help
collapse
Press one of the expand buttons to see the full text of an article. Later press collapse to revert to the original form. The buttons below expand or collapse all articles.
expand
collapse
Teresa Piruzza
February 11, 2013 permalink
Windsor West MPP Teresa Piruzza is Ontario's new minister of children and youth services.
expand
collapse
Windsor West MPP Teresa Piruzza named to cabinet post
Windsor West Liberal MPP named minister of child and youth services
Windsor West MPP Teresa Piruzza will oversee child-care services, the Children’s Aid Society and adoption.(Ontario Liberal Party)Windsor still has cabinet representation in Queen’s Park.
Premier Kathleen Wynne on Monday named first-term Windsor West Liberal MPP Teresa Piruzza minister of child and youth services.
The appointment comes less than a week after Finance Minister Dwight Duncan announced his retirement. Windsor previously had former Windsor West MPP Sandra Pupatello hold several cabinet positions.
At one time, both were in cabinet together.
University of Windsor political science professor Cheryl Collier said two things make Piruzza an attractive member of cabinet. Collier called Piruzza a “solid member of parliament,” but said that Piruzza’s geographical location was the biggest reason for her appointment.
Piruzza is the sole MPP west of London.
“You want that person to be in cabinet, to show people in this area they aren’t being forgotten,” Collier said.
Wynne pledged to “govern all of Ontario” when she won the Liberal leadership last month.
“She was distancing herself from being seen as Toronto-centric. The way to combat that in the eyes of the electorate is to make sure you have people in your cabinet that regionally represents all of Ontario,” Collier said. “Really, Teresa Piruzza was her only choice in that respect.”
Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj called Piruzza’s appointment “the best news of the day.”
“To lose both Dwight and Sandra and have them replaced by Teresa is a big win for Windsor,” Musyj said.
Piruzza will oversee child-care services, the Children’s Aid Society and adoption. Collier said the portfolio doesn’t carry much weight and more or less shadows the education minister.
Still, Musyj said Piruzza “will play an integral role” in the hospital’s Regional Children’s Centre and the WE Care for Kids House, which opens March 1.
“We clearly have the need in this community and to have in Queen’s Park a direct voice and influential voice is great news for our community,” he said.
Source: CBC
