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Ford shuffles cabinet; Leamington’s Jones named Ontario’s new labour minister

AM800-News-Trevor Jones-August 30-2026 Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Trevor Jones speaking during a news conference in Leamington. (Rusty Thomson)

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford has made several changes to his cabinet Thursday, including moving embattled minister David Piccini from the labour portfolio to infrastructure.

Piccini is under investigation by the integrity commissioner after the auditor general raised questions about his handling of the $2.5-billion Skills Development Fund.

Ford has defended Piccini and the success of the fund.

Kinga Surma, who previously served as the minister of infrastructure, is now the Treasury Board president, a role left vacant after Caroline Mulroney resigned earlier this year.

Chatham-Kent-Leamington MPP Trevor Jones, who had served in the agriculture portfolio, is the new labour minister, and Sam Oosterhoff moves from an associate minister role to fill the agriculture job.

Zee Hamid, who was also previously in an associate minister role, becomes the new minister of tourism, culture, and gaming after Stan Cho resigned from the job as he came under fire for spending $16,000 in Toronto hotel stays despite living in the city.

Brian Saunderson, a former Olympic rower, becomes the new minister of sport, a portfolio left vacant after Neil Lumsden retired last month.