TORONTO – It’s easier to say who is not part of his government: the premier of Ontario, Doug Ford, has set a sort of record, the most “largest” provincial government, with 37 ministers and “associate ministers” . 

On Friday, Ford was forced to change his team when Todd Smith unexpectedly resigned as Minister of Education (“to accept a job offer”, he said) just two months after taking the role: he had replaced the Italian-Canadian Stephen Lecce. Thus, Ford transferred Jill Dunlop (formerly responsible for Colleges and Universities) to the Education sector, assigning her department to the young Nolan Quinn. Quinn, however, was Associate Minister of Forestry: therefore, he was replaced by Kevin Holland, who had not previously held a Cabinet position. As part of the same reshuffle, Graham McGregor – previously Attorney General’s parliamentary assistant – was also elevated to the top table as Associate Minister for Car Theft (yes, you read that right) and Bail Reform.

Ford now presides over the largest cabinet in history, beating the previous record (his own anyway) of 36 ministers and associate ministers. The new council is almost double the size of the prime minister’s 2018 cabinet, which included twenty people.

“I am thrilled to recognize Jill, Nolan, Kevin and Graham for their leadership and I know they will work tirelessly to serve the people of Ontario” Ford said after the reshuffle. The opposition doesn’t think so, however.

“The cabinet greatest in the history of our province has become even greater, to the benefit of all but the people of Ontario” said Marit Stiles, provincial NDP leader. “Right before schools opened, Minister of. Education abandons ship as Ford invents new department to give another big raise to one of his MPPs”. A similar comment by provincial Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie: “Once again, Ford is giving to another of his friends a pay raise while dismantling your health care system and cutting funding for your children’s schools” she said.

Indeed, although each MPP receives a base salary of $116,550, additional responsibilities come with larger sums of money ranging from $16,000 to $50,000 depending on the position. The prime minister earns an annual salary of $208,974, while ministers are paid $165,850.65. Associate ministers earn $138,927.60, just over the $133,216.65 paid to parliamentary assistants (data published by Global News, ed.): Ford has more than 30 parliamentary assistants.

In short: six years after campaigning against the “reckless spending” of the previous Liberal government, Ford now finds himself “under scrutiny” for how he spends public money. Annual salary reports released earlier this year show Ford presides over the most expensive premier’s office in Ontario history. During 2019, Ford’s first full year in office, 20 employees from his office were included in the sunshine list, the public database that includes all taxpayer-funded employees who earn more than $100,000 a year. In total, those earning more than $100,000 were paid $2.9 million that year. By 2023, the number of employees in the prime minister’s office on the sunshine list has more than doubled to 48, with a total compensation of $6.9 million: a figure that has “eclipsed” both what Ford spent on his office when he was first elected, is the one former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne had spent.