The Ontario Government House Leader is the provincial

cabinet minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, � ...

responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...

. The position is not legally entitled to cabinet standing on its own so all Government House Leaders must simultaneously hold another portfolio (or be specifically designated as a

minister without portfolio A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...

). House Leaders at the federal level are often granted

sinecure A sinecure ( or ; from the Latin , 'without', and , 'care') is an office, carrying a salary or otherwise generating income, that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service. The term originated in the medieval chu ...

assignments to give them cabinet standing while allowing them to focus exclusively on house business. This has not been the case at the provincial level. In recent years, John Baird and

Dwight Duncan Dwight Duncan (born 3 January 1959) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2013 who represented ridings of Windsor—Walkerville, Windsor—St. Clair and Windsor� ...

have served as Government House Leaders while simultaneously holding the high-profile Minister of Energy position. The current Government House Leader is

Paul Calandra Paul A. Calandra (born May 13, 1970) is a Canadian politician who has served as a minister in the Ontario provincial cabinet since 2019. Calandra has been the government house leader for the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party since 2019, min ...

(as of June 20, 2019).

Government House Leaders

{, class="wikitable" , +1983–present , - ! Name !! Tenure !! Concurrent
ministry , - ,

, , June 20, 2019 – present , , Minister of Long-Term Care , - ,

Todd Smith Todd Smith may refer to: People *Todd Smith (musician), American singer, songwriter and guitarist * Todd Smith (politician), Canadian politician *Todd Smith (singer), American vocalist and member of Selah *Todd Smith (wrestler), American wrestler * ...

, , June 29, 2018 – June 20, 2019 , ,

Minister of Government and Consumer Services The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (formerly the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services) is a Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Ontario. It is responsible for ServiceOntario, which, among other ...

, - ,

Yasir Naqvi Yasir Abbas Naqvi (born January 25, 1973) is a Canadian politician who has served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Ottawa Centre since the 2021 federal election, sitting as a Liberal. Prior to his election to the House of Commons, Naqvi wa ...

, , June 24, 2014 – June 29, 2018 , , Attorney General
Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services , - ,

John Milloy John Christopher Milloy (born June 29, 1965) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2003 to 2014 who represented the riding of the Kitchener Centre. He served as a cabinet ...

, , October 20, 2011 – June 24, 2014 , , Minister of Community and Social Services
Minister of Government Services
Minister of Training, Colleges & Universities , - , Monique Smith , , February 4, 2009 – October 6, 2011 , , Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Minister of Tourism , - , Michael Bryant , , October 30, 2007 – February 4, 2009 , , Minister of Economic Development
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs , - , Jim Bradley , , October 11, 2005 – September 10, 2007 , , Minister of Tourism
Minister Responsible for Seniors , - ,

, , October 23, 2003 – October 11, 2005 , , Minister of Energy , - , John Baird , , June 17, 2003 – September 2, 2003 , , Minister of Energy
Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs , - ,

Chris Stockwell Chris Stockwell (March 9, 1957 – February 10, 2018) was a Canadian politician from Ontario. He was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1990 to 2003, and served as Speaker of the legislature and cabi ...

, , April 15, 2002 – June 17, 2003 , , Minister of the Environment , - ,

Janet Ecker Janet Ecker (born October 18, 1953) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1995 to 2003, and was a senior cabinet minister in the governments of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves. Backgro ...

, , February 8, 2001 – April 14, 2002 , , Minister of Education , - ,

Norm Sterling Norman William "Norm" Sterling (born February 19, 1942) is a Canadian politician, who served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1977 to 2011. Background Sterling attended Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, and worked as a ...

, , ''37th Parliament''
June 17, 1999 – February 8, 2001
''36th Parliament''
October 10, 1997 – May 5, 1999 , , ''37th Parliament''
Minister of Correctional Services
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
''36th Parliament''
Minister of the Environment , - , David Johnson , , August 16, 1996 – October 10, 1997 , , Minister of Health
''Interim'' , - ,

Ernie Eves Ernest Larry Eves (born June 17, 1946) is a Canadian lawyer and former politician who served as the 23rd premier of Ontario from 2002 to 2003. A Progressive Conservative, he took over the premiership upon Mike Harris's resignation as party leade ...

, , June 26, 1995 – August 16, 1996 , , Minister of Finance
Deputy Premier , - ,

Dave Cooke Dave Cooke (born August 1, 1952) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was an NDP member of the provincial legislature from 1977 to 1997, and was a senior cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae. Background Cooke was born in Wind ...

, , July 31, 1991 – April 28, 1995 , , Minister of Municipal Affairs (1991-1993)
Minister of Education (1993-1995) , - ,

Shelley Martel Shelley Dawn Marie Martel (born April 8, 1963) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1987 to 2007. She represented the ridings of Sudbury East and Nickel Belt. She ...

, , October 1, 1990 – July 31, 1991 , , Minister of Northern Development , - , Chris Ward , , August 2, 1989 – August 2, 1990 , , Minister of Government Services , - ,

Sean Conway Sean Conway, (born July 24, 1951) is a former provincial politician in Ontario, Canada and a university professor. He served for 28 years as a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1975 to 2003, and was a high-profile cabin ...

, , September 29, 1987 – August 2, 1989 , , Minister of Mines , - , Robert Nixon , , June 26, 1985 – July 31, 1987 , , Minister of Revenue
Minister of Economics
Treasurer
''Successor Ministries to the Minister of Finance'' , - , Larry Grossman , , May 17, 1985 – June 26, 1985 , , Minister of Education
Minister of Colleges and Universities
Provincial Secretary for Social Development , - , Bob Welch , , February 20, 1985 – May 1, 1985 , , Deputy Premier
Attorney General , - , Thomas Wells , , December 23, 1983 – February 8, 1985 , , Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs

Government House Leaders

See also