Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement

Template:Short description Template:Template other The Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (MPBSDP; formerly the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services) is a ministry of the Government of Ontario. It is responsible for ServiceOntario, which, among other responsibilities, issues driver's licenses, health cards, birth certificates and other provincial documents to Ontario residents. Additionally, it oversees the Archives of Ontario, Supply Ontario and numerous boards and administrative authorities charged with consumer protection in specific sectors and industries, such as condominiums and travel.

The current minister is Stephen Crawford who replaced Todd McCarthy March 2025.

History

Prior to 1972, the Department of Public Works was responsible for the function of providing and maintaining the buildings and facilities that house the operations of the provincial government.

In November 1966, the Department of Financial and Commercial Affairs was established and acquired the responsibility for the regulation of insurance companies, loan and trust companies, and the trading of securities in Ontario. In 1967, a Consumer Protection Division was established to be responsible for a newly created Consumer Protection Bureau. In 1968, it acquired further responsibility over the regulation of credit unions, cemeteries, upholstered and stuffed articles, and the sale of goods and services. In 1970, it further acquired responsibility over the incorporation of companies and the regulation of lotteries.

In 1972, the Government of Ontario was considerably re-organized as the various Departments were restructured and renamed as Ministries.

In 1972, the Ministry of Government Services was created, assuming most of the functions of the former Department of Public Works. Over the years in its various forms, the Ministry assumed various responsibility in support of the operations of the provincial government, including maintenance of government buildings; centralized services for government employees; central mail and translation services; information technology and services, etc.

Also in 1972, the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations and assumed all responsibilities of the Department of Financial and Commercial Affairs. The new Ministry also acquired the functions associated with the promotion of public safety for boilers, elevators, building standards and fuels, the regulation of theatres, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and the Liquor License Board of Ontario. In 1986, a standalone Ministry of Financial Institutions and assumed the responsibility over the Ontario Securities Commission and the Pension Commission of Ontario.

In 1993, the Management Board Secretariat absorbed the existing Ministry of Government Services, assuming its function in providing internal corporate services to the provincial government.

In February 2001, the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations was renamed the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services.

In 2005, the Ministry of Government Services was re-created from the merger of Management Board Secretariat and the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services. The Ministry was headed by a Minister, who was also chair of the Management Board of Cabinet. When the ministry was created, Premier Dalton McGuinty described it as the "chief operating officer of government." The position combined responsibility for consumer protection, business regulation, management of the civil service, labour negotiations and the central plumbing of government: IT, procurement, and shared services. In 2007, the Ministry was renamed Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.

One of the main projects of the ministry was the creation of ServiceOntario. When it was completed in 2011, ServiceOntario was the one-stop shop for all government retail operations. Any and all routine transactions between the government and the public are performed through ServiceOntario offices, websites, call centres or kiosks. Alongside ServiceOntario, the ministry offers access to its public records through three of its licensed service providers, one of which is ESC Corporate Services.

In June 2022, the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services (MGCS) was renamed to the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (MPBSD) as part of Premier Doug Ford's Cabinet update.

Responsibilities

The ministry is responsible for several key area, including:

• consumer protection and public safety
• business law
• provide Ontario government ministries and employees with corporate services including procurement, finance, HR, pay and benefits
• collect, manage and preserve historical records of the Ontario Government
• policy leadership in record-keeping, freedom of information, privacy protection, and information management

The ministry oversees a number of boards and administrative authorities, including:Template:Third party inline

• Advertising Review Board
• Bereavement Authority Of Ontario
• Business Law Modernization and Burden Reduction Council
• Condominium Authority Of Ontario
• Condominium Management Regulatory Authority Of Ontario
• Electrical Safety Authority
• Minister's Digital and Data Taskforce
• Ontario One Call
• Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council
• Real Estate Council of Ontario
• Tarion Warranty Corporation
• Technical Standards and Safety Authority
• Travel Industry Council of Ontario

List of ministers

	Name	Term of office		Name	Term of office		Political party (Ministry)	Note
				Minister of Financial and Commercial Affairs			rowspan=3; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"| PC (Robarts)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|		Leslie Rowntree	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|		Bert Lawrence	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|		Arthur Wishart	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=17; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"| PC (Davis)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|		Gordon Carton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|		Eric Winkler	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Minister of Government Services			Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	James Snow	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Eric Winkler	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Snow was named Minister of Government Services on February 2, 1972. Ministry was formally renamed from Public Works to Government Services on April 7, 1972
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	John Clement	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Sid Handleman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Margaret Scrivener	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	John Smith	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	James Auld	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	George McCague	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Larry Grossman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Lorne Henderson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Frank Drea	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Douglas Wiseman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Gordon Walker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Robert Elgie	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	George Ashe	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Bob Runciman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Gordon Walker	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=2; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"| PC (Miller)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Jim Gordon	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Bob Runciman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Elinor Caplan	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Monte Kwinter	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=4; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|Liberal (Peterson)	Liberal "Ministers of Financial Institutions" are Monte Kwinter (April 1, 1986 - September 29, 1987), Bob Nixon (September 29, 1987 - August 16, 1988) and Murray Elston (August 16, 1988 - October 1, 1990)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Sean Conway	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Richard Patten	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Bill Wrye	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Chris Ward	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Greg Sorbara	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Frances Lankin	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Peter Kormos	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=5 ; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|NDP (Rae)	NDP "Ministers of Financial Institutions" are Peter Kormos (October 1, 1990 – March 18, 1991) and Brian Charlton (March 18, 1991 - February 3, 1993)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Marilyn Churley	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Fred Wilson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet			In 1993, most of the functions performed by the Ministry of Government Services were transferred to the Secretariat of the Management Board of Cabinet.
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Brian Charlton	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	David Johnson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Norm Sterling	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=6 ; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|PC (Harris)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	David Tsubouchi	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Chris Hodgson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Bob Runciman	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	David Tsubouchi	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Minister of Consumer and Business Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Norm Sterling	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Tim Hudak	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|PC (Eves)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Gerry Phillips	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Jim Watson	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=13 ; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|Liberal (McGuinty)
	Minister of Government Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Gerry Phillips				Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Harinder Takhar was named Minister of Small Business and Entrepreneurship May 23, 2006 - July 9, 2008
	Minister of Government and Consumer Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Ted McMeekin				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Minister of Government Services			Minister of Small Business and Consumer Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Ted McMeekin	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Harinder Takhar	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Harinder Takhar	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Minister of Consumer Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|				Ted McMeekin	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|				Sophia Aggelonitis	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|				John Gerretsen	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|				Margarett Best	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Dwight Duncan	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Harinder Takhar	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	Tracy MacCharles	Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=6 ; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|Liberal (Wynne)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	John Milloy	Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Minister of Government and Consumer Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	David Orazietti				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Marie-France Lalonde				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Tracy MacCharles				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Todd Smith				Template:Dts	Template:Dts	rowspan=11; style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|PC (Ford)
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Bill Walker				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Minister of Government and Consumer Services
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Lisa Thompson				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Ross Romano				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Kaleed Rasheed				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Todd McCarthy				Template:Dts	Template:Dts
	Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
style="background:Template:Canadian party colour;"|	Todd McCarthy				Template:Dts	Present

External links

• Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery