Minister responsible for Official Languages (Canada)

Last updated
Minister of Official Languages
Ministre des Langues officielles
since May 13, 2025
Department of Canadian Heritage
Style The Honourable
Member of
Reports to
Appointer Monarch (represented by the governor general); [1]
on the advice of the prime minister [2]
Term length At His Majesty's pleasure
Constituting instrument Official Languages Act
Formation2003
Salary CA$299,900 (2024) [3]

The minister of official languages (French : ministre des langues officielles) was a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet.

Contents

The minister was responsible for administering Official Languages Act, ensuring that government services are available in both English and French, protecting minority language rights, particularly in the area of education, as well as promoting bilingualism throughout Canada.

Rachel Bendayan served as the last minister of official languages until March 2025, when the position was eliminated. [4]

Background

In 2003, the first minister responsible for Official Languages was sworn in, on the creation of the "Official Languages Branch of Intergovernmental Affairs" within the Privy Council Office. [5] In 2006, responsibility was shifted from the Privy Council Office to the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the branch was renamed the "Official Languages Secretariat". [6] From 2015 to 2019, the post was called Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie. [7]

Sections 42 and 43 of the Official LanguagesAct give the minister of Canadian heritage the specific responsibility of taking measures to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society; under section 44 of that Act, the minister must submit annual reports to Parliament on the matters relating to official languages for which the minister is responsible. [8] [9]

List of ministers

NameTerm of officeTitle [7] Political partyMinistry
Pierre Pettigrew December 12, 2003July 19, 2004Minister responsible for Official Languages Liberal 27 th(Martin)
Mauril Bélanger July 20, 2004February 5, 2006
Josée Verner February 6, 2006August 13, 2007Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages Conservative 28 th(Harper)
August 14, 2007May 26, 2008Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages
James Moore June 25, 2008October 29, 2008 Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific Gateway) (2010 Olympics) (Official Languages)
October 30, 2008July 14, 2013Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Shelly Glover July 15, 2013November 4, 2015
Mélanie Joly July 18, 2018November 20, 2019Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie Liberal 29 th(Trudeau)
November 20, 2019October 26, 2021 Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages
Ginette Petitpas Taylor October 26, 2021July 26, 2023Minister of Official Languages
Randy Boissonnault July 26, 2023November 20, 2024Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
Ginette Petitpas Taylor November 20, 2024December 20, 2024Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
Rachel Bendayan December 20, 2024March 14, 2025Minister of Official Languages

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  2. ↑ "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  3. ↑ "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". April 1, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
  4. ↑ Curry, Bill; Kirkup, Kristy; Raman-Wilms, Menaka; Dickson, Janice (2021-10-26). "Trudeau cabinet shuffle: Anita Anand moves to Defence, Steven Guilbeault to Environment, Mélanie Joly to Foreign Affairs". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
  5. ↑ "Official Languages Secretariat" . Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  6. ↑ "Order Transferring from Privy Council Office to the Department of Canadian Heritage the Control and Supervision of the Official Languages Secretariat, SI/2006-45".
  7. 1 2 "Departments and Roles: 1867 - Today". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  8. ↑ Official Languages Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 31 (4th Supp.)
  9. ↑ "Canadian Heritage Official Languages Annual Reports".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.