November 4, 2014

Dr. Shafiq Qaadri
Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier
Room 6522, Whitney Block
99 Wellesley Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1

Dear Dr. Qaadri:

It is an honour and a pleasure to have you as my Parliamentary Assistant. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to your new role and to outline some of the important work that lies ahead of us.

As you know, our government has a plan to invest in the talent and skills of our people, build modern infrastructure, support a dynamic and innovative business climate, and provide better retirement security to people across the province. At the heart of this plan are partnerships with businesses, people and communities, which will help our government grow the economy, create jobs and implement solutions that have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.

This balanced and comprehensive plan is underpinned by a focus on fiscal prudence. The mandate letters I sent to my Cabinet colleagues last month reinforced our government’s commitment to balance the budget by 2017-18 and to pursue increased openness, accountability and modernization.

Parliamentary Assistants play a key role in delivering these priorities and have a responsibility to put our government’s plan into action.

As you know, our government has a particular interest in addressing the root causes of youth alienation and violence. I would like you to work with the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, the Ministry of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services to provide advice on this very important issue.

In all matters of both national and provincial significance, the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs (MIA) provides support for the government’s efforts to call for leadership and partnership from the federal government. This will enable our government to champion the building of a better social union for all Canadians, as well as a more efficient, more effective and more competitive economic union that allows Canadians to thrive.

As my Parliamentary Assistant, working under my direction, your responsibilities include:

Representing Ontario with Visiting Delegations / International Representatives

  • Representing the government on my behalf in selected meetings with visiting and Ontario-based dignitaries, and attending these meetings with me as required. In this regard, you should work with MIA’s Office of International Relations and Protocol, which plays a vital role as our government’s chief point of contact for foreign consular and diplomatic offices and visiting dignitaries in Ontario.

Supporting Ontario’s International Partnerships

  • Supporting work on existing opportunities and working with MIA to identify new opportunities for Ontario to partner with international governments, agencies, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Caucus Communications

  • Briefing caucus members on MIA issues. In this regard, you should work with MIA to ensure that you stay informed regarding discussions that take place at regular meetings between my office and MIA officials, either by participating in those meetings or by being made aware of the results.

I am confident that together, working in collaboration with our partners in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, we can deliver on our commitment to the people we are privileged to represent and serve. I look forward to working with you to build Ontario up — and help achieve a brighter future for every person in this province.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Wynne signature

The Honourable Kathleen Wynne
Premier of Ontario