Ontario's new education minister is stepping into one of the largest and most visible files in government, which comes with a fraught relationship with teachers, though he is no stranger to politics or tough portfolios.Todd Smith, MPP for Bay of Quinte, attends a housing announcement with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Belleville, Ont. on Friday, March 1, 2024.
But teachers have complained that many of those moves were done without enough consultation, and they hope the change in ministers signals a new, more collaborative path forward. Todd Smith, then Ontario energy minister, is pictured here at a news conference with BWXT in Cambridge, Ont. in April. "When you consider the level of violence, and the lack of supports, and the number of challenging incidents that have happened in schools lately, I think a change might be helpful."New way of funding $10-a-day child care in Ontario coming in 2025
Smith has previously handled one of the toughest files in government, overseeing the much-maligned autism program. He was brought in to head up the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services after changes to the Ontario Autism Program made by former minister Lisa MacLeod left parents outraged.