside Queen’s Park, he isn’t looking to create more inside it.