Ontario PC MPP Caroline Mulroney will be resigning from Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet and will be vacating her seat next month, she said in a letter posted to social media.
Mulroney, who serves as president of the Treasury Board and minister of Francophone Affairs, said she informed the premier on Sunday and will officially step down on Friday, June 5.
“Serving as your Member of Provincial Parliament for York-Simcoe and as a member of the Ontario government for the past eight years has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. It is not a decision I have made lightly,” she wrote.
“Two years ago, I lost my father. Last year, my husband Andrew and I became empty nesters. These are the kinds of moments that clarify what matters. Together they have led me to the conclusion that now is the right time to step back from elected life and begin a new chapter, one I am genuinely excited about.”
Mulroney, who was first elected as the member of provincial parliament in York-Simcoe in 2018, is the daughter of former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney. She also previously served as attorney general and transportation minister.
Premier Doug Ford commented on Mulroney’s resignation at an unrelated news conference on Monday, revealing that she visited him at his Etobicoke home to discuss the move.
“We had a great conversation. What people don’t realize, our families are very good friends, and very good friends of Caroline, and her dad, and she wants to just focus on on her family moving forward,” he said. “I think the world of Caroline.”
Speaking in the legislature on Monday, Mulroney said the decision to step aside was “one of the hardest decisions” she has ever made.
“To Premier Ford, thank you for your friendship, your leadership, and the opportunity to serve with you. I am so proud of all of the important work we have accomplished together,” she said.
Speaking to MPPs of all political stripes, she said despite disagreements, they all have “a shared sense of purpose... that Ontarians do not always get to see.”
“I have learned from all of your and I will miss all of you. Well, most of you,” she joked.
Ontario Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfavly will fill in on an “interim basis” to serve as Treasury Board president when Mulroney steps aside, Ford confirmed.
The premier’s office also said Minister Natalia Kusendova will serve as Minister of Francophone Affairs in addition to her role as Minister of Long-Term Care starting June 5.
