TORONTO – If Premier Doug Ford wins a second straight mandate in June, he’ll need a new deputy premier and minister of health.
Christine Elliott, who currently fulfills both roles, on Friday announced she would not seek re-election when voters head to the polls later this spring.
Elliott, who said she consulted with her family before making her decision, but will stay on in both roles until the election is over.
“I sought elected office in 2006 because of my strong desire to improve the quality of life of individuals with special needs, as well as mental health challenges. I saw gaps in care and that motivated me to action,” Elliott said in a letter posted to Twitter.
“I am so proud to have worked on these issues as the critic for the Official Opposition, Ontario’s first patient ombudsman and most recently, as deputy premier and minister of health.”
Elliott, who finished second to Ford in the most recent Conservative leadership race, said the COVID-19 pandemic has been a test for everyone, praising front-line health-care workers.
“I want to express my profound admiration of and gratitude for all who provide care to Ontarians each and every day,” she said. “They do so bravely, selflessly, and at great expense to their own personal lives and circumstances.”
Elliott represents Newmarket-Aurora, a seat the Conservatives picked up from the Liberals in the 2018 provincial elections. She spent three terms in Whitby-Oshawa and was initially elected in Whitby-Ajax in 2006, a riding held at the time by her late husband, former federal finance minister Jim Flaherty.
Elliott did not indicate what her future plans might include.
