Seventh new Ontario culture minister in less than 10 years named

With his extensive cabinet shuffle this afternoon, Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty has appointed the 7th culture minister in less than a decade, bouncing incumbent Aileen Carroll, who held responsibilities for the province's culture portfolio for a little over two years.

In her place is Michael Chan from the riding of Markham-Unionville -- in charge of a ministry that gets yet another new name, tourism and culture (the 6th different name for the portfolio in the past decade). Chan has held two cabinet portfolios since being elected in a byelection in February 2007 -- minister of revenue and, until now, citizenship and immigration. (Chan's move out of immigration has made room for Dr. Eric Hoskins, who was elected in a Toronto byelection just last fall.)

Like his predecessor, Chan is taking on the job without any apparent qualifications for it or interest in its clients -- a suggestion that culture is an identikit portfolio. Nothing in his bio indicates much feeling for the nuances or dynamics of cultural industries, most of which are centred in Ontario. He is an insurance broker and stalwart of various Chinese professional and service organizations in his riding.