A
Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area.
The title "Minister of State" was created during the government of
Pierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC, CC, CH, QC, MSRC , was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984.Pierre Trudeau was a charismatic figure who, from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s,...
in 1971 under the
Ministries and Ministers of State Act. This act allows for the creation of two different types of ministers of state.
A
Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area.
The title "Minister of State" was created during the government of
Pierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, PC, CC, CH, QC, MSRC , was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968, to June 4, 1979, and from March 3, 1980, to June 30, 1984.Pierre Trudeau was a charismatic figure who, from the late 1960s until the mid-1980s,...
in 1971 under the
Ministries and Ministers of State Act. This act allows for the creation of two different types of ministers of state. Sections 2 through 10 allow for the creation of a ministry of state, which is a temporary government department established by separating parts of departments created by law. A minister of state can be the head of such a ministry. Sections 11 and 12 of the act allow for the creation of a minister of state who "may be assigned by the Governor in Council to assist any minister or ministers having responsibilities for any department or other portion of the public service of Canada in the carrying out of those responsibilities". The latter has become far more common and, by and large, the former has fallen into disuse. Under the government of
Paul MartinPaul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC is a Canadian politician who was the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, Mr. Martin, the day he took office, realigned various government departments. However, this can be done by changing the law only so, in reality, he set up various ministries of state headed by ministers of state. All such ministries of state and their ministers were styled as proper ministers of permanent departments. Over the course of his government, most of these departments were created in law and the ministers of state became ministers of the new departments as their empowering legislation received
royal assentThe granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of lawmaking by formally assenting to an Act of Parliament. While the power to withhold Royal Assent was once exercised often, it is exceedingly rare in the modern, democratic...
.
During the government of
Jean ChrétienJoseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , is a Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003, and leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1990 to 2003.-Early life:Chrétien was born on January 11, 1934 in Shawinigan, Quebec, as the 18th of 19...
, ministers of state were often styled as
secretary of stateFrom 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2008, the title of Secretary of State has been given to officials in the Government of Canada. Secretaries of State are members of the Ministry and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, and are legally Ministers of State styled as secretaries...
, considered junior to ministers of state, and were not members of Cabinet. Under Chretien, the title "minister of state," with a specific policy responsibility, was usually given to either a Cabinet minister, in addition to his or her other responsibilities, or to the
deputy prime ministerA Deputy Prime Minister or Vice Prime Minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting Prime Minister when the Prime Minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...
, government house leader or leader of the government in the Senate.
Paul MartinPaul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC is a Canadian politician who was the Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
eliminated the position of secretary of state and has reverted to using the title "minister of state" for junior cabinet ministers.
Under
Brian MulroneyMartin Brian Mulroney, PC, CC, GOQ was the eighteenth Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of highly contentious economic...
and his successors, the title of Minister of State without any responsibilities attached has been used to appoint what had previously been called
ministers without portfolioA Minister without Portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...
. Ministers of State are also members of the
Queen's Privy Council for CanadaThe Queen's Privy Council for Canada , sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council,
is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign...
, as is required for them to be a part of the ministry.
When
Stephen HarperStephen Joseph Harper, PC, MP is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada, and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became Prime Minister after his party won a minority government in the January 2006 federal election...
became Prime Minister on February 6 2006, he did not include any Ministers of State in his cabinet.
Derek BurneyDerek Hudson Burney, OC is a Canadian businessman. He is also a former diplomat and political strategist for the Progressive Conservative government of Brian Mulroney.- Life and career :...
, the head of Harper's transition team, noted to the press that this was intentional: Ministers of State and the role of Deputy Prime Minister were omitted to create a cabinet of full equals.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1139267414261&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968350116467 In actuality, Harper did appoint a number of Ministers of State in order to give certain ministers responsibilities outside of their portfolios, however all of these Ministers of States were also proper ministers and their formal titles were styled such as to omit "of state".
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2006/20060225/html/notice-e.html#i8
On January 4, 2007, Harper added five Secretaries of State to his ministry thus reviving the practice of appointing junior ministers outside of the Cabinet.
On October 30, 2008, Harper added 11 Ministers of State to his Cabinet.
Current Ministers of State
| Portfolio |
Minister |
| Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) |
(1988-) |
(List) |
Hon. Keith Ashfield Keith Ashfield, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the MP for the electoral district of Fredericton, and currently serves as Minister of State in the Cabinet of Canada.Ashfield was a school trustee for a number of years and was first a candidate for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Democratic Reform) |
|
|
Hon. Steven Fletcher Steven John Fletcher, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He has served in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, representing the riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia as a member of the Conservative Party. He is the first quadriplegic to serve in the House of Commons, as well as in Cabinet...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec) The Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is the member of the Cabinet of Canada who also serves as the chief executive of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec....
|
(2004-) |
(List The Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec is the member of the Cabinet of Canada who also serves as the chief executive of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec....
) |
Hon. Denis Lebel Denis Lebel, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician and former mayor of Roberval, Quebec.Lebel was elected to the Canadian House of Commons on September 17, 2007 in the Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean by-election, 2007...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State of Foreign Affairs (Americas) |
|
|
Hon. Peter Kent Peter Kent, PC, MP is Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Americas in the Canadian Cabinet. Previously, he was Deputy Editor of Global Television News, a Canadian TV network...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Science and Technology) |
|
|
Hon. Gary Goodyear Gary T. Goodyear, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is a current member of the Canadian House of Commons, having been elected to represent the riding of Cambridge as a Conservative in 2004...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Sport) |
|
|
Hon. Gary Lunn Gary Vincent Lunn, PC, MP is a Canadian Member of Parliament for the British Columbia riding of Saanich—Gulf Islands and Minister of State in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Status of Women) The position of Minister responsible for the Status of Women in the Canadian cabinet was created in 1971 as a product of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women . Most provincial cabinets have a similar position...
|
(1971-) |
(List The position of Minister responsible for the Status of Women in the Canadian cabinet was created in 1971 as a product of the Royal Commission on the Status of Women . Most provincial cabinets have a similar position...
) |
Hon. Helena Guergis Helena C. Guergis, PC, MP is a Canadian politician. She has represented Simcoe—Grey in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004, and was appointed Minister of State on October 30, 2008, following the October 14, 2008 Canadian federal election. She was previously Secretary of State for Foreign...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) |
|
|
Hon. Diane Ablonczy Diane Ablonczy, PC, MP is a Canadian Member of Parliament, representing the riding of Calgary-Nose Hill in the Canadian House of Commons as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. She was appointed Minister of State on October 30, 2008...
|
(2007-) |
| Minister of State (Transport) |
|
|
Hon. Rob Merrifield Robert "Rob" Merrifield, PC, MP is a Canadian politician.Rob Merrifield was first elected to the House of Commons in 2000 and was re-elected in 2004, 2006, and 2008 as the Member of Parliament for Yellowhead...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification) The Minister of Western Economic Diversification is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who also serves as the chief executive of Western Economic Diversification Canada...
|
(1988-) |
(List) |
Hon. Lynne Yelich Lynne Yelich , PC, MP is a third-generation Croatian-Canadian politician and the MP for the riding of Blackstrap. The riding of Blackstrap includes Yelich's home town of Kenaston, Saskatchewan, identified as the largest Croatian farming settlement in Canada...
|
(2008-) |
| Minister of State and Chief Government Whip In Canada the Chief Government Whip is the member of the Canadian House of Commons charged with ensuring party discipline among members of the caucus of the party forming the government...
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Hon. Gordon O'Connor Gordon James O'Connor, PC, OMM, CD, MP is a retired Brigadier-General, current Canadian Member of Parliament and the Minister of State and Chief Government Whip....
|
(2008-) |
See also
- Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for use of the title in other countries.