Michael Bryant is "raring to go" in his new job as Ontario's Aboriginal Affairs Minister, which includes the contentious Caledonia land claim dispute.
"He's going to take the bull by the horns and go at it like gangbusters," a government source said last night about Bryant's move from the attorney general ministry.
"This may be the toughest file in government and the premier handed it to Bryant because he's a senior minister and he's going to get things done. It's an indication to everyone in Ontario about what he thinks about aboriginal affairs and that is he's going to make it a front-burner issue."
How much Bryant can get things done on the file remains to be seen, as land claims are the jurisdiction of Ottawa. But Ontario is in the thick of things as natives of Six Nations try to assert sovereignty on land along the Grand River that Ottawa says was surrendered in the 1840s. This includes Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia, which natives occupied 20 months ago. Talks on a resolution continue between Ottawa, Queen's Park and Six Nations.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Star was reporting Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn had landed a cabinet spot. Hamilton-area MPPs Ted McMeekin and Sophia Aggelonitis appear to have missed the cut this time out.
Aggelonitis, sworn in as Hamilton MPP yesterday morning, had seen media speculation she might get a junior spot. "Regardless who gets into cabinet, I just want to represent Hamilton Mountain," she said yesterday. "I can't tell you how honoured I feel."
McMeekin, a MPP since 2000, was in Vancouver on a two-week vacation with his wife, but the premier's office had his cellphone number.
Bryant's appointment and background as attorney general delighted Haldimand Mayor Marie Trainer. Bryant also served as native affairs minister until June, 2005, when it was handed to David Ramsay who changed the name to aboriginal affairs.
"Excellent," Trainer said last night. "Now we have to get a meeting."
Bryant, a potential leadership successor to McGuinty one day, has experience with aboriginal matters. His first act as attorney general was to appoint the commission to probe the shooting of native activist Dudley George by an OPP officer in Ipperwash in 1995. He has a background in aboriginal law and a master's degree in political science that focused on aboriginal issues. He also has a master's degree in law from Harvard and his thesis was on Aboriginal-State conflicts.
Bryant practised aboriginal law in Vancouver before he moved to Toronto and a Bay Street practice.
Six Nations Confederacy lawyer Aaron Detlor said he doesn't think a stand-alone ministry will make much difference for First Nations people. Ramsay had held the post along with natural resources. He was rumoured to be dumped from cabinet.
It will, however, help clean up a perceived conflict where the minister responsible at cabinet for mining and forest projects also represented people opposed to those projects as aboriginal minister.
"We'll see how much the new minister will be able to do than was done before," Detlor said.