# Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism (Ontario)

43°39′37.8″N 79°23′4.2″W﻿ / ﻿43.660500°N 79.384500°W﻿ / 43.660500; -79.384500
The Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism is a ministry of the Government of Ontario that is responsible for citizenship and multiculturalism issues in the Canadian province of Ontario. From 2014 to 2016, it was known as the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade, then the ministry was reorganized and it reverted to its prior name. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration was dissolved in 2018, and its functions were taken over by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services. In 2021, the ministry was reintroduced as the Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism. The current minister is Michael Ford.

## 2007 spending controversy

In 2007, the Ministry of Citizenship of Immigration was accused of using immigrant aid money as a slush fund by directing it to groups with strong Liberal ties. The Ontario Auditor General probed $32 million of spending over a 2-year period and found no direct evidence of money flowing due to political ties, but that political ties did exist and there were various governance deficiencies.

## List of ministers

| Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Tenure | Political party (Ministry) | Note |
| Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | Provincial Secretary and Minister of Citizenship | PC (Robarts) |
| | John Yaremko | November 8, 1961 | November 24, 1966 | 5 years, 16 days | |
| | Bob Welch | November 24, 1966 | March 1, 1971 | 4 years, 97 days | |
| | John Yaremko | March 1, 1971 | July 1, 1983 | 8 years, 182 days | PC (Davis) | After 1972 the responsibility of Citizenship affairs was transferred to the Ministry of Citizenship and Culture when it was formed in 1982. |
| Citizenship and Culture | Citizenship and Culture | Citizenship and Culture | Citizenship and Culture | Citizenship and Culture |
| | Bruce McCaffrey | February 13, 1982 | July 6, 1983 | 1 year, 143 days | |
| | Susan Fish | July 6, 1983 | February 8, 1985 | 1 year, 299 days | |
| February 8, 1985 | Susan Fish | May 1, 1985 | PC (Miller) | 1 year, 299 days | |
| | Nick Leluk | May 1, 1985 | June 26, 1985 | 56 days |
| | Lily Oddie Munro | June 26, 1985 | September 29, 1987 | 2 years, 95 days | Liberal (Peterson) | |
| Citizenship | Citizenship | Citizenship | Citizenship | Citizenship |
| | Gerry Phillips | September 29, 1987 | August 2, 1989 | 1 year, 307 days | |
| Bob Wong | August 2, 1989 | October 1, 1990 | 1 year, 60 days | |
| | Elaine Ziemba | October 1, 1990 | June 26, 1995 | 4 years, 268 days | NDP (Rae) | |
| Citizenship, Culture and Recreation | Citizenship, Culture and Recreation | Citizenship, Culture and Recreation | Citizenship, Culture and Recreation | Citizenship, Culture and Recreation | PC (Harris) |
| | Marilyn Mushinski | June 26, 1995 | October 10, 1997 | 2 years, 106 days |
| | Isabel Bassett | October 10, 1997 | June 17, 1999 | 1 year, 250 days | |
| | Helen Johns | June 17, 1999 | February 8, 2001 | 1 year, 236 days | |
| Citizenship | Citizenship | Citizenship | Citizenship | Citizenship |
| | Cam Jackson | February 8, 2001 | April 15, 2002 | 1 year, 66 days |
| | Carl DeFaria | April 15, 2002 | October 22, 2003 | 1 year, 190 days | PC (Eves) | |
| Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Liberal (McGuinty) |
| | Marie Bountrogianni | October 23, 2003 | June 29, 2005 | 1 year, 249 days | |
| | Michael Colle | June 29, 2005 | June 26, 2007 | 1 year, 362 days | |
| | Gerry Phillips | June 26, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | 126 days | |
| | Michael Chan | October 30, 2007 | January 18, 2010 | 2 years, 80 days | |
| | Eric Hoskins | January 18, 2010 | October 20, 2011 | 1 year, 275 days | |
| | Charles Sousa | October 20, 2011 | November 13, 2012 | 1 year, 24 days | |
| | Michael Chan | November 13, 2012 | February 11, 2013 | 90 days | |
| | Michael Coteau | February 11, 2013 | June 24, 2014 | 1 year, 133 days | Liberal (Wynne) |
| Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade | Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade | Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade | Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade | Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade |
| | Michael Chan | June 24, 2014 | June 13, 2016 | 1 year, 355 days | |
| Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration | Citizenship and Immigration |
| | Laura Albanese | June 13, 2016 | June 29, 2018 | 2 years, 16 days | |
| Citizenship and Multiculturalism | Citizenship and Multiculturalism | Citizenship and Multiculturalism | Citizenship and Multiculturalism | Citizenship and Multiculturalism | PC (Ford) |
| | Parm Gill | June 21, 2021 | June 24, 2022 | 1 year, 3 days | Premier Ford does not have a Citizenship Minister in his cabinet for nearly three years |
| | Michael Ford | June 24, 2022 | present | 2 years, 207 days | |