Three Progressive Conservative MPPs, two newly minted and one a longtime veteran, from southwestern Ontario have been appointed as parliamentary assistants.
Elgin-Middlesex-London's Rob Flack and Chatham-Kent-Leamington's Trevor Jones have each been named parliamentary assistant to the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. Both of the MPPs are just starting their first term at Queen's Park after winning their ridings in the June 2 provincial election.
Sarnia-Lambton’s Bob Bailey has been tapped as the parliamentary assistant to the solicitor-general. Bailey has been a PC member of provincial parliament since 2007.
Parliamentary assistants aid cabinet ministers by carrying out additional duties pertaining to their assigned portfolios, including special projects and assignments that require dedicated leadership. The role adds an additional $16,000 to an MPPs annual salary.
The appointment of the three comes a week after only one southwestern Ontario Progressive Conservative MPP was selected to join Premier Doug Ford's cabinet. Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton was named minister of labour, immigration, training, and skills development. It is the same portfolio McNaughton has held since 2019.
In total Ford appointed 43 MPPs as parliamentary assistants. Since being first elected in 2018, Ford has significantly increased the number of people given the paid role. In June 2018, Ford had 26 parliamentary assistants working in his government. That went up to 31 the following year.
The full list of parliamentary assistant appointments to Ford's second majority government is below:
Lorne Coe, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier Andrea Khanjin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs Robin Martin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health Dawn Gallagher Murphy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health Stephen Crawford, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance Rick Byers, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance Mike Harris, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Legislative Affairs John Jordan, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care Daisy Wai, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility Kevin Holland, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Brian Saunderson, Parliamentary Assistant to the Attorney General Natalie Pierre, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Colleges and Universities Andrew Dowie, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Effie J. Triantafilopoulos, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Billy Pang, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Graham McGregor, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism Logan Kanapathi, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Nolan Quinn, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Sam Oosterhoff, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Red Tape Reduction Christine Hogarth, Parliamentary Assistant to the Solicitor General Bob Bailey, Parliamentary Assistant to the Solicitor General Patrice Barnes, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education Matthew Rae, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Education Laura Smith, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Sheref Sabawy, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Deepak Anand, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, with responsibility for immigration David Smith (Scarborough Centre), Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Hardeep Singh Grewal, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation Natalia Kusendova, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Francophone Affairs John Yakabuski, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Ric Bresee, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Anthony Leardi, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Mines Brian Riddell, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery Vincent Ke, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery Dave Smith (Peterborough—Kawartha), Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Northern Development and Minister of Indigenous Affairs Rudy Cuzzetto, Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board Todd J. McCarthy, Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board Stéphane Sarrazin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy Jess Dixon, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Energy Amarjot Sandhu, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure Vijay Thanigasalam, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure Rob Flack, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Trevor Jones, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs