Doug Ford hands cabinet ministers mandate letters months after winning snap election
Months after winning a third consecutive majority mandate under a promise to “protect Ontario” from economic war with the United States, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has outlined how he expects his inner circle to deliver the pledge.
Multiple sources confirmed to Global News that mandate letters were finally delivered to cabinet ministers this week, giving each member of Ford’s top team specific instructions.
The wait for mandate letters meant ministers did not have codified instructions during the first sitting of the new parliament, leaving some smaller departments struggling with a lack of legislative direction.
Ford’s cabinet was sworn in in mid-March and, several sources told Global News, had hoped to use the summer to create policy road maps based on the mandate letters, which did not arrive.
Sources previously said a combination of the snap February election, the federal ballot and staffing changes in the premier’s policy team had all delayed the letters.
A spokesperson for the premier’s office said the ongoing trade war with the United States is at the centre of the latest mandate letters.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
“As we navigate an economic crisis that threatens the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of workers, our mandate letters provide the roadmap for long-term implementation of our plan to protect Ontario,” they wrote in a statement.
“The people elected our government with a historic third majority, and we will be relentless in building critical infrastructure, keeping costs low, unlocking interprovincial free trade, supporting Ontario-made products, and cracking down on crime.”
The mandate letters are a traditional moment in Canadian politics. Written by the head of a government to cabinet members, they lay out the aims and goals of their department.
Until 2018, it was traditional for governments to use them as a public platform to signal intent.
When Ford took office, however, he opted not to make his mandate letters public. That resulted in a legal battle which went all the way to the Supreme Court, which last year sided with Ford and confirmed he could keep them secret.
The 2018 letters, obtained exclusively by Global News, outlined the premier’s vision for Ontario, how cabinet members were expected to conduct themselves, and specific policy measures ministries were expected to pursue.
They offered a number of bullet-point policy items — some of which were outlined in the party’s election platform, along with other policies never revealed to voters.
Andrew Sidnell, who once served as Ford’s deputy chief of staff and head of policy in the premier’s office, told Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner that not all the measures outlined in the mandate letter were acted on and that some could be dropped after internal negotiations.
“You go back and forth, and then some of those things eventually are either too ambitious or they get cut off the list for impracticality reasons. Or, they do move forward and the minister will come back with a plan to actually implement them,” Sidnell told the Integrity Commissioner.
In 2022, for example, then-housing minister Steve Clark was instructed to look for “swaps, expansions, contractions” in Ontario’s Greenbelt — a directive that eventually led to a scandal for the government.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Spirits maker Diageo will cease operations at its bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont., early next year, as it shifts some bottling volume to the U.S., the company announced on Thursday.
The facility, which bottles Crown Royal products, will close in February in a move aimed at improving its North American supply chain.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
About 200 jobs will be affected.
“This was a difficult decision, but one that is crucial to improving the efficiency and resiliency of our supply chain network,” Marsha McIntosh, Diageo’s president of North America supply, said in a statement.
Diageo said it will engage with the community and find ways to support its employees through the transition, and work alongside Unifor to assist unionized workers.
The company said it will still maintain a “significant” footprint in Canada — including its headquarters and warehouse operations in the Greater Toronto Area, and bottling and distillation facilities in Manitoba and Quebec.
McIntosh added the company’s Crown Royal products will continue to be mashed, distilled and aged at its Canadian facilities.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
Toronto police say a 33-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly striking two men with his car Wednesday evening.
Officers say they responded to reports of a collision in the area of Don Mills Road and Gateway Boulevard in the city’s North York neighbourhood just before 10:30 p.m.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Police say two men got into an argument, leading to one man getting into his car and hitting the other man with it.
They say the man then put his car into reverse, striking a second man.
A man in his 50s was transported to hospital with serious injuries and the second man, in his 20s, had minor injuries.
Police say the suspect from Markham, Ont., faces several other charges as well, including two counts of assault with a weapon, uttering threats and dangerous driving.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
A court document shows a Lindsay, Ont., man facing charges for allegedly breaking into an apartment was carrying a crossbow when he was confronted by a tenant.
The resident, Jeremy David McDonald, is also facing assault charges in the incident on Aug. 18 — a fact that has generated widespread interest in the case.
Police information filed in court alleges that Michael Kyle Breen damaged a window and screen at McDonald’s home and carried a crossbow.
The court document says the 41-year-old Breen is charged with break and enter, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, mischief under $5,000 and failing to comply with a probation order.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Police have said that Breen, who is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing next week, was already wanted for unrelated offences.
McDonald, the 44-year-old resident, was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon after he allegedly “did endanger the life” of Breen.
Premier Doug Ford blasted the decision to charge the apartment resident, saying last week that it shows “something is broken.”
Kawartha Lakes Police Chief Kirk Robertson wrote in a statement Wednesday that he recognizes the incident has generated significant public interest and “emotional” responses, but called some of the reaction “unjust and inaccurate.”
Robertson wrote that individuals have the right to defend themselves and their property, but the law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced.
“This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances,” he wrote.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
-
Uncategorized3 months agoShop Proud, Eat Proud, Be Proud — Ottawa Canada Day Market This June 28th
-
3 months agoCanada’s world junior trial saw juries tossed, intense testimony. Here’s a recap
-
2 months agoMeasles circulating in northeastern B.C. community, health officials warn
-
2 months agoRing of Fire road to bring prosperity to First Nation, problems for caribou: report
-
3 months agoAnishinabek Nation chief says he briefed Ontario police on protests against Bill 5
-
2 months agoFormer major leaguer, Jays doctor Ron Taylor dies
-
2 months agoJagmeet Singh apologizes for attending Kendrick Lamar concert after Drake calls him out
-
2 months agoDreaming of a lakeside cottage but can’t afford it? Co-ownership could open that door