“I very much look forward to my new role as minister of consumer services for the province of Ontario,” said McMeekin in a statement. “The education and protection of Ontario consumers is a top priority of the McGuinty government.”

Premier Dalton McGuinty unveiled a mini-cabinet shuffle June 24 that kept embattled David Caplan as health minister, and reorganized various ministries without promoting any back-benchers or demoting ministers.

The health ministry has been hit hard with a series of scandals over the government’s eHealth program, which saw $2,700-a-day consultants billing taxpayers for tea and snacks. More than $5 million in sole-source contracts was tendered, including one to a consultant with ties to the Liberal party. McMeekin conceded his government had “screwed up” the issue, but the premier has offered to fix the problem.

McMeekin became the minister of government and consumer services after the Liberal majority win in 2007.

In July of 2008, the name of the portfolio was amended to Ministry of Government Services. McMeekin will now head a stand-alone consumer services ministry that will be tasked with providing consumer protection and public safety.

Small Business Minister Harinder Takhar will assume new duties as government services minister, which provides public service information and oversees ServiceOntario outlets across the province.

In an earlier interview, McMeekin said he has enjoyed his time as government services minister, but was willing to do whatever the premier requested.

“The position offers me an opportunity to get out there and be an unabashed supporter and defender of consumer rights for Ontario families,” stated McMeekin. “And I will do that with great energy and enthusiasm.”

McGuinty has tapped John Wilkinson, the former minister of research and innovation, to become the new minister of revenue to oversee the implementation of the controversial harmonized sales tax. The single sales tax is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2010.

Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, John Milloy, will take over responsibilities for research and innovation.

Other changes include Sandra Pupatello taking over as minister of economic development and trade. McGuinty had been overseeing the portfolio since Michael Bryant left the ministry for a position in the private sector.

Michael Gravelle will add the forestry portfolio to his ministry of northern development and mines. Forestry had previously been included in the natural resources ministry.