Elliott, Mulroney expected to snag key cabinet posts in Ford government
Vic Fedeli, Lisa MacLeod and Rod Phillips also among the names considered to be cabinet choices
When Doug Ford unveils his Ontario provincial government cabinet, it's expected to be much smaller than the current team assembled by Kathleen Wynne.
The current premier had expanded the number of cabinet ministers to 30, but with Ford's focus on finding "efficiencies" in government, winnowing down the size of the cabinet may be one of his first acts.
"I wouldn't expect more than a dozen people," said Chad Rogers, a public affairs strategist and founding partner at Crestview Strategy. "I assume it's going to be really small. So that means we'll see amalgamations of ministries."
Ford may have signalled who some of those people would be when he assembled a number of key candidates at an event two weeks ago in Newmarket. Two of those candidates included former leadership hopefuls Christine Elliott and Caroline Mulroney.
But Ford, like any new leader figuring who gets the treasured cabinet posts, faces many of the same challenges, having to balance geography, age, experience, gender and diversity.
"I think where he's going to ultimately fall back on his cabinet picks will be people that actually have some experience around the legislature, because he doesn't have that himself," said Kate Harrison, a senior consultant at political consulting firm Summa Strategies in Ottawa.
As well, Ford prizes loyalty, said Rogers, meaning that those few caucus members who were the first support to him may be rewarded.
Here are some PCs who have a good shot at being in cabinet:
Christine Elliott
If anyone's a shoo-in for cabinet, it's Elliott, the runner-up in the leadership campaign who actually won the popular vote.
Elliott's a lawyer by trade and former member of the legislature who will return to Queen's Park representing the riding of Newmarket-Aurora. She is expected to snag one of the high-profile cabinet positions.
Caroline Mulroney
A so-called "star candidate" who unsuccessfully vied for leadership of the party, Mulroney will be a rookie member of the legislature representing the Toronto riding of York-Simcoe. Like Elliott, she is also considered a shoo-in for cabinet.
"I think they see her as the rising star," said Tiffany Gooch, a political strategist at Enterprise Canada. "So I think the ability to give her something to sink her teeth into and have her able to be a front face of the party, that looks forward facing."
Gooch said Ford will have to reward both Elliott and Mulroney, his two major opponents in the leadership race, with high-profile gigs.
"[They] are going to need to be two of the highest-ranking folks on the team," she said. "I think that they're going to be very powerful folks in that cabinet."
Vic Fedeli
Fedeli, who considered running in the leadership race but instead took over as interim leader following the ouster of Patrick Brown, could also find himself in cabinet.
Those chances for the former mayor of North Bay and the member for Nipissing may also be bolstered by Ford's indication he would like to focus on the North and develop the Ring of Fire, said Harrison.
Peter Bethlenfalvy
A rookie member of the legislature who will represent Pickering-Uxbridge, Bethlenfalvy may not only score a cabinet post, despite his lack of political experience, but be given the most plum role of all — finance minister. Much of that would likely be due to his experience in the world of finance. He was a senior vice-president of Manulife Financial Corp. and president and chief operating officer of TD Securities (USA).
Rod Phillips
Also a rookie member of the legislature and star candidate, Phillips, who will represent the Ajax riding, is considered a strong possibility for finance as well. Phillips has been CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation and Postmedia. Initially, Phillips was rumoured to making a run for the party leadership. Instead, he declined, throwing his support behind Mulroney.
Lisa MacLeod
A party stalwart and high-profile member of the legislature, MacLeod is one of the "automatics" for a cabinet role, said Rogers.
As well, said Harrison, the member for Nepean is not afraid to level an attack from the front bench.
"I think she's pretty effective in kind of communicating rationale for or against pretty much anything," Harrison said. "Reminds me a lot of John Baird on the front bench, of just being fiery, and that can rile people up."
Other considerations
If Ford does reward loyalty, then some other potential cabinet choices include Toby Barrett (Haldimand-Norfolk) and Raymond Cho (Scarborough North), who both supported Ford's bid for leadership.
Greg Rickford, a former lawyer, nurse and federal cabinet minister in the Stephen Harper government, will be heading to Queen's Park representing Kenora-Rainy River, and may have a good shot for a cabinet position.
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