Rod Phillips (politician)

Rodney Allan Phillips (born March 2, 1965) is a Canadian businessman and politician. Since the 2018 Ontario election, he has sat as the member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) for the Durham Region riding of Ajax, representing the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party. Previously a provincial Cabinet minister, Philips was appointed finance minister in 2019. He resigned from that role in 2020 after taking a vacation to St. Barts, contrary to his government's public health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, but continued in his role as MPP.[2] Prior to his role in finance, he held the environment, conservation and parks portfolio from 2018 to 2019.[3]

Rod Phillips

MPP
Rod Phillips as Ontario Finance Minister (2020)
Ontario Minister of Finance
In office
June 20, 2019 – December 31, 2020
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded byVic Fedeli
Succeeded byPeter Bethlenfalvy
Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
In office
June 29, 2018 – June 20, 2019
PremierDoug Ford
Preceded byChris Ballard
Succeeded byJeff Yurek
Member of the Ontario Provincial Parliament
for Ajax
Assumed office
June 7, 2018
Preceded byRiding Established
Personal details
Born
Rodney Allan Phillips

(1965-03-02) March 2, 1965
Newmarket, Ontario, Canada
Political partyProgressive Conservative
ResidenceRosedale, Toronto[1]

He is the former president and CEO of Shepell-fgi (2002–2010), which provided companies with employee and family health management, workplace training and education services. He worked as the president and CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (2011–2014), as chair of Postmedia (2014–2017), and also served as chair of CivicAction (2014–2017).[4][5]

Personal life

Phillips was born in Newmarket, Ontario on March 2, 1965. He is the son of Cliffe, a sales manager, and Betty, a bookkeeper. He has one older sister.

Rod attended Stuart Scott Public School in Newmarket, Ontario. He later attended Newmarket High School where he was active in extracurricular activities.

In 1984, he enrolled at Western University in London, Ontario. He graduated in 1988 with an honours Bachelor of Arts in political science and English. He completed a master of business administration degree at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario, graduating in 1992.[6][7] He is married to his wife Lydia.

Political career

Entry into politics

In November 2017, Rod Phillips was acclaimed as the Progressive Conservative candidate for the riding of Ajax.

42nd Parliament of Ontario

In the 2018 Ontario election, Phillips was elected to serve as the MPP for Ajax for the 42nd Parliament of Ontario. He defeated New Democrat candidate Monique Hughes and Liberal incumbent Joe Dickson to win the riding.[8][9] On June 29, 2018, Premier Doug Ford appointed Phillips to be minister of the environment, conservation and parks in his Executive Council.

On June 20, 2019, Phillips was appointed as minister of finance.

COVID-19

Phillips appeared at Premier Doug Ford's daily press conference during the height of COVID-19, along with Health Minister Christine Elliott. [10] As chair of the Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee, he is leading the planning for the economic reopening and recovery in the province. [11]

On March 25, 2020, he released Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19, which provided $17 billion in what the government referred to their "initial response" to provide support and relief to businesses and individuals in the province reeling from the global pandemic.[12]

On April 9, 2020, he was appointed the chair of the Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee, which has been tasked with planning for the economic reopening and recovery in the province.[11]

Secret vacation and resignation

In December 2020, Phillips was widely criticized for leaving Canada for a personal Caribbean vacation in St. Barts when the country has restricted all non-essential travel across their border.[13] In addition to leaving the country, Phillips took steps to leave the impression that he was in his riding during his absence from the country.[14] Premier Doug Ford told him that "it will not be tolerated again",[15] and told him to return home.[16] Ford had previously said he was unaware that his finance minister had left the country but backtracked 24 hours later admitting he did know Phillips was not in the country, knew his destination and failed to issue a call for his return.[17] His office confirmed that Phillips had also secretly vacationed in Switzerland in August, 2020 and stated that he has quarantined for 14 days upon his return.[18]

On December 31, 2020, Phillips resigned as Minister of Finance due to the controversy surrounding his trip to St. Barts.

Business career

Phillips joined the consulting firm KPMG after graduation from university in 1992. After three years in the firm's Kitchener office, he moved to Toronto and served as chief of staff to the then-provincial minister of labour, Elizabeth Witmer.[19]

In 1996, Phillips returned to KPMG in Toronto. The following year, Phillips was recruited by the mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman, to be his chief of staff.[5] 

In 2001, he left city hall to become co-managing director of the venture division of Goodmans LLP, one of Canada's leading law firms.[20][21]

In 2002, Phillips became president and CEO of Shepell-fgi, a company that delivered workplace health and productivity solutions to eight million employees and family members from over 7,000 organizations in Canada and 54 other countries. Under Phillips’ leadership, Shepell-fgi (now Morneau-Shepell) grew in size and scale, helping its many clients with expanded services to include elder and child support, legal advice, financial guidance, and help with mental health and addiction issues.[22]

In 2011, Phillips was recruited by the Province of Ontario to be the new president and CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

During his tenure at OLG, Phillips brought about a major transformation of the corporation, rehabilitating its reputation following several widely publicized scandals involving theft of winning tickets and fraudulently claimed prizes.

Phillips led the corporation to its highest net profit since 2005 and oversaw the design and launch of the modernization of Ontario's lottery and gaming industry.[23]

Under Phillips’ direction, OLG received global media recognition and acclaim when it used its resources to identify a $50 million lottery winner, Kathy Jones, who had lost her winning ticket.[24] OLG is a government agency, reporting into the Ministry of Finance.

After leaving OLG, Phillips became the chair of the board of Postmedia, Canada's largest news media company, whose portfolio includes the National Post, the Toronto Sun, and the Ottawa Citizen. Phillips served as chair from 2014 until 2017.[25]

From 2015 to 2017, Phillips was also on the board of directors of Afinti and served as the Canada chair.[26] Afiniti is a Washington DC-based global artificial intelligence company. Also on the board of directors during Phillips’ tenure were: Nobuyuki Idei, former president and CEO of Sony Corporation, José María Aznar former Prime Minister of Spain, Francois Fillon, the 96th prime minister of France, Admiral Michael Mullen, former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff; Alexandre de Juniac, director-general of the International Air Transport Associations; Lord John Browne, former CEO of British Petroleum, and other prominent individuals.[27]

Community service

Rod Phillips served as volunteer chair (2014-2017) of CivicAction which brings together business and community leaders to address challenges facing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).[28] CivicAction was founded by David Pecaut in 2002 and has had other prominent chairs including current Toronto Mayor John Tory.[29] MPP Mitzie Hunter served as the organization's CEO.

Phillips championed the CivicAction DiverseCity Fellows program, which seeks to have Toronto's leadership more fully reflect the city's cultural diversity.

He has also served on the Telus Toronto Community Board. Since 2005, this organization has donated $8 million to 479 charities and grassroots projects in the Toronto area.[30]

Phillips was the founding chair of the Transforming Lives Gala for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.[31]

Phillips has also served on the Boards of the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation, the Global Business and Economic Roundtable on Mental Health and Addiction, the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons, Bridgepoint Hospital, the Toronto Community Foundation, and is a past president of the Canadian Club of Toronto.[32]

Electoral results
2018 Ontario general election: Ajax
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Progressive ConservativeRod Phillips19,07839.05+10.53
New DemocraticMonique Hughes15,13030.97+14.70
LiberalJoe Dickson12,60725.80-25.97
GreenStephen Leahy1,2242.51-0.41
LibertarianMarsha Haynes3120.64
None of the AboveFrank Lopez2890.59
IndependentKevin J. Brackley2200.45
Total valid votes 48,860100.0  
Total rejected, unmarked and declined ballots
Turnout 55.73
Eligible voters 87,672
Progressive Conservative pickup new district.
Source: Elections Ontario[33]

Cabinet positions
Ontario provincial government of Doug Ford
Cabinet posts (2)
Predecessor Office Successor
Vic Fedeli Minister of Finance
June 20, 2019–December 31, 2020		 Peter Bethlenfalvy
Chris Ballard Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
June 29, 2018–June 20, 2019		 Jeff Yurek

Minister of the environment, conservation, and parks

Phillips was sworn into the environment, conservation and parks portfolio on June 29, 2018. In November 2018, then environment minister Phillips introduced the Made-in-Ontario Environment Plan as an alternative to the federal carbon tax.[34]

Minister of finance

Phillips was sworn in as minister of finance on June 20, 2019. After facing heavy scrutiny over his vacation to St Bart's in the Caribbean during the COVID-19 pandemic, Phillips resigned from his post on December 31, 2020.[35][36]

References
  1. "Rod's St. Barts ruse had more planning than D-Day". torontosun. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  2. "Rod Phillips resigns as Ontario finance minister following secret pandemic getaway". Toronto. December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  3. "Doug Ford and Cabinet to be Sworn-in as Ontario's First Ever Government for the People". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  4. "Rod Phillips". The CivicAction Leadership Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  5. "Rod Phillips named chief of OLG". Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  6. University, Department of Communications and Public Affairs, Western (June 29, 2018). "Western News - Alumni named among Ford cabinet". Western News. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  7. "Rod Phillips, Lazaridis MBA Alumnus New Ontario Minister of Finance". Lazaridis MBA. June 21, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  8. Gilligan, Keith (June 13, 2018). "Hard work paid off, Phillips said of Ajax win". DurhamRegion.com. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  9. "Ontario election 2018: Ajax riding | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. May 30, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  10. "Premier Ford to Make an Announcement at Queen's Park". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  11. "Ontario Starts Planning for Economic Recovery". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  12. "Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
  13. Ontario finance minister on holiday trip outside Canada as health officials urge people to stay home, CBC.ca. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  14. "Canadian politician faked Twitter posts to conceal Caribbean holiday". the Guardian. December 30, 2020. Retrieved January 8, 2021.
  15. "Finance minister left country for personal trip earlier this month as COVID-19 case counts surged". CP24. December 29, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  16. Gillies, Rob (December 29, 2020). "Ontario premier raps minister for holiday trip to St. Barts". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  17. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-rod-phillips-caribbean-vacation-1.5857535
  18. Dickson, Janice (December 29, 2020). "Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips takes out-of-country vacation despite COVID-19 travel warnings". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  19. Phillips, Rod. "Rod Phillips LinkedIn". LinkedIn.
  20. Phillips, Rod (September 19, 2019). "Rod Phillips LinkedIn". LinkedIn.
  21. "Behind open doors". Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  22. "Economic Club of Canada - Rod Phillips". www.economicclub.ca. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  23. "OLG CEO Rod Phillips leaves for job in private sector - Toronto | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. January 22, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  24. "CBC News". CBC News. January 7, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  25. Telecom; Media (November 16, 2017). "Rod Phillips steps down as chairman of Postmedia to pursue a political career | Financial Post". Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  26. "Chair". CivicAction. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  27. "Our Team". Afiniti. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  28. "Rod Phillips Resigns as Chair of CivicAction". CivicAction. November 2, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  29. "Former OLG head Rod Phillips to take reins of CivicAction". Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  30. "TELUS Welcomes Rod Phillips as Chair of the TELUS Toronto Community Board". MarketWatch. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  31. "Postmedia Network Announces Board Appointments | Postmedia Network Inc". www.postmedia.com. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  32. Quickplay (September 28, 2011). "Wayne Purboo, CEO of QuickPlay Media Appointed to TIFF Board of Directors | Quickplay". www.quickplay.com. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  33. "Summary of Valid Votes Cast for Each Candidate 2018 Provincial General Election" (PDF). Elections Ontario.
  34. "Ontario Releases Plan to Protect the Environment". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  35. "Ontario finance minister resigns after highly criticized Caribbean vacation". Global News. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  36. "Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips resigns over Caribbean vacation". BBC News. December 31, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
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