Ontario’s new Conservative premier will be sworn in tomorrow and appoint his first cabinet.
Ernie Eves, chosen leader on March 23 to succeed Mike Harris, is expected to rely heavily on experience in filling key government roles.
The 55-year-old lawyer, and recently investment banker, will take the oath of office at 2:30 p.m. with Lieutenant-Governor James Bartleman presiding.
Eves, finance minister and deputy premier for more than five years before leaving politics in January, 2001, has spent the past three weeks getting brought up to speed on the province’s financial and other affairs. He has led a transition team that chose staff for key posts and cabinet ministers.
Calls to potential ministers are expected this evening, leaving many MPPs spending the weekend on tenterhooks and sticking close to phones.
With a general election call expected within 18 months, Eves is looking for a blend of new blood and solid experience to help his Tories close the 20-percentage-point gap in public opinion polls that favour the opposition Liberals under leader Dalton McGuinty in the next vote.
Aides say the cabinet will stay at 25 ministers including Eves, and all his rivals will be at the table.
Elizabeth Witmer, who threw her support to Eves in the second ballot March 23, is likely to move from environment to education.
Health Minister Tony Clement is expected to retain his job, the biggest, with an annual budget to exceed $24 billion this year.
Chris Stockwell will move from labour to something higher-profile, possibly energy. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, who finished a strong second, has a dedicated right-of-centre following. Economic development, with added responsibility for tourism and gambling, is one possibility Tory insiders say Eves is considering.
Other key cabinet players will be Janet Ecker and Chris Hodgson. Both abandoned their plans to seek the leadership to back Eves’ campaign.
Both are expecting to be front and centre in Eves’ cabinet, with Ecker ?education minister since June, 1999 ?being touted for finance while Hodgson will stay as municipal affairs minister but gain clout, with Ontario’s SuperBuild spending transferred to his control.
Markham’s David Tsubouchi, the chair of Management Board who backed Eves, is also a possibility for finance but has signalled he’d be happy to stay put. Bob Runciman, who approached Eves to run, may get consumer/business services.
Newcomers on the short-list are: Mississauga East’s Carl DeFaria, Thornhill’s Tina Molinari, Jerry Ouellette from Oshawa, and London-Fanshawe’s Frank Mazzilli.
