The Ford government billed the 2025 Ontario budget as a response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff regime and ongoing economic certainty, but buried in the document is a move to allow cabinet ministers to keep their honourifics.
When ministers are sworn in, they assume the title “Honourable” to indicate they are members of the Ontario cabinet. They can no longer use that title officially after they leave office.
However, the last page of the budget document briefly mentioned a proposed new act that would allow former cabinet members to be designated “honourary members of the executive council.”
The move would follow a practice that’s done at the federal government.
When federal cabinet ministers are sworn in, they join a body called the King’s Privy Council for Canada. Other individuals can be sworn in to join the council on the advice of Canada’s prime ministers, which is meant to provide confidential advice to the Crown. Those individuals assume the title “Honourable” and effectively keep it for life. The prime minister gets the title “Right Honourable.”
Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy was asked about the initiative’s inclusion in the provincial budget during a news conference Thursday afternoon.
He said while the proposed legislative change could have been done through an alternate process, it’s meant to recognize service “regardless of public stripe” at any level of government.
“I think it’s a measure to show that we respect public service, we respect our public servants and I’m very proud to sponsor that,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Ford government later said all former premiers and cabinet members will receive the designation except anyone convicted of an indictable offence.
Ontario Liberal Party leader Bonnie Crombie was briefly taken aback when asked about the matter.
“Of all the things we could be worried about today: 20-hour wait times in our hospital emergency rooms, the fact that 2.5 million people don’t have a family doctor, they’re worried about keeping their [honorifics]?” she said.
“I’m sorry, I’m not going to make a comment on that.”
