Minister of Communications (Canada)

The minister of communications of Canada was a cabinet post which existed from 1969 to 1996, when it was abolished. Its telecommunications policy functions were transferred to the Minister of Industry and its cultural role was assumed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

The post was established by the Department of Communications Act, and abolished by the repeal of that act in 1995. During its existence, the department was authorized to oversee radio, television, and telephone communications in Canada, and supervised the CRTC.

Ministers of communications

Key:

   Liberal Party of Canada

   Progressive Conservative Party of Canada

No.	Name	Term of office		Political party	Ministry
1	Eric Kierans	April 1, 1969	April 28, 1971	Liberal	20 (P. E. Trudeau)
*	Jean-Pierre Côté (Acting)	April 29, 1971	May 10, 1971	Liberal
*	Gérard Pelletier (Acting)	May 11, 1971	August 11, 1971	Liberal
2	Robert Stanbury	August 12, 1971	November 26, 1972	Liberal
3	Gérard Pelletier	November 27, 1972	August 28, 1975	Liberal
4	Pierre Juneau	August 29, 1975	October 24, 1975	Liberal
*	Otto Lang	October 25, 1975	December 4, 1975	Liberal
5	Jeanne Sauvé	December 5, 1975	June 3, 1979	Liberal
6	David MacDonald	June 4, 1979	March 2, 1980	Progressive Conservative	21 (Clark)
7	Francis Fox	March 3, 1980	June 29, 1984	Liberal	22 (P. E. Trudeau)
8	Ed Lumley	June 30, 1984	September 16, 1984	Liberal	23 (Turner)
9	Marcel Masse	September 17, 1984	September 25, 1985	Progressive Conservative	24 (Mulroney)
*	Benoît Bouchard (Acting)	September 26, 1985	November 29, 1985	Progressive Conservative
(9)	Marcel Masse (Second time)	November 30, 1985	June 29, 1986	Progressive Conservative
10	Flora MacDonald	June 30, 1986	December 7, 1988	Progressive Conservative
*	Lowell Murray (Acting)	December 8, 1988	January 29, 1989	Progressive Conservative
(9)	Marcel Masse (Third time)	January 30, 1989	April 20, 1991	Progressive Conservative
11	Perrin Beatty	April 21, 1991	June 24, 1993	Progressive Conservative
12	Monique Landry	June 25, 1993	November 3, 1993	Progressive Conservative	25 (Campbell)
13	Michel Dupuy	November 4, 1993	January 24, 1996	Liberal	26 (Chrétien)
14	Sheila Copps	January 25, 1996	May 1, 1996 [a]	Liberal
		June 19, 1996 [b]	July 11, 1996

On July 12, 1996, office of the Minister of Communications and the office of the Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship were abolished and replaced with the office of Minister of Canadian Heritage (list).

Notes

1. Resigned from Parliament to fulfill her promise to resign if the GST was not abolished
2. Returned to Parliament following a by-election

External links

• The repealed "Department of Communications Act"