Deputy Premier of Ontario

The deputy premier of Ontario (Template:Langx) is a minister of the Crown and senior member of the provincial Executive Council (Cabinet). The office was first created in 1977, and is conferred on the advice of the premier of Ontario. Though the role is seen as informally important, it does not hold formal legal power in its own right, and does not automatically receive any powers in the case of absence or death of a premier.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sylvia Jones is the 12th and current deputy premier of Ontario, assuming office on June 24, 2022. She concurrently serves as the minister of health.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Politics of Ontario

History

For much of the province's early history, the position of provincial secretary and registrar of Ontario was the second most powerful position in the Ontario Cabinet. This role diminished by the 1960s, overtaken by the deputy premier in 1977 and abolished in 1985.

To date, every person serving as deputy premier of Ontario has also concurrently held another senior position in the Ontario Cabinet. Bette Stephenson, Robert Nixon, Floyd Laughren, Ernie Eves, Jim Flaherty, and Dwight Duncan were all concurrently provincial treasurer or, as that position was renamed in 1993, minister of Finance.

One deputy premier later became premier, but averted a direct succession: Former deputy premier Ernie Eves defeated then current deputy premier Jim Flaherty in the 2002 Progressive Conservative leadership election, which determined the 23rd premier.

Christine Elliott, deputy premier from 2018 to 2022, was widow of Jim Flaherty, deputy premier from 2001 to 2002 (who died in 2014).

Deputy premiers of Ontario

	Name	Term of office		Tenure	Political party (Ministry)	Note
rowspan=2; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|1	Bob Welch	September 21, 1977	February 8, 1985	Template:Ayd	PC (Davis)	While Attorney General, Provincial Secretary for Justice, Minister of Culture and Recreation (1977–78), Minister of Energy (1979–83) & Minister Responsible for Women's Issues (1983–85)
February 8, 1985	May 17, 1985	PC (Miller)	While Attorney General
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|2	Bette Stephenson		May 17, 1985	June 26, 1985	Template:Ayd	While Treasurer & Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Vacant	June 26, 1985	September 29, 1987		Liberal (Peterson)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|3	Robert Nixon	September 29, 1987	October 1, 1990	Template:Ayd		While Treasurer, Minister of Economics and Minister of Financial Institutions
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|4	Floyd Laughren	October 1, 1990	June 26, 1995	Template:Ayd	NDP (Rae)	While Minister of Economics and Treasurer (1990–93) & Minister of Finance (1993-95)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;" |5	Ernie Eves	June 26, 1995	February 8, 2001	Template:Ayd	PC (Harris)	While Minister of Finance
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;" |6	Jim Flaherty	February 8, 2001	April 14, 2002	Template:Ayd		While Minister of Finance
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;" |7	Elizabeth Witmer	April 15, 2002	October 22, 2003	Template:Ayd	PC (Eves)	While Minister of Education
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Vacant	October 23, 2003	September 20, 2006		Liberal (McGuinty)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|8	George Smitherman	September 21, 2006	November 9, 2009	Template:Ayd		While Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (2006–08) & Minister of Energy and Infrastructure (2008–09)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Vacant	September 9, 2009	October 19, 2011
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|9	Dwight Duncan	October 20, 2011	Template:Dts<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||Template:Ayd||While Minister of Finance & Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|10	Deb Matthews	February 11, 2013	January 17, 2018	Template:Ayd	Liberal (Wynne)	While Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (2013–14), President of the Treasury Board (2014–16) & Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development (2016–18)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Vacant	January 17, 2018	June 29, 2018
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;" |11	Christine Elliott	June 29, 2018	June 24, 2022	Template:Ayd	PC (Ford)	While Minister of Health and Long-Term Care (until June 20, 2019) and while Minister of Health (June 20, 2019 – June 24, 2022)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;" |12	Sylvia Jones	June 24, 2022	Present	Template:Ayd		While Minister of Health (June 24, 2022 – Present)

See also

• Deputy premier (Canada)
• List of Ontario premiers
• Politics of Ontario
• Premier (Canada)