TORONTO – Bill Mauro didn't ask to be named Minister of Municipal Affairs but he's happy to take the job.
The 30-member shuffled cabinet was sworn in Monday morning, including the Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP, who moves to municpal affairs from having served as the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry.
Mauro held the municipal portfolio for a brief period between March and June of 2014 before the election that solidified the Liberals' decade-long hold on power and catapulted the party from a minority to a majority government.
Mauro was offered the MNRF portfolio shortly thereafter.
"It's actually nice this time," Mauro said.
"The first two times I was appoitned to cabinet, we were sitting in the legislature and I basically was given a portfolio and immediately had to be in question period and so you're really scrambling to get on top of your files. This time, we've got the summer."
Mauro looked back at his time in MNRF fondly, taking credit for launching the $90-million Forestry Growth Fund to support forestry companies. He also spent much of this year working toward a new softwood lumber agreement with the United States.
"We spent a lot of time representing Ontario's forest industry as being incredibly sustainable and well-managed forestry that provides a great economic benefit to Northern Ontario," he said.
As Minister of Municipal Affairs, Mauro will oversee the upcoming reforms to the Municipal Elections Act, the major transfer fund envelope between the province and municipalities known as the Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund, and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) roundtable.
Cambridge MPP Katherine McGarry will take over Mauro’s previous cabinet post.
Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle will remain Ontario’s Minister of Northern Development and Mines, the position he has held since 2007, not including a17-month stint as MNR between Oct. 2011 and Feb. 2013.
