Rookie MPP Stephen Lecce takes on a tough education file

Thestar.com
June 20, 2019
Kristin Rushowy

Stephen Lecce now rules the schools -- but Ontario’s new education minister takes on a tough portfolio amid controversial cuts and with tough contract talks on the horizon.

The rookie MPP from King-Vaughan replaced Lisa Thompson in Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet shuffle, with Thompson sidelined to minister of government and consumer services.

Ford also removed another female minister from her education portfolio, Merrilee Fullerton, bringing in MPP Ross Romano to head the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

Lecce, 32, tweeted Thursday that “together, we are going to unleash the full potential of our young people. Incredibly humbled and motivated to serve as your Minister of Education, along side a talented cabinet.”

He also paid tribute to his mother, Theresa Lecce, who passed away last month after a short battle with cancer.

“I know my mom is looking down with a smile,” he posted.

Both Lecce and Romano will have steep learning curves in their first cabinet postings.

Lecce, however, was quick to reach out to those in the education system, including a phone call to Harvey Bischof, president of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation. He also reached out to the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association and Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards' Association.

Thompson was at odds with teacher unions and school boards over budget and job cuts, and also upset families over a plan to boost class sizes in high schools that has led to the cancellation of many classes -- some of them credits students need for post-secondary.

Charles Pascal, a professor at the University of Toronto and a former deputy education minister, said “as an educator I have been deeply disappointed in the government’s decisions to date. With negotiations looming and many other things requiring a rework, this is a tall order for a young rookie minister.

“He would have to successfully take on ‘the centre’ and finance minister to ensure a promising political future is at hand or stalls,” said Pascal.

Lecce, now 32, is a graduate of St. Michael’s College, a private school in Toronto, and attended Western University where he was president of the student government. Active in politics since his teen years, he went on to work in communications for former prime minister Stephen Harper and started his own public relations firm. He was first elected last year and was Ford’s parliamentary assistant.

Just last weekend, Ford joined Lecce and cabinet ministers Caroline Mulroney and Christine Elliott marching in York Region’s Pride parade.

After taking his oath Thursday and shaking Ford’s hand, Lecce tried to immediately return to his seat, prompting one person to quip, “he’s eager to get to work.”

Cathy Abraham, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association, said she “we’d like to meet with (Lecce) as soon as possible so we can share with him our priorities in education” as well as “share with him the impacts of the decisions already made, the budget process has been difficult across Ontario, whether in the biggest boards across the province, or the smallest boards.

“They’ve made decisions that really have an impact on kids.”

Bischof said he hopes the minister wants “to talk about what’s good for Ontario students” and not simply defend Thompson’s education cuts.

“The ball is very much in his court in terms of undoing some of the damage that has been done,” Bischof added. “, And if he can begin a new era of transparency and release the results of their consultation on class size, I think that will be productive.”

Maria Rizzo, chair of the Toronto Catholic school board, tweeted that Lecce is “smart, young, compassionate, articulate and balanced. Looking forward to working with him, Definitely tough time (in education) but I have faith.”