Ford disbands ministry of legislative affairs

Department had been tasked with oversight of $1-billion renovation of legislature building

- ROBERT BENZIE

Premier Doug Ford has quietly disbanded the ministry overseeing the $1-billion renovation of the Legislative Assembly building at Queen's Park.

Lost amid last week's major cabinet shuffle was the dissolution of the ministry of legislative affairs that had been run by Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra.

As first disclosed by the Star, Ford also stripped Calandra of his duties as government house leader after the premier was blindsided by Speaker Ted Arnott's April ban on the Palestinian kaffiyeh in the legislature. The premier felt the house leader should have warned him the Speaker was banning the black and white scarves because they are "political" garments.

The planned retrofit of the building on Queen's Park Circle-dating back to 1893 and affectionately known as "the pink palace" is - supposed to begin in 2027 and will take years to complete.