The Ministry of Government Services is responsible for the delivery and management of government operations. Its goal is to provide cost-effective services to all residents and businesses and to the Ontario Public Service. It replaced the former Management Board Secretariat and the former Ministry of Consumer and Business Services in 2005. Between November 2007 and July 2008, the organization's name was the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services.
In 2005 the ministry was created from the Management Board Secretariat and the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services. The latter ministry was also known as the Ministry of Consumer and Commercial Relations. C&CR was responsible for government relations with citizens and businesses. These included the provision of birth, death and marriage certificates, land registry, government publications, fraud investigations and customer service complaints (Registrar General of Ontario).
When the ministry was created, Premier Dalton McGuinty described it as the "chief operating officer of government." The position combined responsibility for consumer protection, business regulation, management of the civil service, labour negotiations and the central plumbing of government: IT, procurement, and shared services.
One of the main projects of the Ministry was the creation of ServiceOntario. When it was completed in 2011, ServiceOntario was the one stop shop for all government retail operations. Any and all routine transactions between government and the public are performed through ServiceOntario offices, websites, call centres or kiosks.
Alongside ServiceOntario, MGS offers access to its public records through the three of its licensed service providers, one of each is ESC Corporate Services.
The current minister is Marie-France Lalonde.
MGS oversees the following agencies:
Advertising Review Board
Civil Service Commission
Justice of the Peace Remuneration Commission
Ontario Public Service Pension Board (Ontario Pension Board)
Provincial Judges Pension Board
Provincial Judges Remuneration Commission
Public Service Grievance Board
Office of Registrar General of Ontario
Condominium legislation
James Snow, 1972–1975
Margaret Scrivener, 1975–1977
John Roxborough Smith, 1977–1977 (February–June)
James Auld, 1977–1977 (June–September)
George McCague, 1977–1978
Lorne Henderson, 1978–1979
Douglas Wiseman, 1979–1983
George Ashe, 1983–1985
Bob Runciman, 1985–1985 (February–May)
Jim Gordon, 1985–1985 (May–June)
Elinor Caplan, 1985–1986
Sean Conway, 1986–1987
Richard Patten, 1987–1989
Chris Ward, 1989–1990
Frances Lankin, 1990–1991
Fred Wilson, 1991–1993
Brian Charlton, 1993–1995
Mike Harris, 1995–2002
Ernie Eves, 2003–2003
Dalton McGuinty, 2003–2005
Gerry Phillips, 2005–2007
Ted McMeekin, 2008–2009
Harinder Takhar, 2009–2012
Dwight Duncan, 2012–2013
Harinder Takhar, 2013 (January–May)
John Milloy, 2013–2014
David Orazietti, 2014–present
Minister of Financial and Commercial Affairs
Leslie Rowntree 1966–1970
Bert Lawrence 1970–1971
Arthur Wishart 1971
Gordon Carton 1971–1972
Eric Winkler 1972
Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations
John Clement 1972–1975
Sid Handleman 1975–1977
Larry Grossman 1977–1978
Frank Drea 1978–1981
Gordon Walker 1981–1982
Robert C. Mitchell 1982
Robert Elgie 1982–1985
Gordon Walker 1985 (February–May)
Bob Runciman 1985 (May–June)
Monte Kwinter 1985–1987
Bill Wrye 1987–1989
Greg Sorbara 1989–1990
Peter Kormos 1990–1991
Marilyn Churley 1991–1995
Norm Sterling 1995–1996
David Tsubouchi 1996–1999
Bob Runciman 1999–2001
Minister of Consumer and Business Services
Norm Sterling 2001–2002
Tim Hudak 2002–2003
Jim Watson 2003–2005
Minister of Government and Consumer Services
Gerry Phillips 2005–2007
Ted McMeekin 2007–2008
Ted McMeekin 2009–2010
John Gerretsen 2010–2011
Sophia Aggelonitis 2010 (January–August)
Margarett Best 2011–2013
Minister of Government and Consumer Services
David Orazietti 2014–2016
Marie-France Lalonde, 2016-present
