Ontario cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney<\/strong> announced Monday she is resigning her seat at Queen’s Park, citing a desire to begin a new chapter in her life \u2014 a departure that leaves Premier Doug Ford without one of his most prominent ministers amid a string of government controversies.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mulroney, daughter of the late prime minister Brian Mulroney, was first elected in 2018 as part of Ford’s inaugural majority government. Over seven years, she held several high-profile portfolios, including attorney general, transportation, Francophone affairs<\/strong>, and most recently, president of the Treasury Board<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n In a public letter released Monday, Mulroney cited the death of her father two years ago and the transition to an empty nest as factors in her decision. “Together, they have led me to the conclusion that now is the right time to step back from elected life and begin a new chapter, one I am genuinely excited about,” she wrote.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mulroney told reporters at Queen’s Park \u2014 standing alongside her daughter Thea \u2014 that she had made the decision months ago but waited until the spring budget process and parliamentary session concluded before making it public. Her resignation takes effect June 5<\/strong>, when the Ontario legislature rises for the summer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ford has named Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy<\/strong> as interim Treasury Board president, effective June 5. Long-Term Care Minister Natalia Kusendova-Bashta<\/strong> will assume the Francophone affairs portfolio.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mulroney’s departure triggers a by-election in her riding of York-Simcoe<\/strong>, north of Toronto. Ford must also call a by-election in Scarborough Southwest<\/strong>, vacated when former NDP deputy leader Doly Begum resigned to run for the federal Liberals \u2014 a second contest that must be held by the end of summer.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n A cabinet shuffle is expected at a later date.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mulroney’s exit arrives at a difficult moment for the Ford government, which has faced mounting criticism over the purchase and rapid sale of a $28.9-million provincial jet<\/strong> and changes to freedom-of-information legislation.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Opposition parties had directly questioned Mulroney’s role in those decisions, arguing that as Treasury Board president she would have been required to approve major government expenditures, including the aircraft. Mulroney told reporters she is proud of the government’s record.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles<\/strong> said she takes Mulroney at her word about her personal reasons for leaving, but suggested the departure signals deeper dysfunction. “She had a massive responsibility. And I do feel, like I have for some time now, that the wheels are coming off this bus,” Stiles said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Interim Ontario Liberal Leader John Fraser<\/strong> thanked Mulroney for her service while noting she never fully answered questions about the jet purchase. He said the PC caucus appears to be in low spirits.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n When asked whether she might seek federal leadership at some point, Mulroney was careful with her wording. “I’m ruling out any steps into elected politics over the next few years,”<\/strong> she said \u2014 a formulation that stops well short of a permanent exit from public life.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mulroney endorsed federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre<\/strong> during last year’s federal election. Ford, for his part, said in a statement that “politics is in Caroline’s blood” and predicted the conservative movement would continue to benefit from her ideas.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Mulroney reflected warmly in her letter on her tenure as Francophone affairs minister \u2014 a role she held across all eight years in government, though it began with controversy in 2018 when her office presided over funding cuts to French-language services, sparking significant backlash from Ontario’s Francophone communities.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Caroline Mulroney Resigns from Ontario Cabinet, Leaving Ford Government Short a Key Ally Ontario cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney announced Monday she is resigning her seat at Queen’s Park, citing a desire to begin a new chapter in her life \u2014 a departure that leaves Premier Doug Ford without one of his most prominent ministers amid […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1076","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nA Long-Serving Cabinet Veteran Steps Down<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Transition and By-Elections<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Departure Comes Amid Government Controversy<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
What Comes Next for Mulroney?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n