Miller ministry (Ontario)

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Miller ministry
Flag of Ontario.svg
19th ministry of Ontario
Date formedFebruary 8, 1985 (1985-02-08)
Date dissolvedJune 26, 1985 (1985-06-26)
People and organisations
Monarch
Lieutenant Governor
Premier Frank Miller
Deputy Premier
Member party PC Party
Status in legislature
Opposition party Liberal Party
Opposition leader
History
Election 1985
Legislature term
Incoming formation 1985 PC leadership convention
Outgoing formationresignation of Miller
Predecessor Davis ministry
Successor Peterson ministry

The Miller ministry was the combined cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) that governed Ontario from February 8, 1985, to June 26, 1985. It was led by the 19th Premier of Ontario, Frank Miller. The ministry was made up of members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, which commanded a first a majority and then a minority in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Contents

The ministry replaced the Davis ministry following the resignation of Premier Bill Davis and the 1985 PC leadership convention. The Miller ministry governed through the last few months of the 32nd Parliament of Ontario and the first few weeks of the 33rd Parliament of Ontario.

After the 1985 Ontario general election, Miller won a plurality of seats but failed to retain the confidence of the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Miller resigned, and was succeeded as Premier of Ontario by David Peterson.

The First Miller Ministry

Premier Miller began with 33 cabinet members serving in 28 (soon to be 29) portfolios. This was the largest cabinet in Ontario's history; Miller also carried an unprecedented seven ministers without portfolios.

23 of the cabinet members had previous ministry experience. Two of these established cabinet ministers had competed with Miller for leadership of the PC Party only weeks previously: Larry Grossman (appointed Treasurer and Minister of Economics), and Dennis Timbrell (appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing). Also among the experienced cabinet members were Premier Miller himself, Bette Stephenson (appointed Chair of Management Board of Cabinet), and Bob Welch (appointed Deputy Premier and Attorney General).

Among the ten newly appointed cabinet ministers were future Premiers Mike Harris (appointed Minister of Natural Resources} and Ernie Eves (appointed Provincial Secretary for Resource Development and, on March 22, 1985, to the newly created portfolio of Ministry of Skills Development).

By the time the election occurred, three cabinet members would be serving in two portfolios: Miller (Premier and Intergovernmental Affairs), Eves (Provincial Secretary for Resource Development and Minister of Skills Development), as well as Keith Norton (Minister of Education and Minister of Colleges and Universities).

The First Miller ministry lasted 98 days.

The Second Miller Ministry

After the May 2, 1985 election, the PC Party saw its majority vanish, at they plummeted from 70 to 52 seats, still a plurality in the Legislative Assmbly, but eleven shy of a majority. Eight cabinet ministers would lose their seats, while veteran cabinet members Bob Welch and James Snow did not contest their seats, thus creating ten vacancies.

This election marked a significant turning point in Ontario politics as the Tories would see their political base move out of Toronto and into the rural areas of Ontario over the next several elections. Four of the eight lost seats were situated in Metro Toronto, and the PC party saw their share of Toronto representation drop from 18 of 29 seats to a mere 10 of 29.

Miller signaled a recognition of this shifting political base in the way he filled the vacancies. He did not add a single new Toronto MPP to his cabinet, but selected three MPPs from the previously neglected Peel, York, and Durham regions that surround Metro Toronto: before the election they only had Ashe and Gregory, but after they added to those two Cousens, Cureatz, and Stevenson.

Ultimately, Miller would assemble a cabinet of 28 members on May 17, 1985, to fill 29 portfolios. He would carry four MWPs; Grossman would cover three portfolios while Harris, Timbrell and Pope would each cover two.

The Second Miller Ministry would last 40 days.

List of ministers

Miller by Leadership Position
PositionMinisterTenure
StartEnd
Premier of Ontario Frank Miller [1] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Deputy Premier of Ontario Bob Welch [2] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Bette Stephenson [3] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Chair of Cabinet Claude Bennett [4] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
House Leader Bob Welch February 20, 1985May 1, 1985
[[Larry Grossman](politician)|Larry Grossman]] [5] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Chief Whip Alan Robinson [6] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Robert C. Mitchell [7] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985

[8]

Miller ministry by portfolio
PortfolioMinisterTenure
StartEnd
Chair of the
Management Board
of Cabinet 		Bette Stephenson February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
George Ashe [9] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Agriculture and Food 		Philip Andrewes [10] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
K. Ross Stevenson [11] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Attorney General Bob Welch February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Alan Pope [12] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Citizenship
and Culture 		Susan Fish [13] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Nick Leluk [14] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Colleges
and Universities 		Keith Norton [15] February, 1985May 17, 1985
Larry Grossman May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Community
and Social Services 		Robert Elgie [16] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Ernie Eves [17] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Consumer
and Commercial Relations 		Gordon Walker [18] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Bob Runciman [19] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Correctional Services 		Nick Leluk February 8, 1985May 1, 1985
Don Cousens [20] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Education Keith Norton February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Larry Grossman May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Energy George Ashe February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Mike Harris [21] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
the Environment 		Morley Kells [22] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Susan Fish [23] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Treasurer [a] Larry Grossman February 8, 1985May 1, 1985
Bette Stephenson May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Government Services 		Bob Runciman February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Jim Gordon [24] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Health Alan Pope February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Philip Andrewes May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Intergovernmental Affairs 		Frank Miller [25] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Reuben Baetz [26] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Industry
and Trade 		Andy Brandt [27] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Labour Russ Ramsay February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Robert Elgie May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Municipal Affairs
and Housing 		Dennis Timbrell [28] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Natural Resources 		Mike Harris February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Northern Affairs 		Leo Bernier [29] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister Responsible for
French Language
Service		vacantFebruary 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Alan Pope May 17, 1985June 26, 1985]]
Minister Responsible for
Women's Issues 		Dennis Timbrell February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Revenue Bud Gregory February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Gordon Dean [30] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Ministry of
Skills Development [b] 		Ernie Eves February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Phil Gillies May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of Tourism
and Recreation 		Claude Bennett February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Minister of
Transportation
and Communications 		George McCague [31] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Ministers
Without Portfolios		 Phil Gillies [32] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
René Piché [33] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Alan Robinson [34] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
David Rotenberg [35] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
James W. Snow [36] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Sam Cureatz [37] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Noble Villeneuve [38] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Al McLean [39] February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Robert C. Mitchell February 8, 1985June 26, 1985
Provincial Secretary
for Justice 		Reuben Baetz February 8, 1985May 1, 1985
Alan Pope May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Provincial Secretary
for Resource
Development 		Ernie Eves February 8, 1985May 1, 1985
Dennis Timbrell May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Provincial Secretary
for Social
Development 		Gordon Dean February 8, 1985May 1, 1985
Larry Grossman May 17, 1985June 26, 1985
Solicitor General John Reesor Williams [40] February 8, 1985May 17, 1985
Bud Gregory [41] May 17, 1985June 26, 1985

Notes

  1. ↑ ministries before and after Miller called this position "Treasurer and Minister of Economics," but Miller did not.
  2. ↑ renamed "Ministry of Skills Development March 22, 1985.

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References

  1. ↑ "Frank Stuart Miller | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". October 21, 1971.
  2. ↑ "Robert Stanley Welch | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 25, 1963.
  3. ↑ "Bette M. Stephenson | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 18, 1975.
  4. ↑ "Claude Frederick Bennett | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". www.ola.org. October 21, 1971.
  5. ↑ "Lawrence "Larry" Sheldon Grossman | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 18, 1975.
  6. ↑ "Alan M. Robinson | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  7. ↑ "Robert C. Mitchell | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". November 20, 1980.
  8. ↑ "Elinor Caplan". jwa.org. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  9. ↑ "George Lyle Ashe | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  10. ↑ "Philip W. Andrewes | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  11. ↑ "Kenneth Ross Stevenson | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  12. ↑ "Alan William Pope | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  13. ↑ "Legislators and legislatures of Ontario : A reference guide". 1984.
  14. ↑ "Nicholas Georges Leluk | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". October 21, 1971.
  15. ↑ "Keith Calder Norton | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 18, 1975.
  16. ↑ "Robert Goldwin Elgie | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  17. ↑ "Ernie Eves | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". May 2, 2002.
  18. ↑ "Gordon Wayne Walker | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". October 21, 1971.
  19. ↑ "Robert W. Runciman | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  20. ↑ "W. Donald Cousens | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  21. ↑ "Michael Harris | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  22. ↑ "Morley Kells | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 8, 1995.
  23. ↑ "Susan A. Fish | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  24. ↑ "James K. Gordon | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  25. ↑ "Legislators and legislatures of Ontario : A reference guide". 1984.
  26. ↑ "Reuben Conrad Baetz | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  27. ↑ "Andrew S. Brandt | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  28. ↑ "Dennis Roy Timbrell | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". October 21, 1971.
  29. ↑ "Leo Edward Bernier | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 22, 1966.
  30. ↑ "Gordon Howlett Dean | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  31. ↑ "George R. McCague | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 18, 1975.
  32. ↑ "Philip Andrew Gillies | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  33. ↑ "Alan William Pope | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  34. ↑ "Alan M. Robinson | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  35. ↑ "David Rotenberg | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  36. ↑ "James Wilfred Snow | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". October 17, 1967.
  37. ↑ "Sammy Lawrence Cureatz | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". June 9, 1977.
  38. ↑ "Noble Villeneuve | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". December 15, 1983.
  39. ↑ "Allan Kenneth McLean | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". March 19, 1981.
  40. ↑ "John Reesor Williams | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 18, 1975.
  41. ↑ "Milton Edward Charles Gregory | Legislative Assembly of Ontario". September 18, 1975.
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