Michael Ford announces temporary departure from role as Ontario cabinet minister

Ontario’s curate of citizenship and multiculturalism Michael Ford, who is besides Premier Doug Ford’s nephew, has announced helium is taking a permission from his furniture relation for wellness reasons.

On Friday, Michael Ford’s bureau released a connection confirming helium would beryllium stepping backmost from furniture “effective immediately” but planned to instrumentality to Queen’s Park wrong a mates of months.

“Earlier today, I spoke with the Premier and informed him of my determination to instrumentality a permission of lack from my Cabinet responsibilities arsenic Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, effectual immediately,” Michael Ford wrote.

“This determination was made aft overmuch thought, and portion it weighs precise heavy connected me, it is indispensable for maine to prioritize my wellness and well-being implicit the adjacent mates of months.”

Michael Ford was archetypal elected to service arsenic an MPP for York-South Weston successful 2022, snatching the spot from the Ontario New Democrats with a small nether 1,000 votes much than the opposition.

He was rapidly appointed to furniture successful complaint of the citizenship and multiculturalism file.

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Premier Ford faced questions implicit appointing Ford, arsenic his nephew, to furniture but defended the determination successful 2022, arguing the erstwhile metropolis councillor and schoolhouse committee trustee had “extensive experience” that qualified him for the role.

“I deliberation he’ll bash an highly bully job,” Doug Ford said astatine the time. “He has a batch of cognition and he’s been an elected authoritative astir apt longer than much than 60 per cent of our caucus.”

He noted the ward his nephew represented connected metropolis council, Etobicoke North, is “probably 1 of the astir multicultural areas successful the full province.”

— with files from The Canadian Press