Cabinet shuffle moves Bryant out of native portfolio

Septembe 18, 2008 Hamilton Spectator

TORONTO – Michael Bryant has been shuffled out of the aboriginal affairs ministry.

The move was made as Premier Dalton McGuinty shuffles his cabinet this afternoon to underscore the importance of attracting business and new investment to battered Ontario, which has shorn more than 200,000 manufacturing and forestry jobs in the past few years.

Sandra Pupatello moves from economic development to a new international trade and investment ministry.

Michael Bryant – appointed to the post, which includes handling of the sometimes violent Caledonia land claims dispute, in November 2007 – who remains House leader will take over her old duties.

It’s not clear what effect this will have on negotiations with Six Nations.

Bryant has made it clear since his appointment in November last year that he firmly believes the recommendations of the Ipperwash Inquiry advocating negotiation and peace-keeping to settle land claim disputes.

His appointment at the time broke with the provincial government's previous handling of the dispute, which saw McGuinty and former Aboriginal Affairs Minister David Ramsay stay away from the town after natives took over the housing project Douglas Creek Estates in February 2006, claiming it was on Six Nations land that was never surrendered.

Talks between Six Nations, Queen's Park and Ottawa are still going on two-and-a-half years since the dispute began.

Ottawa says the land was surrendered in the 1840s. In the meantime, the Six Nations traditional government is attempting to reassert its sovereignty on land all along the Grand River, between Dundalk and Lake Erie, that was given to them in 1784 by the British Crown and is calling on developers to deal with them.

Bryant will be replaced in the aboriginal affairs ministry by Labour Minister Brad Duguid.

Duguid will be replaced by Tourism Minister Peter Fonseca.

The new tourism minister will be Monique Smith, whose responsibilities as revenue minister will be taken over by Finance Minister Dwight Duncan.

Lieutenant Governor David Onley will swear in McGuinty's revamped cabinet at 3:30 p.m. today.

It's unusual to have a cabinet shuffle just days before a new legislative session, suggesting the premier is highlighting the urgency of Ontario's sagging economy.