Rod Phillips, Ontario’s long-term care minister and Ajax MPP, to resign in February

Rod Phillips, Ontario’s long-term care minister and a first-term Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario MPP for the riding of Ajax, has announced he will be resigning in February.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, Phillips also said he won’t be seeking re-election in the June provincial election.

“I have always considered public service a privilege and it has been an honour to serve as the MPP for Ajax and in three cabinet portfolios. That said my professional life has been in the business world and I look forward to returning to the private sector,” he wrote while going on to praise Premier Doug Ford and a variety of others.

“I would like to recognize the leadership of the many individuals committed to fixing long-term care. Our work together has been the most meaningful in my time as a minister of the Crown.”

CityNews contacted Phillips’s office to ask about the announcement, but a spokesperson referred to the statement posted on social media. As of Friday afternoon, Ford’s office didn’t comment on the decision.

Later in the day, the province announced Paul Calandra as the next Minister of Long-Term Care, adding he will continue in his roles as Minister of Legislative Affairs and Government House Leader.

“As our government’s lead voice at Queen’s Park helping to move forward important legislation, including the recently-passed Fixing Long-Term Care Act, Minister Calandra is a trusted voice at the Cabinet table and is well positioned to continue improving the care that long-term care home residents receive,” Ford said in part in an online statement.

Phillips’ statement stressed that the timing would allow Ford to appoint a successor as long-term care minister and for the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario to nominate a replacement election candidate in the riding of Ajax.

The announcement comes days after other members of the Ontario PC Party caucus, former environment minister Jeff Yurek and Scarborough Centre MPP Christina Mitas, announced their decisions to not seek re-election.

RELATED: Merrilee Fullerton replaced by Rod Phillips as Minister of Long-Term Care as Ford shuffles cabinet

Phillips, a former political staffer and a prominent business executive, was first elected to the Ontario legislature during the 2018 provincial election. He was subsequently named Ontario’s minister of environment, conservation and parks.

In June 2019, Philips moved up to become the province’s finance minister and replaced Vic Fedeli, who, along with others, was demoted during a major cabinet shakeup.

However, a couple of weeks before heavy COVID-related restrictions were imposed by the Ford government, Phillips went to St. Barts on an unannounced vacation. At the time, he said he went without knowing about the Dec. 26, 2020, lockdown.

“I know that I disappointed a lot of people, I hope people appreciate I disappointed no one more than myself,” Phillips said after arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport before “unreservedly” apologizing.

He resigned as finance minister as of Dec. 31, 2020, after Ford said he was “extremely disappointed” in Phillips’ decision.

But in June, he returned to the cabinet table and replaced Merrilee Fullerton in the long-term care portfolio after she was shuffled out to become minister of children, community and social services.