Canada PoliticsCharles Sousa will be Ontario’s new finance minister: report
It appears that MPP Charles Sousa made the right decision in backing Kathleen Wynne during last month's Ontario Liberal leadership convention in Toronto.
On Monday, Wynne is to be sworn-in as Ontario's 25th premier and will subsequently name her cabinet. According to the Toronto Star, the most coveted and high profile posting — finance minister — will go to Sousa.
Sousa, the two-term Mississauga South MPP and former Royal Bank executive who finished fifth in the Jan. 26 leadership contest, will take the reins of a treasury hobbled by a $11.9-billion deficit.
Wynne is rewarding some of her other key supporters too.
[ Related: Ontario Tories launch another attack ad against Kathleen Wynne ]
MPP back-bencher Liz Sandals is expected to the take the reigns of the education portfolio replacing Laurel Broten who, interestingly was a Sandra Pupatello backer. David Zimmer will takeover Aboriginal Affairs, Glen Murray will be minister of transportation while Deb Matthews will stay on as health minister.
The Canadian Press notes that the new premier has also promised to find cabinet positions for the other leadership rivals: Eric Hoskins and Harinder Takhar. The remaining leadership candidates — Gerard Kennedy and Sandra Pupatello — are not in caucus and not expected to be given portfolios on Monday.
[ Related: Will Ontario Liberals see a shakeup under Wynne? ]
MPPs in Ontario make $116,000 a year while cabinet ministers make $165,851. As premier, Wynne will earn an annual salary of $208,974.
The legislature is expected to resume sitting on February 19th.
(Photo courtesy of Reuters)
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