Executive Council of Ontario


The Executive Council of Ontario, often informally referred to as the Cabinet of Ontario, is the cabinet and the executive committee of the provincial government of the Canadian province of Ontario. It comprises ministers of the Crown in right of Ontario, who are selected by the premier of Ontario and formally appointed by the lieutenant governor. The activities of the Government of Ontario are directed by the Executive Council.
The council serves a similar function as the Privy Council for Canada. The "Crown in right of Ontario" is the legal entity that owns government property, employs public servants, and acts in legal proceedings like criminal prosecutions. Accordingly, the cabinet exercises executive and sovereign powers within Ontario's jurisdiction in the name of the monarch "in right of Ontario". Similar to decisions of the federal cabinet, executive decisions by the Ontario cabinet are known as Order-in-Council, formally issued by in the name of the lieutenant governor, the monarch's representative in the province, on the advice of the ministers. Though the lieutenant governor does not attend cabinet meetings, cabinet directives are said to be ordered by the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council.

Members of the Executive Council

The cabinet generally consists of current members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, with the following exceptions:
  • Ministers not returned following a general election cease to be members of the assembly on the date of resolution of the previous assembly, but continue as members of the council until the replacement council takes office. The most recent example of this was Michael Ford, who stood down at the 2025 election and therefore ceased to be the MPP for York South—Weston on January 28 but remained the Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism and a member of council for 50 days until his successor Graham McGregor was appointed on March 19.
  • An individual who is not a current member of the assembly being named leader of the governing party would be invited to form the subsequent cabinet. The most recent example of this was Ernie Eves, who was elected Progressive Conservatives leader in 2002 on March 23, assumed the premiership on April 15, and served the first 16 days without a seat until returning to the legislature through a byelection on May 2 that year.
  • Until the abolishment of ministerial by-elections in 1941, certainly newly appointed ministers were required to resign and recontest their seats in the legislature.
Ministers may use the honorific prefix "The Honourable", and starting in June 2025, the post-nominal “E.C.O.”

Former ministers

Unlike federal ministers who are appointed privy councillor for life, provincial ministers are only members of the Executive Council while in office.
Prior to 2025, former ministers and premiers were not entitled to the honorific prefix "the Honourable" unless they are otherwise entitled for reasons including:
  • Service as federal ministers and corresponding appointment to the Privy Council of Canada
  • Appointments to the Privy Council for some other reasons
  • Service as justice of a superior court
As part of the omnibus bill for implementation of the 2025 budget, the Ford government formally institute the post-nominal “E.C.O.” and designated all living former members who have not been convicted of an indictable or hybrid criminal offense as "Honorary Members" of the Executive Council. The designation grants former ministers the right of continued use of the honorific prefix and the post-nominals for life without the rights, obligations or privileges of a current minister. Ontario is the fourth Canadian province to adopt this practice, following the examples by conservative governments in the provinces of Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Current Composition

Doug Ford and his Cabinet were sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell on June 29, 2018, following the 2018 general election. Ford conducted six major cabinet shuffles since 2018 and 7 minor adjustments. The cabinet has numbered at 37 members since August 2024, the largest ever cabinet in Ontario history. It currently consists of the following ministers.

Current ministers and members of council

MinisterPortfolioAssumed
office		Joined
cabinet		First
elected
201820182018
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs201820182018
202220182007
Minister of Health202220182007
Chair of Cabinet201820182011
Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade201920182011
Minister of Rural Affairs202120182011
Minister of Finance202020182018
Minister of Seniors and Accessibility201820182018
202220182018
Minister of Francophone Affairs201820182018
PCMinister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation201820182018
PC202520182018
Minister of Education202520192018
201920192018
Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Response202520192018
Minister of Energy and Mines202520192018
Minister of Transportation202320192018
Minister of Infrastructure202120192018
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming202420212018
Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development202320212018
Minister of Children, Community and Social Services202320222018
202220222022
Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth202520222022
Minister of Sport202420222022
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing202520232022
202520232022
Minister of Red Tape Reduction202520232018
Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement202520242018
Minister of Natural Resrouces202520242018
Minister of Long-Term Care202420242018
Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness202520242022
Minister of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security202520242022
Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism202520242022
202520182018
202320212018
202220222022
202520222022
202520232018
202420242016
202520242022
202520252024

First elected indicates the minister was first election in the general election held that year unless otherwise noted.
Assumed office and Joined Cabinet contain years correspond to the major cabinet shuffles that took place on the follow date, unless otherwise noted.
  • June 29, 2018
  • June 20, 2019
  • June 18, 2021
  • June 24, 2022
  • September 4, 2023
  • June 6, 2024
  • March 19, 2025

Former portfolios

Portfolio ministries were titled "department" prior to 1972. Certain ministers held titles such as secretary and commissioners of their portfolio in the past.
As much as possible, the following list groups former portfolios as predecessor to current portfolios with similar but not perfectly identical functions/mandate.
Children, Community and Social Services
  • Department of Public Welfare
  • Ministry of Social and Family Services
  • Ministry of Community and Social Services
  • Ministry of Community, Family and Children's Services
  • Ministry of Children's Services
  • Ministry of Children and Youth Services
  • Ministry of Community and Social Services
Citizenship and Multiculturalism
Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

Education or Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security
Energy & Mines
Environment, Conservation, and Parks
Finance
Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation
  • Native Affairs Directorate, Secretariat
  • Aboriginal Affairs Secretariat
  • Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs
  • Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation
  • Ministry of Indigenous Affairs
Infrastructure or Transportation
Municipal Affairs and Housing
  • Ministry of Housing
  • Ministry of Municipal Affairs
Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development
  • Bureau of Labour
  • Ministry of Labour
  • Ministry of Skills Development
  • Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
Solicitor General
Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Sport

Ontario Shadow Cabinet