Then-transportation minister John Yakabuski stands to the left of Premier Doug Ford at an announcement in Toronto, on Sept. 28, 2018. On Nov. 5, Yakabuski was shuffled to the ministry of natural resources. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

TORONTO — The transportation minister, whom Premier Doug Ford abruptly shuffled to a different cabinet post, has a sister at the top of a key stakeholder group that lobbies the ministry of transportation.

On Monday, Ford shuffled then-transportation minister John Yakabuski to the natural resources and forestry file. So far, the government has given no explanation for the demotion.

On Tuesday, iPolitics learned that Yakabuski’s sister, Marlene Yakabuski, is the president of the Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA). It’s registered to lobby the Ministry of Transportation and bills itself as “the voice of the majority of road-building contractors who build and maintain both provincial and municipal roads, bridges, public transit systems, and core civil infrastructure.”

The group’s mandate falls squarely in the orbit of the transportation department, which is responsible for “improving Ontario’s highway, bridge, and border infrastructure” and “increasing transit ridership.”

Marlene is also the vice-president of corporate affairs at Bot Construction Group. A subsidiary of that company — called Bot Holdings Ltd. — has an outside lobbyist registered to petition the provincial government.

[READ MORE: Investigations underway following Ontario minister’s exit]

iPolitics sent several questions to the premier’s office about the connection, including: why the minister was appointed to that file, given the sibling connection; whether the minister had disclosed the connection before he was appointed; what, if any, measures were taken to guard against conflicts of interest; and whether any meetings between the minister’s office and his sister took place while he was responsible for the transportation file.

In a one-line response, the premier’s spokesperson, Simon Jeffries, said: “Minister Yakabuski declared this with the Integrity Commissioner, and was not involved in any files involving Bot Construction or the Ontario Road Builders’ Association.”

He did not reply to any follow-up questions, namely: when the connection was disclosed, and whether anyone from Yakabuski’s office had met with the organizations connected to his sister.

Yakabuski made no secret of his sister’s position while he was still on the opposition benches. In February, he tweeted his congratulations to her when she was installed as ORBA’s president. And he spoke about her appointment during a debate in the legislature on April 25.

With Minister of Transportation @Kathryn_McGarry as my sister Marlene Yakabuski is installed as the first female President of @ONRoadBuilders in its 91 year history. I am so proud of her!! pic.twitter.com/Z39sWknJAN — John Yakabuski (@JYakabuskiMPP) February 7, 2018

ORBA is registered to lobby both the minister of transportation’s office and the ministry of transportation, while Bot Holdings is registered to lobby the ministry. Both organizations also list the premier’s office and cabinet office as lobbying targets.

[READ MORE: NDP accuses Ford government of telling ‘lie by omission’]

Since the cabinet shuffle, the NDP has repeatedly asked why Yakabuski was demoted.

Speaking in Kingston, Ont., on Tuesday, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Ford shuffled his cabinet with “no transparency” and pointed to Yakabuski’s new title as a case in point.

“We still don’t know, for example, why Mr. Yakabuski was shuffled to a lower portfolio,” Horwath said. “That still remains uncertain.”

Lobbyists for ORBA and Bot Holdings Ltd. both list the minister and ministry of natural resources as targets for their lobbying.

The premier’s office did not reply to a question from iPolitics about whether any measures were being taken to protect against the appearance of a conflict of interest, now that Yakabuski is in charge of that department.

iPolitics attempted to reach Marlene through the ORBA, Bot Construction and social media, but neither she nor the ORBA replied to requests for comment.

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