This
page is an overview of the Ontario cabinet, with an emphasis on how their
portfolio impacts First Nations. Below you will find each cabinet member, the
ministry or portfolio for which they are responsible, their broad mandate, and
key highlights from their mandate letters which impact First Nations.
The
current Ontario government is working towards a collective response to the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which is why the following paragraph is
included in every mandate letter:
As you
know, taking action on the recommendations contained in the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission report is a priority for our government. That is why
we released The Journey Together, a
document that serves as a blueprint for making our government’s commitment to
reconciliation with Indigenous peoples a reality. As we move forward with the
implementation of the report, I ask you and your fellow Cabinet members to work
together, in co-operation with our Indigenous partners, to help achieve real
and measurable change for Indigenous communities.
Accessibility
Minister: The Honourable Tracy MacCharles
Mandate: The
Minister Responsible for Accessibility is mandated to “help people with
disabilities realize their full potential and oversee the implementation of the
province's groundbreaking Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.” The Accessibility
for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) came into force in 2005, and it sets out the process
for developing and enforcing accessibility standards. It was designed with a
goal of “an accessible Ontario” by 2025.
The specific priorities for the Minister is to
implement the AODA, educate the publc and organizations about accessibility,
and ensure people with disabilities can contribute to their communities and the
economy. While there are programs that may potentially impact First Nations,
this is not specifically identified in the 2016 Mandate Letter.
Links:
Advanced Education and Skills Development
Minister: The Honourable Deborah Matthews
Chief of Staff: Howie Bender
416-326-1615 | howie.bender@ontario.ca
416-326-1615 | howie.bender@ontario.ca
Mandate: The Minister of Advanced Skills
Development is responsible to work with government and public sector partners
to 1) create the employment and training system that will improve experiences
of job seekers and workers, 2) increase access to quality college and
university education, and 3) build the highly skilled workforce in Ontario.
Part of the
mandate includes working specifically to increase participation in
postsecondary education for Indigenous students, and to ensure that all
students learn about Indigenous cultures. The Minister is also mandated to support
and develop Aboriginal Institutes, working with Indigenous partners, the
institute themselves, and the postsecondary sector to develop a framework for
Aboriginal Institutes.
Links
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Minister: The Honourable Jeff Leal
Mandate: The
Minister of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs is responsible to “support
Ontario’s agri-food sector, enforce and improve food safety and strengthen
Ontario’s rural communities.” Primarily, this role focuses on
providing business support to farmers, supporting the climate change action
plan, ensuring sustainability of agriculture, expanding agriculture in the
north, and fostering vibrant rural communities.
Northern and Rural First Nation communities
fall under this mandate. Specifically, as part of expanding agriculture in the
north, the Minister is mandated to work with the Ministry of Indigenous
Relations and Reconciliation and other ministries to develop and finalize the “livestock
in the great clay belt proposal.” The Great Clay Belt is a tract of 16 million
acres of fertile land in Northern Ontario and Quebec, south of James Bay, which
is double the currently utilized farmland in Ontario, but of it only about 2%
is developed for agriculture. Developing this land will impact First
Nations.
Secondly, the Minister is mandated to increase
job opportunities and grow the economy in rural communities, and working with Indigenous
partners is specifically mentioned. Specifically, the ministry is mandated to
expand natural gas access and affordability.
Links:
Anti-Racism Directorate
Minister: The Honourable Michael Coteau
416-212-7432 | michael.coteau@ontario.ca
Mandate: The
mandate for the Anti-Racism Directorate is “to work to address racism in all
its forms, with a focus on systemic racism, and ensure that everyone in Ontario
has the opportunity to fulfill their potential and participate equally in
society.” This includes developing a cross-government approach to
combat systemic racism, which includes Indigenous racism, providing anti-racism
leadership, and increasing public education and awareness of racism. This directorate
was established as part of Bill 114, and is therefore a relatively new
legislative body.
Racism against Indigenous peoples is noted as a
significant problem, and is a large part of this mandate. The Mandate Letter
notes that the development of an Indigenous-focused anti-racism strategy as
part of The Journey Together is a key
achievement. It also calls on the Minister to develop approaches within the
government to combat system racism moving forwards, to work with MIRR to
develop the Indigenous Anti-Racism Strategy and implement it, and to support
other ministers in their anti-racism work.
Links:
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