# Miller ministry (Ontario)

The Miller ministry was the combined cabinet (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) that governed Ontario from February 8, 1985, to June 26, 1985. It was led by the 19th Premier of Ontario, Frank Miller. The ministry was made up of members of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, which commanded a first a majority and then a minority in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
The ministry replaced the Davis ministry following the resignation of Premier Bill Davis and the 1985 PC leadership convention. The Miller ministry governed through the last few months of the 32nd Parliament of Ontario and the first few weeks of the 33rd Parliament of Ontario.
After the 1985 Ontario general election, Miller won a plurality of seats but failed to retain the confidence of the Ontario Legislative Assembly. Miller resigned, and was succeeded as Premier of Ontario by David Peterson.

## The First Miller Ministry

Premier Miller began with 33 cabinet members serving in 28 (soon to be 29) portfolios. This was the largest cabinet in Ontario's history; Miller also carried an unprecedented seven ministers without portfolios.
23 of the cabinet members had previous ministry experience. Two of these established cabinet ministers had competed with Miller for leadership of the PC Party only weeks previously: Larry Grossman (appointed Treasurer and Minister of Economics), and Dennis Timbrell (appointed Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing). Also among the experienced cabinet members were Premier Miller himself, Bette Stephenson (appointed Chair of Management Board of Cabinet), and Bob Welch (appointed Deputy Premier and Attorney General).
Among the ten newly appointed cabinet ministers were future Premiers Mike Harris (appointed Minister of Natural Resources} and Ernie Eves (appointed Provincial Secretary for Resource Development and, on March 22, 1985, to the newly created portfolio of Ministry of Skills Development).
By the time the election occurred, three cabinet members would be serving in two portfolios: Miller (Premier and Intergovernmental Affairs), Eves (Provincial Secretary for Resource Development and Minister of Skills Development), as well as Keith Norton (Minister of Education and Minister of Colleges and Universities).
The First Miller ministry lasted 98 days.

## The Second Miller Ministry

After the May 2, 1985 election, the PC Party saw its majority vanish, at they plummeted from 70 to 52 seats, still a plurality in the Legislative Assembly, but eleven shy of a majority. Eight cabinet ministers would lose their seats, while veteran cabinet members Bob Welch and James Snow did not contest their seats, thus creating ten vacancies.
This election marked a significant turning point in Ontario politics as the Tories would see their political base move out of Toronto and into the rural areas of Ontario over the next several elections. Four of the eight lost seats were situated in Metro Toronto, and the PC party saw their share of Toronto representation drop from 18 of 29 seats to a mere 10 of 29.
Miller signaled a recognition of this shifting political base in the way he filled the vacancies. He did not add a single new Toronto MPP to his cabinet, but selected three MPPs from the previously neglected Peel, York, and Durham regions that surround Metro Toronto: before the election they only had Ashe and Gregory, but after they added to those two Cousens, Cureatz, and Stevenson.
Ultimately, Miller would assemble a cabinet of 28 members on May 17, 1985, to fill 29 portfolios. He would carry four MWPs; Grossman would cover three portfolios while Harris, Timbrell and Pope would each cover two.
The Second Miller Ministry would last 40 days.

## List of ministers

Miller by Leadership Position :
| Position | Minister | Tenure | Tenure |
| Position | Minister | Start | End |
| Premier of Ontario | Frank Miller | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Deputy Premier of Ontario | Bob Welch | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Deputy Premier of Ontario | Bette Stephenson | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Chair of Cabinet | Claude Bennett | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| House Leader | Bob Welch | February 20, 1985 | May 1, 1985 |
| House Leader | Larry Grossman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Chief Whip | Alan Robinson | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Chief Whip | Robert C. Mitchell | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
Miller ministry by portfolio :
| Portfolio | Minister | Tenure | Tenure |
| Portfolio | Minister | Start | End |
| Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet | Bette Stephenson | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet | George Ashe | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Agriculture and Food | Philip Andrewes | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Agriculture and Food | K. Ross Stevenson | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Attorney General | Bob Welch | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Attorney General | Alan Pope | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Citizenship and Culture | Susan Fish | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Citizenship and Culture | Nick Leluk | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Colleges and Universities | Keith Norton | February, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Colleges and Universities | Larry Grossman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Community and Social Services | Robert Elgie | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Community and Social Services | Ernie Eves | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations | Gordon Walker | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations | Bob Runciman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Correctional Services | Nick Leluk | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 |
| Minister of Correctional Services | Don Cousens | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Education | Keith Norton | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Education | Larry Grossman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Energy | George Ashe | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Energy | Mike Harris | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of the Environment | Morley Kells | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of the Environment | Susan Fish | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Treasurer | Larry Grossman | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 |
| Treasurer | Bette Stephenson | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Government Services | Bob Runciman | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Government Services | Jim Gordon | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Health | Alan Pope | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Health | Philip Andrewes | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs | Frank Miller | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs | Reuben Baetz | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Industry and Trade | Andy Brandt | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Labour | Russ Ramsay | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Labour | Robert Elgie | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing | Dennis Timbrell | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Natural Resources | Mike Harris | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Northern Affairs | Leo Bernier | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister Responsible for French Language Service | vacant | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister Responsible for French Language Service | Alan Pope | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister Responsible for Women's Issues | Dennis Timbrell | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Revenue | Bud Gregory | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Minister of Revenue | Gordon Dean | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Ministry of Skills Development | Ernie Eves | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Ministry of Skills Development | Phil Gillies | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Tourism and Recreation | Claude Bennett | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Minister of Transportation and Communications | George McCague | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | Phil Gillies | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | René Piché | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | Alan Robinson | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | David Rotenberg | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | James W. Snow | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | Sam Cureatz | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | Noble Villeneuve | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | Al McLean | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Ministers Without Portfolios | Robert C. Mitchell | February 8, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Provincial Secretary for Justice | Reuben Baetz | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 |
| Provincial Secretary for Justice | Alan Pope | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Provincial Secretary for Resource Development | Ernie Eves | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 |
| Provincial Secretary for Resource Development | Dennis Timbrell | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Provincial Secretary for Social Development | Gordon Dean | February 8, 1985 | May 1, 1985 |
| Provincial Secretary for Social Development | Larry Grossman | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |
| Solicitor General | John Reesor Williams | February 8, 1985 | May 17, 1985 |
| Solicitor General | Bud Gregory | May 17, 1985 | June 26, 1985 |