Premier Doug Ford says the major restructuring of his cabinet announced today wasn't due to a lack of confidence in his key ministers.
Finance Minister Vic Fedeli, Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod, Education Minister Lisa Thompson and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney are among several ministers who are moving to less prominent portfolios.
Ford denies he was dissatisfied with the performance of the ministers following weeks of criticism over government funding cuts that were hidden in the spring budget.
He says the shuffle is about putting the right people in the right place to advance his government's agenda in the second year of its mandate.
Meantime, Green Party leader Mike Schreiner says the Ford government's problems can't be fixed by rearranging the chairs at the cabinet table.
Schreiner say the magnitude of Premier Doug Ford's cabinet shuffle today shows there are deep problems in his government.
But he says those problems aren't caused by personnel but by austerity measures that the people of Ontario simply don't like.
Schreiner says people want access to education, health care and social services more than they want greater access to beer -- and he says the new cabinet ministers need to be advocates for their portfolios and not just cheerleaders for the premier.