Rae ministry

The Rae ministry was the combined cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) that governed Ontario from October 1, 1990, to June 26, 1995. It was led by the 21st Premier of Ontario, Bob Rae. The ministry was made up of members of the Ontario New Democratic Party, which commanded a majority in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

Rae ministry
21th ministry of Ontario
Premier Bob Rae
Date formed	October 1, 1990 (1990-10-01)
Date dissolved	June 25, 1995 (1995-06-25)
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Lincoln Alexander (1990-1991) Hal Jackman (1991-1995)
Premier	Bob Rae
Deputy Premier	Floyd Laughren
Member party	NDP
Status in legislature	Majority (1990-1995)
Opposition party	Liberal
History
Election	2003
Legislature term	35th Parliament of Ontario
Incoming formation	1990 Ontario general election
Outgoing formation	1995 Ontario general election
Predecessor	Peterson ministry
Successor	Harris ministry

The ministry replaced the Peterson ministry following the 1990 Ontario general election. The ministry governed through all of the 35th Parliament of Ontario.

After the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario secured a majority in the 1995 Ontario general election, Rae resigned, and was succeeded as Premier of Ontario by Mike Harris.

History

The Rae Ministry is formed

There were 28 portfolios at the beginning of the Rae ministry (including the Premiership). There was only one instance of ministerial portfolio reorganisation as Rae took over from Peterson: Solicitor General and Ministry of Correctional Services were combined into "Solicitor General and Minister of Correctional Services".

Early Changes

The first big change to come to the Rae ministry was the departure of Peter Kormos as Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations and Minister of Financial Institutions on April 18, 1991, just past the six month mark of the mandate. Kormos had been tasked to implement a public auto insurance system, one of the promises of the recent election campaign, but partly because Kormos was such a disruptive presence in the ministry,^[1][2] and partly because the party would soon abandon that promise, Kormos was dismissed from the ministry. He was succeeded at Consumer and Commercial Relations by Marilyn Churley and at Financial Institutions by Brian Charlton, both newly appointed cabinet ministers.

A month later, on April 18, 1991, Evelyn Gigantes became the second high-profile departure,^[3] stepping down after violating the confidentiality of an Ontarian seeking treatment outside of Canada. She was replaced as Minister of Health by Frances Lankin, who surrendered her Ministry of Government Services portfolio to newly appointed cabinet minister Fred Wilson.

There were two instances of ministerial portfolio reorganisation:

• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing was divided into a "Ministry of Municipal Affairs", and a "Ministry of Housing".
• Ministry of Northern Development and Ministry of Mines were combined into the "Ministry of Northern Development and Mines".

Alas, in the months to come, more members were step down: Zanana Akande^[4][5] resigned in a conflict of interest scandal October 10, 1991; newly appointed cabinet minister William Ferguson resigned February 12, 1992 from his post a Minister of Energy from her post as Minister of Community and Social Services amid allegations of having committed a sexual assault while working as a correctional officer at a girl's reform school in the 1970s^[6] (he was later acquitted); and Peter North resigned on November 13, 1992 from his post as Minister of Tourism and Recreation amid allegations of having offered a job to a person he was hoping to start a relationship with.^[7]

The Last Days of Rae

Only eleven cabinet members held their seats (including three of the contestants of the soon to be conducted 1996 Ontario New Democratic Party leadership election, Tony Silipo, Frances Lankin, and the winner of that contest, Howard Hampton) and the NDP caucus shrank from 74 to 17.

Summary

33 people served in the Rae ministry. Thirteen were women.

Zanana Akande was the only person of colour to serve; she was Minister of Community and Social Services from October 1, 1990 to October 10, 1991.

Everyone who served in the cabinet was culturally Christian; this was the last time Ontario had an all-Christian ministry. Bob Rae has strong family ties to the Jewish faith (including a Jewish wife, Arlene Perly Rae), and he is a member of Holy Blossom Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation in Toronto,^[8] but he was raised Anglican and has never formally converted to Judaism.

The Rae ministry began with 26 cabinet members and ended with 22; it began with 27 portfolios and ended with 21. It is unusual for ministries to shrink in size in either respect.

List of ministers

Rae Ministry by Leadership Position

Position	Minister	Tenure
		Start	End
Premier of Ontario	Bob Rae[9]	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Deputy Premier of Ontario	Floyd Laughren[10]	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
House Leader	Shelley Martel[11]	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Dave Cooke[12]	July 31, 1991	April 28, 1995
Chief Whip	Shirley Coppen[13]	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	Fred Wilson[14]	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995

Rae ministry by portfolio

Portfolio	Minister	Tenure
		Start	End
Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet	Frances Lankin[15]	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Tony Silipo[16]	July 31, 1991	September 23, 1992
	Dave Cooke	September 23, 1992	February 3, 1993
	Brian Charlton[17]	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs[a]	Elmer Buchanan[18]	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Attorney General[b]	Howard Hampton[19]	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	Marion Boyd[20]	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Citizenship	Elaine Ziemba[21]	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Ministry of Colleges and Universities	Richard Allen[22]	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	merged with Education and Training	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Community and Social Services	Zanana Akande[23]	October 1, 1990	October 10, 1991
	Marion Boyd	October 15, 1991	February 3, 1993
	Tony Silipo	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations	Peter Kormos[24]	October 1, 1990	March 18, 1991
	Marilyn Churley[25]	March 18, 1991	June 25, 1995
Minister of Culture and Communication	Rosario Marchese[26]	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Karen Haslam[27]	July 31, 1991	February 3, 1993
	merged with Tourism and Recreation	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Education[c]	Marion Boyd	October 1, 1990	October 15, 1991
	Tony Silipo	October 15, 1991	February 3, 1993
	Dave Cooke	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Energy	Jenny Carter[28]	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Will Ferguson[29]	July 31, 1991	February 13, 1992
	Brian Charlton	February 13, 1992	February 3, 1993
	merged with Environment	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of the Environment	Ruth Grier[30]	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	merged with Energy	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of the Environment and Energy [d]	Bud Wildman[31]	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Finance[e]	Floyd Laughren	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Minister of Financial Institutions	Peter Kormos	October 1, 1990	March 18, 1991
	Brian Charlton	March 18, 1991	February 3, 1993
	merged with Chair of Management Board	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Government Services	Frances Lankin	October 1, 1990	April 22, 1991
	Fred Wilson	April 22, 1991	February 3, 1993
	merged with Chair of Management Board	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Health	Evelyn Gigantes[32]	October 1, 1990	April 18, 1991
	Frances Lankin	April 22, 1991	February 3, 1993
	Ruth Grier	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs	Bob Rae	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Minister of Industry, Trade and Technology[f]	Allan Pilkey[33]	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Ed Philip[34]	July 31, 1991	February 3, 1993
	Frances Lankin	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Labour	Bob Mackenzie[35]	October 1, 1990	October 20, 1994
	Shirley Coppen	October 20, 1994	June 25, 1995
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing[g]	Dave Cooke	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
Minister of Municipal Affairs	merged with Housing	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Dave Cooke	July 31, 1991	February 3, 1993
	Ed Philip	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Housing	merged with Municipal Affairs	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Evelyn Gigantes	July 31, 1991	August 18, 1994
	Richard Allen	August 22, 1994	June 25, 1995
Minister of Natural Resources	Bud Wildman	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	Howard Hampton	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Northern Development	Shelley Martel	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	merged with Mines	July 31, 1991	June 25, 1995
Minister of Mines	Gilles Pouliot[36]	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	merged with Northern Development	July 31, 1991	June 25, 1995
Minister of Northern Development and Mines[h]	Shelley Martel	July 31, 1991	October 7, 1994
	Gilles Pouliot	October 7, 1994	June 25, 1995
Minister Responsible for Disabled Persons	Elaine Ziemba	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs	Gilles Pouliot	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Minister Responsible for Native Affairs	Bud Wildman	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	Howard Hampton	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister Responsible for Seniors	Elaine Ziemba	October 1, 1990	June 25, 1995
Minister Responsible for Women's Issues	Anne Swarbrick[37]	October 1, 1990	September 11, 1991
	Marion Boyd	September 11, 1991	June 25, 1995
Minister of Revenue	Shelley Wark-Martyn[38]	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	merged with Finance	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Ministry of Skills Development	Richard Allen	October 1, 1990	February 3, 1993
	merged with Colleges and Universities	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Tourism and Recreation[i]	Peter North[39]	October 1, 1990	November 13, 1992
	Ed Philip	November 13, 1992	February 3, 1993
	Anne Swarbrick	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
Minister of Transportation	Ed Philip	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Gilles Pouliot	July 31, 1991	October 21, 1994
	Mike Farnan[40]	October 21, 1994	June 25, 1995
Ministers Without Portfolios	Shirley Coppen	October 1, 1990	October 21, 1994
	Anne Swarbrick	October 1, 1990	September 11, 1991
	Richard Allen	February 3, 1993	August 18, 1994
	Karen Haslam	February 3, 1993	June 14, 1993
	Allan Pilkey	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
	Fred Wilson	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995
	Mike Farnan	June 17, 1993	October 21, 1994
Solicitor General and Minister of Correctional Services[j]	Mike Farnan	October 1, 1990	July 31, 1991
	Allan Pilkey	July 31, 1991	September 23, 1992
	Allan Pilkey (only Solicitor General)	September 23, 1992	February 3, 1993
	David Christopherson[41] (only Correctional Services)	September 23, 1992	February 3, 1993
	David Christopherson	February 3, 1993	June 25, 1995

Notes

1. named "Ministry of Agriculture and Food" from October 1, 1990 to March 9, 1994.
2. named "Ministry of Justice and Attorney General" from February 3, 1993 to June 25, 1995.
3. named "Minister of Education and Training from February 3, 1993 to June 25, 1995.
4. created February 3, 1993 by merger of "Ministry of Energy" and "Ministry of Environment."
5. called "Treasurer and Minister of Economics" from October 1, 1990 to February 3, 1993.
6. renamed "Minister of Economic Development and Trade" from February 3, 1993 to June 25, 1995.
7. divided into the "Ministry of Municipal Affairs" and the "Ministry of Housing" July 31, 1991.
8. created July 31, 1991 in a merger of "Ministry Mines" and "Ministry of Northern Development"
9. named "Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Recreation" from February 3, 1993 to June 25, 1995.
10. briefly divided into "Solicitor General" and "Minister of Correctional Services" from September 23, 1992 to February 3, 1993.