Broten looks forward to new role in ‘major minority’.
Liberal MPPs Donna Cansfield, left, representing Etobicoke Centre, and Laurel Broten, representing Etobicoke-Lakeshore, pose on the waterfront after their re-election.
Staff Photo/MARY GAUDET
Etobicoke-Lakeshore MPP-elect Laurel Broten said Friday she would be pleased to serve in any capacity Premier Dalton McGuinty may assign her in his fledgling "major minority" government.
Cabinet shuffles are commonplace following an election.
"I guess I wait and see what if anything in terms of new responsibilities and roles the Premier wants me to take on. I would look forward to doing whatever he asks of me," said Broten, a cabinet minister in successive McGuinty governments since she was first elected in 2003.
McGuinty will form a so-called "major minority" government, his party having won 53 seats Thursday - one riding shy of a majority in the 107-seat Legislature.
Environment Minister John Wilkinson, Education Minister Leona Dombrowsky, Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell and Revenue Minister Sophia Aggelonitis went down to defeat, while three other cabinet ministers retired.
Broten is minister of children and youth services and minister responsible for women's issues, a portfolio she has held since 2009. Previously, she was minister of the environment from 2005 to 2007.
"I've loved the work I've been able to do at the Ministry of Children and Youth Services," Broten said. "The folks that work in that sector helping our kids in a whole variety of ways are so dedicated. It has been a real pleasure to work with them and to see first-hand how the province's investments in children's mental health and supports for children, working with Aboriginal children, so many areas I can list, have been great."
Broten and her husband Paul Laberge have twin six-year-olds Zachary and Ryan.
"'Why isn't there all-day kindergarten in our school?" Broten said is the most common question she heard among voters.
"We're working with the school boards to determine which schools have capacity, where does reno work need to be done? There is work to be done in the community as to how it will be rolled out."
The Ministry of Education is expected to complete its province-wide rollout of all-day kindergarten in all elementary schools by September 2014.
Broten allowed that special needs students, an issue brought up at an education debate in which she participated, is a file "needing some attention."
Seniors' care is another issue Broten said she heard often at the door during the campaign.
A mid-election decision by the Liberals to kill a controversial 280-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant in Mississauga near the Etobicoke border will soon be replaced with new government guidelines for considering future gas plant proposals, Broten said.
"At the time of our announcement that we would not be siting that particular power plant behind Trillium Health Centre, we also made it clear that we would establish a modernized framework for the siting of natural gas plants," Broten said. "Much like the approach we took when we established a new set of parameters for wind turbines. We established setbacks from homes, from hospitals, from schools in keeping with a modern approach.
"That really was the issue with the (power plant) site none of us supported in that it was never going to be able to have sufficient setbacks. In fact, that site wouldn't have even allowed for one wind turbine on it."
Liberals are down from 70 seats at the Legislature's dissolution, when there were 25 Progressive Conservatives and 10 New Democrats and two vacancies that had been Liberals.
Liberals lost 19 seats, including four cabinet ministers.
Tim Hudak's Conservatives gained 12 seats to 37, and Andrea Horwath led the NDP to 17 seats, up seven.