The Ministry of Finance is a portfolio in the Executive Council of Ontario commonly known as the cabinet. The Finance Minister is responsible for managing the fiscal, financial and related regulatory affairs of the Canadian province of Ontario. The cabinet posted used to be called the Treasurer of Ontario and was changed to be in line with other post in other Canadian provinces.

For most of the period from 1867 until 1993, the minister was called the treasurer or provincial treasurer.

The ministry were renamed the Ministry of Economics in 1956 and the minister became known as Minister in charge of Economics instead of treasurer. From January to December 1961, the ministry became the Ministry of Economics and Federal and Provincial Relations. The title of treasurer was revived in December 1961 with the minister also often holding the secondary title of minister of economics or some variation after 1968. Frank Miller had the sole title of minister of economics from 1978 until 1981 when he was given the additional title of treasuruer. At various times in the 1960s and 1970s the minister also held the titles of chairman of the management board of cabinet, chairman of the treasury board and/or minister of revenue. This practice was revived in recent years with Greg Sorbara acting as finance minister and chair of both the management board and the treasury board[1].

In 1993, the positions of treasurer and minister of economics were formally combined and renamed the minister of finance.

In early 2007, Premier McGuinty split the province's revenue collection function away from the Ministry of Finance and resurrected the Ministry of Revenue, a ministry/portfolio that had not been used since the NDP government of Bob Rae in 1993.

[edit] List of Ontario Treasurers and Ministers of Economics (1867-1993)

• Edmund Burke Wood (Jul 1867 - Dec 1871)¹ Conservative
• Adam Crooks (Oct 1872 - Mar 1877)¹ Liberal
• Samuel Wood (March 1877 - June 1883)¹ Liberal
• Alexander Ross (1883-1890)¹ Liberal
• Richard Harcourt (1890-1899)¹ Liberal
• George William Ross (Oct 1899 - Feb 1905)¹ as Premier, Liberal
• Arthur Matheson (Feb 1905 - Jan 1913)¹ Conservative
• Isaac Lucas (May 1913 - Dec 1914)¹ Conservative
• Thomas McGarry (Dec 1914 - Nov 1919)¹ Conservative
• Peter Smith (Nov 1919 - Jul 1923)¹ United Farmers of Ontario
• William Herbert Price (Jul 1923 - Oct 1926)¹ Conservative
• Joseph Monteith (Oct 1926 - Sep 1930)¹ Conservative
• Edward Arunah Dunlop (Sep 1930 - Dec 1933)¹ Conservative
• George S. Henry (Jan 1934 - July 1934)¹ as Premier, Conservative
• Mitchell Hepburn (Jul 1934 - Mar 1943)¹ as Premier until Oct 1942, Liberal
• Arthur Gordon (Mar 1943 - Aug 1943)¹ Liberal
• Leslie Frost (1943-1955)¹ as Premier from 1949, Progressive Conservative
• Dana Porter (Aug 1955 - Mar 1956)¹ Progressive Conservative
• Dana Porter (Mar 1956 - Jan 1958)² Progressive Conservative
• Leslie Frost (Feb - Apr 1958)² while Premier Progressive Conservative
• James Allan (Apr 1958 - Jan 1961)² Progressive Conservative
• James Allan (Jan 1961 - Dec 1961)³ Progressive Conservative
• James Allan (Dec 1961 - Nov 1966)¹ Progressive Conservative
• Charles MacNaughton, (Nov 1966 - Jul 1968)¹ Progressive Conservative
• Charles MacNaughton, (July 1968 - March 1971)^{1 4} Progressive Conservative
• Darcy McKeough (Mar 1971 - Apr 1972)^{1 4} Progressive Conservative
• Charles MacNaughton (Sep 1972 - Jan 1973)^{1 5} Progressive Conservative
• John White (Jan 1973 - Jun 1975)^{1 5} Progressive Conservative
• Darcy McKeough {Jun 1975 - Aug 1978)^{1 5} Progressive Conservative
• Frank Miller (Aug 1978 - April 1981) ⁴ Progressive Conservative
• Frank Miller (Apr 1981 - Jul 1983)^{1 4} Progressive Conservative
• Larry Grossman (Jul 1983 - Feb 1985)^{1 4} Progressive Conservative
• Larry Grossman (Feb 1985 - May 1985)¹ Progressive Conservative
• Bette Stephenson (May 1985 - Jun 1985)¹ Progressive Conservative
• Robert Nixon (Jun 1985 - Oct 1990)^{1 4} Liberal
• Floyd Laughren (Oct 1990 - Feb 1993)^{1 4} NDP

1 Treasurer

2 Minister in Charge of the Department of Economics

3 Minister of Economics and Federal and Provincial Relations

4 Minister of Economics

5 Minister of Economics and Intergovernmental Affairs

[edit] Ministers of Finance (since 1993)

• Floyd Laughren (Feb 1993 - Jun 1995) NDP
• Ernie Eves (Jun 1995 - Feb 2001) Progressive Conservative
• Jim Flaherty (Feb 2001 - Apr 2002) Progressive Conservative
• Janet Ecker (Apr 2002 - Oct 2003) Progressive Conservative
• Greg Sorbara (Oct 2003 - Oct 2005) Liberal
• Dwight Duncan (Oct 2005 - May 2006) Liberal
• Greg Sorbara (May 2006 - September 10, 2007) Liberal
• Dwight Duncan (October 30, 2007 - present) Liberal

[edit] External links

• Ontario Ministry of Finance website