Ontario Premier Doug Ford Receives Another Blow as Labour Minister Monte McNaughton Resigns
Sources have revealed to Global News that Monte McNaughton, Ontario’s Labour Minister, has informed Premier Doug Ford of his intention to leave cabinet and step down as Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in order to pursue a position in the private sector. McNaughton, who has served as the MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex since 2011, has been considering this career shift for several months.
Premier Ford released a statement acknowledging McNaughton’s departure and expressing gratitude for his time in office. Ford stated, “He has made this decision based on what is best for him and his family at this point in his life and career.”
In addition, Ford highlighted McNaughton’s contributions to the government, saying, “In the last two years alone, he introduced three separate pieces of legislation focused solely on working for workers. Monte helped build a coalition of private-sector union support that has never existed in the history of the Ontario PC Party. He introduced groundbreaking measures to protect workers’ rights and ensure that more workers are in the driver’s seat of their own careers.”
However, McNaughton’s departure comes amidst the Greenbelt controversy, which has already resulted in the resignation of two cabinet ministers and two senior government staffers, as well as forcing the premier to reverse the contentious policy. Premier Ford, who recently met with Progressive Conservative MPPs at a retreat in Niagara Falls, expressed his awareness of the province-wide backlash against the decision to develop 7,400 acres of protected Greenbelt land.
Ford stated, “It was a mistake to open the Greenbelt. As a first step to earn back your trust, I’ll be reversing the changes we made and won’t make any changes to the Greenbelt in the future.”
This resignation raises questions about the premier’s ability to maintain the confidence of his cabinet ministers. McNaughton, highly regarded as a Labour Minister, played a pivotal role in transforming the PC party’s relationship with private-sector unions, contributing to the party’s success in the 2022 general election. Furthermore, McNaughton is considered a potential future leadership candidate within Conservative circles, gradually building a base of support for a potential leadership bid after Ford’s tenure.
— With files from Ryan Rocca
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