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ONTARIO Cabinet shuffle signals improvement in gender diversity, says MPP Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris and Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon promoted to new posts JOHN BKILA jbkila@burlingtonpost.com Burlington MPP Elea­ nor McMahon said Pre­ mier Kathleen Wynne's cabinet shuffle last Wednesday (Jan. 17) signi­ fied an improvement in gender diversity in pro­ vincial government. "That's a good thing and I'm proud of it," said McMahon, who will be leaving her post as minis­ ter of tourism, culture and sport, and succeeding Liz Sandals as president of the treasury board. "We had eight minis­ ters involved in the shuf­ fle and seven of them were women - and all three new additions to the cabinet are women - and I think that's important," she said. "I do think it's signifi­ cant that 45 per cent of the cabinet is women and that we have women in major ministries and central agencies . the fact that they're led by women real­ ly speaks to the impor­ tance of equity, but also says to the next genera­ tion - and I think of Karina Gould as a perfect exam­ ple of this - who want to be­ come public servants or who dream of that oppor­ tunity that it can be done and their voice is impor­ tant." Wynne's cabinet shift was made well ahead of the June 7 provincial elec­ tion, as key ministers Brad Duguid, Deb Mat­ thews and Sandals have planned retirements. Halton MPP Indira Naidoo-Harris was also a part of the change and will add on the education port­ folio while continuing as minister for early years and child care. "I'm thrilled and excit­ ed and really eager to get into the portfolio .. Educa­ tion is a key building block for our society," said Naidoo-Harris. "This is an enormous responsibility, but it is one I am very proud and pleased to be taking on. I am just passionate about the future of Ontario's young people and doing the work that needs to get done on such an impor­ tant portfolio." The Halton MPP said her background as a jour­ nalist of close to 20 years and growing up in a family of educators will be just some of the experience she'll be bringing to the ministry. "A key to understand­ ing what challenges peo­ ple face on the ground was my work as a journalist .. All those years of speak­ ing to families and report­ ing on them really gives you some insight into what are the challenges folks feel and experience," she said. "(And) I come from family of educators. My father was superinten­ dent of schools in Alberta and B.C., he also taught as a professor; my mother taught for more than 40 years in Alberta; my hus­ band is a professor; I have aunts and uncles who all come from that back­ ground, so I've really been living and breathing edu­ cation for a long time." McMahon said she felt bittersweet leaving the ministry she's held since June 2016. "I'm sad to leave tour­ ism, culture and sport, be­ cause it was a very rich, economic ministry .. I'm going to keep those rela­ tionships, (and) I look for­ ward to speaking with the new minister, so I can download some of what I've learned," she noted. McMahon sat on the treasury board for a year and a half, since she was appointed to cabinet, and said it gave her the oppor­ tunity to get a sense of the rhythm of the board and the way it makes deci­ sions. "The last two presi­ dents of the treasury board - both Deb Mat­ thews and Liz Sandals - are people I respect and admire. 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