Jill Dunlop has been named Ontario’s new education minister, replacing Todd Smith, who resigned from the role and as a member of the provincial parliament on Friday.
Premier Doug Ford announced the changes to his cabinet hours after Smith’s resignation. Nolan Quinn will take over Dunlop’s portfolio and become the minister of Colleges and Universities.
Dunlop was elected as the MPP for Simcoe North in 2018 and became the minister of Colleges and Universities in 2021.
“With these changes, our government remains focused on rebuilding Ontario’s economy and protecting public safety as we deliver better jobs and bigger paycheques for workers in every part of the province,” Ford said in a statement on Friday afternoon.
The premier also announced that Kevin Holland and Graham McGregor will join his cabinet as the new associate minister of forestry and forest products and associate minister of auto theft and bail reform, respectively.
Ford, in his statement, thanked Smith for his years of service, saying the Bay of Quinte MPP will always be a friend.
“He leaves politics with a record that he can be incredibly proud of, including and especially fixing the previous government’s energy policies and bringing electricity prices down for hardworking families and businesses,” the premier said.
“I can’t wait to watch his every success as he starts this next chapter of his life.”
On Friday morning, Smith announced in a post to social media that he had decided to leave politics to accept a position in the private sector.
“I have spoken to Premier Ford and let him know that I am resigning my seat and stepping down from my cabinet duties effective immediately and that I will not be seeking re-election,” he wrote. “I also want to thank Premier Ford for the opportunity to serve in his cabinet for more than six years and for entrusting me with a number of important files.”
Smith served as Ontario’s energy minister for three years before taking over the education portfolio following a cabinet shuffle in June.
He was active in that role as recently as yesterday when he announced a new funding formula for childcare operators that would cap the daily fee that parents pay at $22 as of January.
In his statement, Smith did not elaborate on his reasons for leaving politics but did concede that “the life of a politician is hard and takes its toll” while thanking his family for their support.
“Especially when I was away from home as often as I have been over the past 13 years. I couldn’t have asked for a better support system at home,” he said.
Smith was first elected as an MPP in 2011.
His resignation on Friday comes just a few weeks before Ontario’s public school students head back to school.
Speaking with CP24 on Friday morning, CTV political analyst Scott Reid said Ford would want to have someone in place as soon as possible, given the significance of the portfolio.
As for Smith’s departure, Reid called it “dramatically sudden.”
“Yesterday Todd Smith, as education minister, was out making an announcement about childcare; he has only been in the portfolio for two months, so obviously, whatever has come about in terms of that job opportunity has arisen just in that crease of a couple of months since then,” he said.
“It is definitely sudden and it is also significant. There are four big ministers in any provincial government – finance, health, education and energy. Todd has held two of those.”