We already know Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is a jogger. Having spent the better part of the past hour watching her new cabinet being sworn in by Lt.-Gov. David Onley at Queen's Park, I can't help but wonder if the premier doesn't also enjoy playing a rousing game of chess.
Moving the pieces around on the chess board like a grand master, Wynne has put together a cabinet that will likely please most Ontarians--if not the bond-rating agencies. Rumours continue to swirl that yet another downgrade is just around the corner for the province, likely after the May 1 budget is reintroduced and passed some time in the next two weeks.
It's a diverse cabinet that features eight women and four first-time ministers. There are familiar faces, there are new faces. There are restructured ministries and new ministries. There's even, for the first time I can recall, a couple of associate ministers.
Charles Sousa remains finance minister, but with a twist. He'll be joined by former health and long-term care minister Deb Matthews, who, in addition to retaining her title of deputy premier, will take on the added responsibilities of treasury board chair. Scarborough-Guildwood MPP Mitzie Hunter will serve as associate finance minister, responsible for the new Ontario Retirement Pension Plan.
Dr. Eric Hoskins, who previously held a number of cabinet posts and who was one of the candidates Wynne defeated last year to become Liberal party leader, will now be in charge of the province's health-care system, which Matthews had run since 2009. Mississauga East-Cooksville MPP Dipika Damerla becomes associate minister of long-term care and wellness.
Glen Murray moves from the Transportation Ministry to the newly renamed Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, taking over from 37-year veteran Jim Bradley, who remains in cabinet as minister without portfolio. Vaughan MPP Steven Del Duca takes over the transportation file from Murray.
Brad Duguid, formerly the minister of training, colleges and universities, will now be the new minister of economic development, employment and infrastructure. Reza Moridi, the former research and innovation minister, will add training, colleges and universities to his portfolio.
Don Valley East MPP Michael Coteau is the new tourism, culture and sports minister, with responsibility for the Pan Am Games. He replaces Michael Chan, who takes over citizenship, immigration and trade.
Ted McMeekin moves from community and social services to municipal affairs and housing. McMeekin's former duties will now be handled by Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham.
Former community safety minister and Liberal party president Yasir Naqvi takes on the role of government house leader, as well as retaining his previous portfolio.
Bill Mauro gives up the municipal affairs and housing file to become the minister of the newly named Natural Resources and Forestry Ministry, while former rural affairs minister Jeff Leal adds agriculture and food to his portfolio, relieving Premier Wynne of those duties.
David Orazietti trades natural resources for a reconstituted Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. Tracy MacCharles, who had formerly been the consumer services minister, takes over children and youth services, which had been held by Windsor West's Teresa Piruzza, who lost her riding to the NDP.
In addition to Sousa, other ministers staying put include Bob Chiarelli (energy), Kevin Flynn (labour), Michael Gravelle (northern affairs and mines), Madeleine Meilleur (attorney general and francophone affairs), Liz Sandals (education), Mario Sergio (seniors) and David Zimmer (aboriginal affairs).
Bob Delaney remains chief government whip.
The masterstroke in all this, as far as I'm concerned, is Wynne's decision to convince her friend and confidante Matthews to give up the health portfolio and take on her new role as chair of treasury board, where she'll be in charge of telling all those government unions why they won't be seeing any new money any time soon.
Even better is putting an actual medical doctor in charge of the Health Ministry. As the former manager of government relations for the Ontario Medical Association and current adviser for DoctorsOntario, I can tell you it's long been a dream of our province's doctors to see one of their own in charge of the health portfolio.
One can only imagine how this must make Ontario's nurses, pharmacists and hospital administrators feel.
Unfortunately for Ontario's doctors, Dr. Hoskins will be nothing more than Matthews' puppet, thanks in no small part to the premier's skilful manoeuvring this afternoon. The treasury board chair will pull the strings, and the good doctor will be left with no option but to tell his colleagues--who've been without a contract since March 31, 2014--the cupboard is bare once again. And the OMA won't be able to do a damn thing about it.
Check and mate.
Stephen Skyvington is the president of PoliTrain Inc. He can be heard every Saturday at 1 p.m. on CFRB Newstalk Radio 1010. Follow him on Twitter @SSkyvington