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Guelph MPP's removal from cabinet comes as no surprise

Standard practice to replace ministers who aren't running in the next election, Liz Sandals says of Wednesday's cabinet shuffle
20171208 liz sandals ts
Liz Sandals. GuelphToday file photo

As expected, Guelph MPP Liz Sandals has been replaced in Premier Kathleen Wynne’s cabinet.

In a shuffle announced Wednesday, Sandals was replaced as head of the Treasury Board by Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon.

Sandals has announced she is not running in the next provincial election and knew that meant being replaced.

“I would want people to understand that this is fairly conventional. When ministers have announced that they’re not going to be running again, when it comes to the next cabinet shuffle, you expect that they will be replaced with people who are running again,” Sandals said in an interview.

“But I’m still Guelph’s MPP. The fact that I’m not in cabinet doesn’t mean I’m not doing the work as MPP.”

Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid and Deputy Premier Deb Matthews, who are also not running in June’s provincial election, were also replaced in cabinet.

“When Brad and I made the announcement at Linamar on Monday it was probably the last official announcement as cabinet ministers for both of us,” she said.

Sandals was named President of the Treasury Board in June 2016. Prior to that she was Education Minister.

She listed work on two budgets and being part of the increasing digital open government movement as two of the highlights.

Dealing with the provincial auditor was cited as one of the more “interesting challenges.”

Sandals said she expects a project from another ministry will land on her desk shortly to “keep me out of mischief” until she retires from politics in June.

 


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Tony Saxon

About the Author: Tony Saxon

Tony Saxon has had a rich and varied 30 year career as a journalist, an award winning correspondent, columnist, reporter, feature writer and photographer.
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