The Liberal government is appointing one of its tougher critics — former Progressive Conservative deputy leader Christine Elliott — as Ontario’s first patient ombudsman.

Health Minister Eric Hoskins said Elliott bested more than 400 candidates who applied for the new $220,000-a-year post overseeing hospitals, community care access centres (CCAC), and long-term care homes.

“Christine Elliott’s advocacy for vulnerable people, extensive knowledge of the health care system, and commitment to the betterment of this province make her the perfect choice for Ontario’s first patient ombudsman,” Hoskins said in a statement.

“I am delighted that she agreed to put her name forward for this critical role as we work to put patients first by improving both the quality of our health care system and the patient experience,” he said.

Elliott, the former Whitby-Oshawa MPP quit electoral politics in August, three months after finishing as the runner-up to Patrick Brown in the Progressive Conservative leadership contest. Her appointment takes effect July 1.

“They’ve been careful to give the office the independence it needs,” she said in an interview.

“I’ll be doing an annual report to the minister of health. You can report on the complaints you’ve received — and hopefully resolved — but as well this office has the ability to initiate investigations where you see there are issues.”

A lawyer and the widowed mother of grown triplet sons, she is highly regarded by MPPs in all three political parties at Queen’s Park.

As the Tory health critic, Elliott was never shy about exposing the Liberals’ shortcomings in the delivery of medical services for Ontario patients.

She was a high-profile advocate for ensuring better care for stroke victims and those suffering from rare diseases and was outspoken on the need for improvements in CCACs and the province’s controversial ORNGE air ambulance service.

But Elliott was also constructive in opposition — working closely with the Liberals and the New Democrats in 2012 to amend the Ontario Human Rights Code, adding the terms “gender identity” and “gender expression” to prevent discrimination against transgendered people.

Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the patient’s ombudsman position would be created shortly before last year’s spring provincial election in a bid to boost transparency in government.

But NDP Leader Andrea Horwath argued the post should be an independent officer of the legislature selected by an all-party committee of MPPS — like the auditor general or the provincial ombudsman — to have “teeth.”

“Their reports don’t get cleansed by a minister, their criticisms don’t get watered down,” Horwath told reporters before Elliott’s appointment was made official.

Elliott’s new post comes as Wynne is expected to call a byelection next month to fill the vacant Whitby-Oshawa seat.

Whiby regional councillors Lorne Coe and Elizabeth Roy are running for the Conservatives and Liberals, respectively, while labour lawyer Niki Lundquist is the NDP candidate.

Sources at Queen’s Park predict a tight three-way race in a riding Elliott and her late husband, Jim Flaherty, a former provincial and federal finance minister, held for a generation.

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In her new non-partisan role, Elliott, who is not close to Brown, cannot be as visible campaigning for Coe, which could hurt the Tories and help the Liberals and New Democrats.

Also Thursday, the Liberals announced that Wynne’s chief of staff, Tom Teahen would be returning to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board as president and CEO.

Teahen’s responsibilities in the premier’s office will be assumed by her principal secretary Andrew Bevan.