Sylvia Jones

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Sylvia Jones

| honorific-suffix = ECO {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MPP|size=100%}}

| image = M Jones Photo.jpg

| caption = Jones in 2024

| order = 12th

| office = Deputy Premier of Ontario

| term_start = June 24, 2022

| term_end =

| premier = Doug Ford

| predecessor = Christine Elliott

| successor =

| office1 = Minister of Health

| term_start1 = June 24, 2022

| term_end1 =

| premier1 = Doug Ford

| predecessor1 = Christine Elliott

| office2 = Solicitor General of Ontario{{efn|name=name|The position was known as the minister of community safety and correctional services until the title solicitor general was restored on April 4, 2019.{{Cite web|last=Martin-Robbins|first=Karen|date=2019-04-04|title=Same job, older title: Doug Ford names Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones Solicitor General of Ontario|url=https://www.toronto.com/news-story/9268391-same-job-older-title-doug-ford-names-dufferin-caledon-mpp-sylvia-jones-solicitor-general-of-ontario/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Toronto.com|language=en-CA}}}}

| term_start2 = November 5, 2018

| term_end2 = June 24, 2022

| premier2 = Doug Ford

| predecessor2 = Michael Tibollo

| successor2 = Michael Kerzner

| office3 = Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

| premier3 = Doug Ford

| term_start3 = June 29, 2018

| term_end3 = November 5, 2018

| predecessor3 = Daiene Vernile

| successor3 = Michael Tibollo

| parliament4 = Ontario Provincial

| term_start4 = October 10, 2007

| term_end4 =

| predecessor4 = Riding established

| successor4 =

| constituency_MP4 = Dufferin—Caledon

| party = Progressive Conservative

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1965}}

| birth_place =

| spouse = David Gillies

| children = 2

| residence = Dufferin County

| occupation = {{hlist|Politician|executive assistant}}

}}

Sylvia Jones {{post-nominals|country=CAN|MPP}} (born {{circa|1965}}) is a Canadian politician who has served as the deputy premier of Ontario and minister of health since June 24, 2022. Jones sits as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for Dufferin—Caledon, representing the Progressive Conservative (PC) party, and has held her seat since she was first elected following the 2007 general election. She joined the provincial cabinet after the PCs formed government in 2018, and has been successively the minister of tourism, culture and sport, the minister of community safety and correctional services, and the solicitor general of Ontario.

Background

Jones grew up on her family's farm. She attended Fanshawe College, where she received a diploma in radio broadcasting. She worked as an executive assistant for former PC party leader John Tory. She and her husband David live in Dufferin County and are the parents of two children.{{cite news |title=Dufferin-Caledon votes |newspaper=Caledon Enterprise |date=October 6, 2007 |page=1}}

Politics

Jones ran in the 2007 provincial election as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the new riding of Dufferin—Caledon. She was re-elected in 2011 and 2014.{{cite web|date=October 6, 2011|title=Summary of Valid Ballots Cast for Each Candidate|url=http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130330163815/http://elections.on.ca/NR/rdonlyres/7849B894-4C4F-490E-9E8C-271BCF0C0D4D/5712/SummaryofvalidvotescastforeacndGE2011.pdf|archive-date=March 30, 2013|access-date=2014-03-02|publisher=Elections Ontario|page=4}}{{cite news|last=Black|first=Debra|date=June 13, 2014|title=Long-standing Conservatives re-elected|page=GT10|newspaper=Toronto Star}} The Ontario PCs were in opposition from the time of Jones' election to the 2018 provincial election.

= In opposition =

During her time in opposition, Jones introduced several private member's bills. These include the Protecting Vulnerable People Against Picketing Act, Criminal Record Checks for Volunteers Act, Social Assistance Statute Law Amendment Act, and the Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act. Only the Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act in 2014 made it past first reading. The bill made it to third reading before it died on the order paper when the 2014 election was called.{{cite web |title=Bill 56, Aggregate Recycling Promotion Act, 2014 |url=http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=2777&detailPage=bills_detail_status |publisher=Legislative Assembly of Ontario |author=Sylvia Jones}} Another private member's, Bill 94, which would have ensured that Ontario Disability Support Program payments could not be scaled back as a result of Registered Disability Support Program contributions, was eventually adopted by the Liberal government through regulation.

She was named the co-deputy leader on September 10, 2015 following a shadow cabinet shuffle.

=In government=

The Ontario PC Party formed government following the 2018 election, with newly elected Premier Doug Ford appointing Jones as the minister of tourism, culture and sport.{{Cite web|title=UPDATED: Dufferin Caledon MPP named minister of tourism, culture and sport|url=https://www.caledonenterprise.com/news-story/8704092-updated-dufferin-caledon-mpp-named-minister-of-tourism-culture-and-sport/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=CaledonEnterprise.com|date=June 29, 2018 |language=en-CA}} In November, Jones took over as the minister of community safety and correctional services role.{{Cite web|last=Sandy Lindsay|title=Ford's Cabinet Shuffle sees second local MPP appointed as Minister {{!}} Saugeen Times|date=November 8, 2018 |url=https://saugeentimes.com/fords-cabinet-shuffle-sees-second-local-mpp-appointed-as-minister/|access-date=2021-04-19|language=en-US}} Her title was changed to Solicitor General in April 2019 and the name of her ministry was also restored to Ministry of the Solicitor General, as it had been prior to 2002.{{Cite web|last=Martin-Robbins|first=Karen|date=2019-04-04|title=Same job, older title: Doug Ford names Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones Solicitor General of Ontario|url=https://www.toronto.com/news-story/9268391-same-job-older-title-doug-ford-names-dufferin-caledon-mpp-sylvia-jones-solicitor-general-of-ontario/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Toronto.com|language=en-CA}}

As Solicitor General, Jones played a role in the PC government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, as the mandate of her portfolio includes overseeing policing and law enforcement.

== COVID-19 ==

Amid growing case numbers in 2021, the government moved to introduce a third province-wide shutdown. As part of the response, Jones announced on April 16, 2021 that she would be authorizing police and bylaw enforcement to require anyone who is not in a private residence to explain why they’re not at home and provide their home address, as well as pull people over while driving to ask why they are not at home.{{Cite web|title=COVID-19: Provincial borders to close, outdoor amenities shuttered as Ontario announces new restrictions|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/covid-19-ontario-reports-record-4812-new-cases-intense-cabinet-talks-over-new-restrictions|access-date=2021-04-19|website=ottawacitizen|language=en-CA}} The regulations raised concerns about a re-legalization of carding.{{Cite web|title=COVID-19: Ontario's temporary increased police powers raise concerns about random stops, carding|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7765412/covid-19-ontario-temporary-police-powers-carding/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Global News|language=en-US}} Indeed, the government experienced significant backlash with the new enforcement measures, with some commentators – such as the National Post's Randall Denley, a former PC party nominated candidate{{Cite web|title=Randall Denley: Doug Ford gives Ontario police-state tactics instead of COVID measures that actually work|url=https://nationalpost.com/opinion/randall-denley-doug-ford-gives-ontario-police-state-tactics-instead-of-covid-measures-that-actually-work|access-date=2021-04-19|website=nationalpost|language=en-CA}} – equating the province to a "police state".{{Cite web|title=Ontario introduces new travel restrictions and police powers and some say it's a police state|url=https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/04/ontario-travel-restrictions-police-state/|access-date=2021-04-19|website=www.blogto.com|language=en}} After 21 police services across the province announced that they would refuse to enforce the new measures,{{Cite web|title=WARMINGTON: Ontario police chiefs say 'no thanks' to Ford's new COVID random stop law|url=https://torontosun.com/news/local-news/warmington-many-police-chiefs-say-no-thanks-to-fords-new-covid-random-stop-law|access-date=2021-04-19|website=torontosun|language=en-CA}} and round criticism in the media, Jones' government promptly amended the new regulation the next day and rescinded the new enforcement powers.{{Cite web|last=Perkel|first=Colin|date=2021-04-17|title=Ontario walks back new pandemic police powers following widespread backlash|url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-walks-back-new-pandemic-police-powers-following-widespread-backlash-1.5391464|access-date=2021-04-19|website=Toronto|language=en}}

== Minister of Health and Deputy Premier ==

Following the 2022 provincial election, Premier Ford named Jones as the new deputy premier and minister of health, replacing Christine Elliott, who did not seek re-election.{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Allison |date=2022-06-24 |title=Ford names new cabinet, with Jones as health minister and a role for his nephew |url=https://www.cp24.com/news/ford-names-new-cabinet-with-jones-as-health-minister-and-a-role-for-his-nephew-1.5961226 |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=CP24 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Ontario Premier Doug Ford consults with Christine Elliott on new cabinet {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8936868/ford-consults-christine-elliott-new-cabinet/ |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}