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Peterson ministry
20th ministry of Ontario
Premier David Peterson
Date formed	June 26, 1985 (1985-06-26)
Date dissolved	October 1, 1990 (1990-10-01)
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	John Black Aird (1985) Lincoln Alexander (1985-1990)
Premier	David Peterson
Deputy Premier	vacant 1985-1987 Robert Nixon 1987-1990
Member party	Liberal
Status in legislature	Minority (1985-1987) Majority (1987-1990)
Opposition party	PC Party (1985-1987), NDP (1987-1990)
Opposition leader	Frank Miller (1985) Larry Grossman (1985-1987) Bob Rae (1987-1990)
History
Elections	1985, 1987
Legislature term	33rd Parliament of Ontario 34th Parliament of Ontario
Incoming formation	1985 Ontario general election
Outgoing formation	1990 Ontario general election
Predecessor	Miller ministry
Successor	Rae ministry

The Peterson ministry was the combined cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) that governed Ontario from June 26, 1985, to October 1, 1990. It was led by the 20th Premier of Ontario, David Peterson. The ministry was made up of members of the Ontario Liberal Party, which commanded a first a minority and later a majority in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

The ministry replaced the Miller ministry following the 1985 Ontario general election, which resulted in the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario winning a plurality of seats, but ultimately failing to secure the confidence of the legislature. The Peterson ministry governed through most of the 33rd Parliament of Ontario and all of the 34th Parliament of Ontario.

After the New Democratic Party secured a majority in the 1990 Ontario general election, Peterson resigned, and was succeeded as Premier of Ontario by Bob Rae.

Premier Peterson assembled a cabinet of 23 ministers, which was sworn in on June 26, 1985, shortly after the Miller ministry fell to a vote of non-confidence in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. None of the newly appointed cabinet ministers had any experience; this might be the first time such a situation occurred since Mitch Hepburn's days but I shall have to get back to you about this.

High-profile portfolios went to Robert Nixon (as Treasurer and Minister of Economics, as well as Minister of Revenue; he is also named House Leader), Ian Scott (as Attorney General), Sean Conway (as Minister of Education), Murray Elston (as Minister of Health), and Elinor Caplan (as Chair of Management Board of Cabinet and Minister of Government Services). The only person who competed with Peterson for leadership of the Liberal Party in 1982 and who was also eligible to serve in the ministry was John Sweeney (duly appointed as Minister of Community and Social Services).

There were only two women in Premier Peterson's initial cabinet (Elinor Caplan and Lily Oddie Munro); the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues was a man (Ian Scott). Also, there was only one person of colour (Alvin Curling). Elinor Caplan, however, was the first Jewish woman to serve in ministry in Canada, at either the federal or provincial level^[1]

There were 26 portfolios at the beginning of the Peterson ministry (including the Premiership). There were several instances of ministerial portfolio reorganisation as Peterson took over from Miller:

• Three portfolios were eliminated, as the Provincial Secretariats of Justice, Social Development, and Resource Development that had been created in the early 1970s during the Davis ministry were terminated.
• Solicitor General and Ministry of Correctional Services were combined into "Solicitor General and Ministry of Correctional Services" and assigned to Ken Keyes.
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing was divided into a "Ministry of Housing" (assigned to Alvin Curling) and a "Ministry of Municipal Affairs" (assigned to Bernard Grandmaître).
• Ministry of Northern Affairs was renamed "Ministry of Mines and Northern Affairs" (and then again renamed "Ministry of Northern Development and Mines" in November).
• Ministry of Industry and Trade was renamed "Ministry of Industry, Trade and Technology."

Five cabinet members were appointed to multiple portfolios: Premier Peterson himself (as Premier and Minister of intergovernmental Affairs), Vincent Kerrio (as Minister of Natural Resources and Minister of Energy), and Greg Sorbara (as Minister of Skills Development and Minister of Colleges and Universities), as well as the aforementioned Robert Nixon and Elinor Caplan. There were two ministers without portfolio (Tony Ruprecht and Ron Van Horne).

Within a year, two cabinet members would step down over controversies (Elinor Caplan and René Fontaine). Also Premier Peterson would create a new portfolio:

• Ministry of Financial Institutions was created April 1, 1986 (and assigned to Monte Kwinter).

Thus by mid-1986 the number of cabinet members would thus dwindle to 21, even as the number of portfolios grew to 27. Since the Peterson ministry continued to carry two ministers without portfolio, this meant two cabinet members helmed three portfolios (Premier Peterson himself, as well as Robert Nixon) while four others (Sean Conway, Vincent Kerrio, Monte Kwinter, and Greg Sorbara) helmed two.

The Peterson ministry underwent a significant restructuring following the 1987 Ontario general election, in which the Ontario Liberal Party improved from minority status to a majority, securing 95 out of 130 seats. A significantly larger caucus portended a significantly larger cabinet, and an end to the situation in which so many cabinet members had to helm multiple portfolios.

None of the incumbent cabinet ministers lost their seats in the election, though three were dismissed by Peterson to the backbenches, most notably Ken Keyes, who left his embattled position as Solicitor General and Minister of Correctional Services.

Ten newly appointed cabinet ministers joined the ministry, mostly notably future contenders for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1992 David Ramsay (appointed Minister of Correctional Services) and the winner of that contest, Lyn McLeod (appointed Minister of Colleges and Universities); also important among the newcomers was Chris Ward (as Minister of Education).

Almost every established cabinet minister was involved in the shuffle. The most notable moves include Murray Elston (assigned to Chair of Management Board of Cabinet) and Robert Nixon (appointed to heretofore vacant position of Deputy Premier). Sean Conway and Ian Scott would also see their roles change (see below).

There were several instances of ministerial portfolio reorganisation:

• Ministry of Citizenship and Culture and Ministry of Transportation and Communication were reorganised into Ministry of Citizenship (assigned to newly appointed cabinet minister Gerry Phillips), Ministry of Culture and Communication (assigned to established cabinet minister Lily Oddie Munro), and Ministry of Transportation (assigned to established cabinet minister Ed Fulton).
• Ministry of Northern Development and Mines was divided into Ministry of Northern Development (assigned to returning cabinet minister René Fontaine) and Ministry of Mines (assigned to established cabinet minister Sean Conway, who was also named House Leader).
• Solicitor General and Minister of Correctional Services was divided into "Solicitor General" (assigned to newly appointed cabinet minister Joan Smith) and "Minister of Correctional Services" (assigned to newly appointed cabinet minister David Ramsay).

Thus the number of portfolios increased to 30, as did the number of cabinet members. With two ministers without portfolio (newly appointed cabinet ministers Mavis Wilson and Remo Mancini), this meant only two cabinet members helmed two portfolios: Premier Peterson himself, and Robert Nixon.

The number of women in the ministry swelled to six, including Elinor Caplan who returned to the ministry to as Minister of Health. Alas, the position of Minister Responsible for Women's Issues was assigned again to a man, as Greg Sorbara took the responsibility from Ian Scott.

The Peterson ministry shrank significantly, as nine cabinet members were dismissed, most notably Alvin Curling, Ed Fulton, and Vincent Kerrio. Only six newly appointed cabinet ministers filled the vacancies, most notably future contender for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1992, Charles Beer (appointed Minister of Community and Social Services), and Steve Offer (appointed Solicitor General).

Among established cabinet ministers, Sean Conway made the biggest move, taking the helm at three portfolios (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Skills Development, and Ministry of Colleges and Universities), even as he surrendered the position of House Leader to Chris Ward. Meanwhile, Lyn McLeod took over both Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Natural Resources, and Murray Elston continued as Chair of Management Board of Cabinet as well as Minister of Financial Institutions (the latter position he actually had already taken over August 16, 1988).

There was one instance of a ministerial portfolio reorganisation:

• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Ministry of Housing was combined into "Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing" and assigned to John Sweeney.

The number of women would fall to five, but at last the Minister Responsible for Women's Issues would for the first time actually be a woman, as the responsibility was assigned to established cabinet minister Mavis Wilson.

Over the course of 1990, Christine Hart and René Fontaine would resign from the ministry; their positions would not be filled by newly appointed cabinet ministers.

Thus, as the election of 1990 approached, the Peterson ministry contained 25 cabinet members in 29 portfolios. There were three ministers without portfolio; Sean Conway helmed three (see above), and Premier Peterson, Lyn McLeod, Hugh O'Neil and Murray Elston each helmed two, and one is fully vacant.

Of the 24 cabinet members who contested the 1990 election (John Sweeney opted not to run again) 16 won, including most of the high-profile cabinet ministers (such as Sean Conway, Murray Elston, Elinor Caplan, Ian Scott, Lyn McLeod, Jim Bradley, and Robert Nixon); in fact, of the eight that lost, the only notable person was Premier Peterson himself, who lost his London Centre riding to NDP challenger Marion Boyd by nearly 25 points.

Alas, the Liberal Party lost 59 seats, falling to 36, surrendering the majority to the NDP, and the Peterson ministry was forced to resign.

There were 38 people who served in the Peterson ministry.

Eight were women.

At no point was the ministry all-white, as before Alvin Curling (of Jamaican heritage and birth) left, Bob Wong (of Chinese heritage) joined.