Caroline Mulroney, the minister of Francophone Affairs and Treasury Board president, announced her resignation from the Ontario cabinet and her seat in the provincial legislature, effective June 5. In a statement posted on social media, she cited personal reasons, including the death of her father, former prime minister Brian Mulroney, and becoming an empty nester with her husband Andrew.
Mulroney, who represents the riding of York-Simcoe, said she informed Premier Doug Ford of her decision on Sunday. She described her eight years in elected office as "one of the greatest privileges of my life" and thanked her constituents for their trust.
In her statement, Mulroney highlighted accomplishments such as the Bradford Bypass, protection of the North Gwillimbury Forest, and advancing a new hospital for Southlake Health. She also praised Ford's leadership during the pandemic and trade pressures, while playfully urging him to keep working on his French.
Mulroney expressed gratitude to Ontario's Francophone community, noting achievements like establishing a Francophone university and modernizing the French Language Services Act. She also thanked her caucus colleagues, constituency teams, and the Ontario Public Service for their dedication.
To her family, she credited her husband Andrew as her greatest champion and said watching their children step into their own lives made it the right time for a new chapter. She concluded with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt about the value of working hard at work worth doing.
