By Chad Ingram

Published July 5 2018

Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP Laurie Scott Ontario’s new labour minister wasgetting briefed on her portfolio this week.

The province’s new PC majority government was sworn in on Friday June 29where it was announced that Scott first elected in 2003 would serve as labour minister.

“I’m very excited” Scott said “It’s a big job to do.”

She was asked if after so many years in opposition there was any trepidation to her new more prominent role.

“It’s a whole different world being on the government side I’m going to embrace it” Scott said.

Ministers are being briefed this week with the legislature being reconvened for a special summer session on July 11. Scott said she imagined a speechfrom the throne would occur the following day and said she was notaware how long the session would last.

“It depends what we we need to do legislatively” she said.

Premier Doug Ford has said that scrapping the province’s cap-and-trade program will be a priority during the summer session.

In her labour portfolio Scott said a priority would be dealing with thetariffs the U.S. government has levied on Canadian goods.

“The elephant in the room right now are the trade wars that are going onwith the States” she said. “Premier Ford has said and he’s startedtalking with governors that border us and have the most trade . . . andwe are certainly making that a huge priority in relations there.”

Scott said there have already been some job losses in northern Ontario related to the tariffs.

“That’s the most critical thing facing us right at the moment” she said.

Scott reclaimed her seat in the June 7 election with a commanding victory taking 57 per cent of all votes cast in the riding.