QUEENS PARK – Andrea Horwath and her team are set for the return of the legislature and getting down to the job of holding government accountable, the leader of Ontario’s New Democrats said. “We won’t let the Liberals off the hook,” she insisted.
Horwath unveiled a shadow cabinet she pledged would lead principled opposition to the governing Liberal party, which is already signaling a shift to the right following the provincial election. “People voted against austerity and cuts in this election,” said Horwath, who added that New Democrats remained highly-critical of the budget the Liberals plan to re-introduce in July.
“This is a Trojan-horse budget that will sell off public assets; send household bills shooting through the roof; and maintain tax loopholes you could drive a diesel train through,” she said.
The leader of Ontario’s New Democrats went on to say she was proud of the strong and diverse team of New Democrat MPPs voters decided to send to Queen’s Park.
“I am proud of the fact more than half of New Democrat MPPs are women,” she added.
More than one million people voted NDP in recent Ontario election, giving the party its highest share of the vote in the province in 24 years.
The NDP shadow cabinet:
Teresa Armstrong (London-Fanshawe) – Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade; and Seniors Affairs.
Gilles Bisson (Timmins-James Bay) – Natural Resources and Forestry
Sarah Campbell (Kenora-Rainy River) – Aboriginal Affairs; and Women’s Issues
Joe Cimino (Sudbury) – Transportation.
Cheri DiNovo (Parkdale-High Park) – Urban Transit; GTA Issues; and LGBTQ.
Jennifer French (Oshawa) – Pensions.
Catherine Fife (Kitchener Waterloo) – Finance; and Treasury Board.
Cindy Forster (Welland) – Municipal Affairs and Housing; and Community and Social Services.
Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) – Economic Development and Employment; and Small Business.
France Gelinas (Nickel Belt) – Francophone Affairs; and Health and Long-Term Care
Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West) – Community Safety and Correctional Services
Percy Hatfield (Windsor Tecumseh) – Infrastructure; and Environment and Climate Change
Andrea Horwath (Hamilton Centre) – Intergovernmental Affairs.
Michael Mantha (Algoma-Manitoulin) – Northern Development and Mines.
Paul Miller (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek) – Tourism, Culture and Sport; and 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games.
Taras Natyshak (Essex) – Labour.
Peggy Sattler (London-West) – Training, Colleges, and Universities; and Research and Innovation.
Jagmeet Singh (Bramalea-Gore-Malton) – Attorney General; and Government and Consumer Services.
Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) – Education; and Energy.
Monique Taylor (Hamilton Mountain) – Children and Youth Services.
John Vanthof (Timiskaming-Cochrane) – Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
