The Mowat ministry was the cabinet of the Government of Ontario (formally the Executive Council of Ontario) from October 25, 1872, to July 21, 1896. It was led by its namesake Sir Oliver Mowat, the longest serving Premier of Ontario and the most electorally successful leader of the Ontario Liberal Party. With tenures of close to twenty-four years, Mowat and his ministry remain the premier and the ministry with the greatest longevity in Ontario's history, nearly ten years longer than the second longest ministry Davis ministry.

The ministry was made up of members of the Liberal Party. The ministry inherited its governing mandate from its predecessor Blake ministry during Ontario's second parliament following Premier Edward Blake's resignation (in order to focus on national politics). The ministry secured its own electoral mandate in six subsequent elections between 1875 and 1894, obtaining majority of the seats in Ontario's third through eighth parliaments. During the 1896 dominion election, Mowat lend his prestige as Ontario Premier for close to a quarter century to the national Liberal leader Wilfrid Laurier and devoted himself fully to campaign under the slogan "Laurier, Mowat and Victory". The ministry transitioned to become the Hardy ministry when Mowat resigned to become Minister of Justice in the Laurier ministry. Mowat's mantle was succeeded by Arthur Sturgis Hardy, a member of the ministry for nineteen of its twenty-four years.

Formation As Premier Edward Blake was contemplating his departure in the summer of 1872, Mowat was neither a member of the legislative assembly nor a member of the predecessor Blake ministry, but was at the time the Vice-Chancellor of the Court of Chancery. He was however no stranger to Liberal politics, having been a key lieutenant of George Brown, the leader of the Liberal Party before Canadian Confederation, and a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada between 1858 and 1864. He served as Postmaster General, a cabinet post, in three different pre-confederation ministries: the short-lived Liberal ministry led by George Brown in 1858, in the Liberal ministry led by John Sandfield Macdonald between May 1963 and March 1964, and in the early days of the Great Coalition from June to November 1864. He also had an instrumental role in working out the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments at the 1864 Quebec Conference.

With the imminent departure of not only Blake but also the provincial treasurer, the future prime minister Alexander Mackenzie, and at the urging of his long time associate Brown, Mowat resigned his judicial post and assumed the offices of Premier and Attorney General of Ontario. The controversial move was deprecated by his political opponents and Mowat responded with a constitutional justification: “Her Majesty has a right to call to her Council any of her subjects, whether he happens to hold a judicial or any other office” and likewise used constitutional forms to avoid any personal explanation for his decision.

The thirty-four years of the successive Blake-Mowat-Hardy-Ross Liberal ministries operated in essense as one continuous administration with the members of the twenty-four-year Mowat ministry forming its core. It inherited three of the four remaining minister of Blake ministry. Until the final three month of the Ross ministry, there were at most three ministers present in either the Hardy or the Ross ministry that did not serve under Mowat.

Changes to ministry

Mowat's initial cabinet consist of only five members, conforming to the five-office executive structure prescribed by section 63 of the British North America Act, 1867. The act had no specific mention of the position of the Premier, and there was no separate department or a budget for either a premier's office or cabinet office. Mowat took on the office of the Attorney General, following a tradition set by many pre-confederation premiers.

Of the six members of the outgoing Blake ministry, provincial secretary Peter Gow departed for health reasons in addition to Blake and treasurer Mackenzie. Commissioner of Agriculture and Public Works Archibald McKellar and Commissioner of Crown Lands Richard William Scott continued in their roles while Adam Crooks assumed the role of Treasurer. They were joined by Timothy Pardee as Provincial Secretary in addition to Mowat, who doubled duty as Attorney General for the entire duration of the ministry.

Expansion & creation of new department The Government of Ontario, and correspondingly the cabinet, expanded from five to seven departments/members on a permanent basis over Oliver Mowat's 24-year premiership. The first structural change came in 1874, when a sixth department was created with public works formally splitting off from agriculture. In 1876 upon the retirement of Rev. Dr. Egerton Ryerson, the long time civil servant who served as Chief Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada and then Ontario for a total of 32 years, education was formally made a ministerial portfolio.

The size of cabinet however remained at six for another 12 years. The education portfolio was initially held concurrently by Treasurer Adam Crooks, who served as vice-chancellor of the University of Toronto prior to his election. While Crook was relieved of the treasury portfolio in 1877 to focus on education matters, subsequent treasurers instead concurrently held the agriculture portfolio, then the principal department responsible for a wide range of economic development matters. Cabinet was finally expanded to seven members in 1888 with the entrant Charles Drury as Commissioner of Agriculture. Drury's son Ernest would in a few decades head a ministry of a rival party, add three more departments in four short years, and break the Liberal-Conservative duopoly in Ontario politics while at it.

An eighth member was added in 1890, when Mowat appointed Erskine Henry Bronson, an early advocate for industrial policy and active government involvement with industry, as a minister without portfolio.

Change to the ministry For a cabinet that held office for 24 years, it experienced remarkably few changes. Mowat led the Liberals through six general elections, securing six majority mandates. He made no changes to ministry before or after two of those elections.

Top ranks among of portfolio ministers with longest tenure In addition to being the longest serving Premier of Ontario at twenty-four years, Mowat's 24-year tenure at the Attorney General's office also secured him the distinction of being the longest serving portfolio minister of any portfolio.

On the score portfolio ministers with the longest tenure, Mowat's ministers occupy three of the next four positions:

2nd longest - Christopher Fraser, twenty years as Commissioner of Public Works 4th longest - George Ross, sixteen years as Minister of Education (started under Mowat and continued under Hardy) 5th longest - Timothy Pardee, fifteen years as Commissioner of Crown Lands 6th longest - John Dryden, fourteen and a half years as Minister of Agriculture (started under Mowat and continued under Hardy and Ross)

The missing third place was claimed Charles Daley, who served eighteen years as labour minister in the Drew ministry and Frost ministry (1943–1961).

List of ministers

Ordered by seniority The following list is includsive of all members of successive Blake, Mowat, Hardy, Ross ministries. With the following indicators:

Did not serve in Mowat ministry Started/ended service during Blake Ministry Started/ended service during Hardy Ministry Started/ended service during Ross Ministry

MinisterMinisterial serviceParliamentary serviceNoteStartEndTimespanElectoral District 1857 Oxford North Southwest 1857 Bothwell Southwest 1861 Middlesex West Southwest 1867 Bruce South Midwest 1871 Toronto West; Oxford South Southwest 1857 Ottawa East 1867 Wellington South Grand River 1867 Lambton Southwest † 1872 Grenville South East 1871 Victoria South Central (E) 1873 Brant South Grand River 1879 Brant North Grand River 1875 Huron West Midwest 1883 Middlesex West Southwest 1882 Simcoe East Central 1879 Hamilton; Hamilton West;Wellington East Grand River 1878 Monck Grand River 1886 Ottawa East 1879 Ontario South Central 1892 Kingston East † 1882 Essex South Southwest 1888 York North Central 1890 Huron West Midwest 1886 Peterborough West Central (E) 1899 Renfrew South East 1886 Prescott East 1890 Norfolk South Grand River 1898 Brockville East 1902 Grey North Midwest

By portfolio PortfolioMinisterTenureStartEnd Premier & President of the Council Oliver Mowat October 25, 1872 July 21, 1896 Attorney GeneralTreasurerAdam Crooks October 25, 1872 March 19, 1877Samuel Wood March 19, 1877June 2, 1883James Young June 2, 1883 November 1, 1883Alexander Ross November 1, 1883 September 16, 1890Richard Harcourt September 16, 1890 July 21, 1896Provincial Secretary and RegistrarTimothy Pardee October 25, 1872 November 25, 1873Christopher Fraser November 25, 1873 April 4, 1874Archibald McKellar April 4, 1874 July 23, 1875Samuel Wood July 23, 1875 March 19, 1877Arthur Sturgis Hardy March 19, 1877 January 18, 1889John Gibson January 18, 1889 July 21, 1896Commissioner ofCrown LandsRichard Scott October 25, 1872 December 4, 1873Timothy Pardee December 4, 1873 January 18, 1889Arthur Sturgis Hardy January 18, 1889 July 21, 1896Commissioner ofAgriculture & Public Works Archibald McKellar October 25, 1872 March 24, 1874Commissioner of Agriculture March 24, 1874 July 23, 1875 Samuel Wood July 23, 1875 June 2, 1883 James Young June 2, 1883 November 2, 1883 Alexander Ross November 2, 1883 May 1, 1888 Charles Drury May 1, 1888 September 16, 1890John Dryden September 16, 1890 April 16, 1895Minister of Agriculture April 16, 1895 July 21, 1896 Commissioner of Public Works Christopher Fraser April 4, 1874 May 30, 1894William Harty May 30, 1894 October 21, 1896Minister of Education Adam Crooks February 19, 1876 November 23, 1883 George Ross November 23, 1883 July 21, 1896Minister without Portfolio Erskine Henry Bronson September 16, 1890 July 21, 1896

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