Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Named Parliamentary Assistant in Premier Ford's Cabinet
Paul Vickers has been appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness ahead of the legislature's return on April 14.
Bruce–Grey–Owen Sound MPP Paul Vickers has been appointed Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario’s Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Trevor Jones.
Vickers, who is serving his first term at Queen’s Park, owns and operates a third-generation dairy farm in Meaford. He has previously served on the boards of Gay Lea Foods Co-operative and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.
As Parliamentary Assistant, Vickers will support the minister in overseeing the province’s agri-food sector, which includes business support for farmers, promoting sector growth, and advancing agricultural sustainability through research and innovation.
The appointments were announced by Premier Doug Ford on April 7 as part of a broader assignment of parliamentary assistant roles. These positions come with an additional $16,600 annually on top of the base MPP salary of approximately $116,500. Cabinet ministers earn $165,850. Ford told the Toronto Star last week that he plans to lift the 16-year pay freeze for MPPs.
The Ontario Legislature is set to resume on Monday, April 14, beginning with the Speech from the Throne.
Vickers joins several other MPPs in new assistant roles, including Robert Bailey (Rural Affairs), Mohamed Firin (Labour and Tourism), and Anthony Leardi (Health), among others. Steve Clark will serve as Government House Leader, while Matt Rae will take on the role of Chief Government Whip.
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