Secretary of State for Canada

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Secretary of State for Canada
HectorLangevin23.jpg
Sir Hector-Louis Langevin, first secretary of state for Canada
Member of Cabinet of Canada
FormationJuly 1, 1867
First holder Hector-Louis Langevin
Final holder Lucienne Robillard
AbolishedJuly 12, 1996

The secretary of state for Canada, established in 1867 with a corresponding department, was a Canadian Cabinet position that served as the official channel of communication between Canada and the British government in London. [1] [2]

Contents

As Canada became increasingly independent after World War I, and particularly with the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, this role fell into disuse. The department was maintained, however, and was used to administer various aspects of government that did not have their own ministry. Accordingly, the secretary of state for Canada was Registrar General of Canada, responsible as such for the Great Seal of Canada and various functions of state associated with it.

At various times the secretary of state for Canada was responsible for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the civil service, the Queen's Printer for Canada, administration of Crown lands, and governance of Canadian Indians (as they were called at the time), as well as various ceremonial and state duties. Generally, any government role and responsibility which was not specifically assigned to a cabinet minister would be the de facto responsibility of the secretary of state.

The department was eliminated in 1993 when the government was reorganized; however, the position of secretary of state for Canada was not legally eliminated until 1996 when its remaining responsibilities were assigned to other cabinet positions and departments, particularly the newly created Minister of Canadian Heritage position.

The position of secretary of state for Canada had no relation to that of secretary of state for external affairs except for the period from 1909 until 1912 when (Charles Murphy under Sir Wilfrid Laurier, and William James Roche under Sir Robert Borden) were responsible for the newly created Department of External Affairs.

Secretaries of state for Canada

Legend
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry
1 HectorLangevin23.jpg Sir Hector-Louis Langevin July 1, 1867December 8, 1869 Liberal-Conservative 1 (Macdonald)
2 James Cox Aikins.jpg James Cox Aikins December 8, 1869November 5, 1873Liberal-Conservative
3 DavidChristie23.jpg David Christie November 7, 1873January 8, 1874 Liberal 2 (Mackenzie)
4 Sir Richard William Scott.jpg Sir Richard William Scott January 9, 1874October 8, 1878Liberal
(2) James Cox Aikins.jpg James Cox AikinsOctober 19, 1878November 7, 1880 Conservative 3 (Macdonald)
5 John O'Connor.jpg John O'Connor November 8, 1880May 19, 1881Conservative
6 Joseph-Alfred Mousseau.jpg Joseph-Alfred Mousseau May 20, 1881July 28, 1882Conservative
7 Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau.jpg Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau July 29, 1882June 6, 1891Conservative
June 16, 1891January 24, 1892 4 (Abbott)
8 James Colebrooke Patterson.jpg James Colebrooke Patterson January 25, 1892November 24, 1892Conservative
9 John Costigan.jpg John Costigan December 5, 1892December 12, 1894Conservative 5 (Thompson)
10 Arthur Rupert Dickey.jpg Arthur Rupert Dickey December 21, 1894March 25, 1895Conservative 6 (Bowell)
11 Walter Humphries Montague.jpg Walter Humphries Montague March 26, 1895December 20, 1895Conservative
Joseph-Aldric Ouimet.png Joseph-Aldric Ouimet
(Acting)
December 21, 1895January 5, 1896Conservative
ThomasMayneDaly23.jpg Thomas Mayne Daly
(Acting)
January 6, 1896January 14, 1896Conservative
12 TupperUniform.jpg Sir Charles Tupper January 15, 1896April 27, 1896Conservative
May 1, 1896July 8, 1896 7 (Tupper)
(4) Sir Richard William Scott.jpg Sir Richard William ScottJuly 13, 1896October 8, 1908 Liberal 8 (Laurier)
13 Charles Murphy.jpg Charles Murphy October 9, 1908October 6, 1911Liberal
14 William James Roche.jpg William James Roche October 10, 1911October 28, 1912Conservative 9 (Borden)
15 Louis Coderre.jpg Louis Coderre October 29, 1912October 5, 1915Conservative
16 Pierre Edouard Blondin.jpg Pierre Édouard Blondin October 6, 1915January 7, 1917Conservative
17 Esioff-Leon Patenaude.png Esioff-Léon Patenaude January 8, 1917June 12, 1917Conservative
Albert Sevigny.jpg Albert Sévigny
(Acting)
June 13, 1917August 24, 1917Conservative
18 Former PM Arthur Meighen.jpg Arthur Meighen August 25, 1917October 12, 1917Conservative
19 Martin Burrell.jpg Martin Burrell October 12, 1917December 30, 1919 Unionist 10 (Borden)
20 Arthur Lewis Watkins Sifton.jpg Arthur Sifton December 31, 1919July 10, 1920Unionist
July 10, 1920January 21, 1921 National Liberal and Conservative 11 (Meighen)
Henry Lumley Drayton.jpg Sir Henry Lumley Drayton
(Acting)
January 24, 1921September 20, 1921National Liberal and Conservative
21 Rodolphe Monty.png Rodolphe Monty September 21, 1921December 29, 1921National Liberal and Conservative
22 Arthur Bliss Copp.jpg Arthur Bliss Copp December 29, 1921September 24, 1925 Liberal 12 (King)
23 Walter Edward Foster.jpg Walter Edward Foster September 26, 1925November 12, 1925Liberal
Charles Murphy.jpg Charles Murphy
(Acting)
November 13, 1925March 23, 1926Liberal
Ernest Lapointe.jpg Ernest Lapointe
(Acting)
March 24, 1926June 28, 1926Liberal
24 GeorgePerley23.jpg George Halsey Perley June 29, 1926September 25, 1926 Conservative 13 (Meighen)
25 Fernand Rinfret.png Fernand Rinfret September 25, 1926August 7, 1930 Liberal 14 (King)
26 Charles Cahan August 7, 1930October 23, 1935 Conservative 15 (Bennett)
(25) Fernand Rinfret.png Fernand Rinfret October 23, 1935July 12, 1939 Liberal 16 (King)
Ernest Lapointe.jpg Ernest Lapointe
(Acting - Second time)
July 26, 1939May 8, 1940Liberal
27 Pierre-Francois Casgrain.png Pierre-François Casgrain May 9, 1940December 14, 1941Liberal
28 Norman Alexander McLarty.jpg Norman Alexander McLarty December 15, 1941April 17, 1945Liberal
29 Paul Martin Sr. April 18, 1945December 11, 1946Liberal
30 Colin W. G. Gibson December 12, 1946November 15, 1948Liberal
November 15, 1948March 31, 1949 17 (St. Laurent)
31 Frederick Gordon Bradley March 31, 1949June 11, 1953Liberal
32 Jack Pickersgill June 11, 1953June 30, 1954Liberal
33 Roch Pinard July 1, 1954June 21, 1957Liberal
34 Ellen Fairclough [3] June 21, 1957May 11, 1958 Progressive Conservative 18 (Diefenbaker)
35 Henri Courtemanche May 12, 1958June 19, 1960Progressive Conservative
Léon Balcer
(Acting)
June 21, 1960October 10, 1960Progressive Conservative
36 Noël Dorion October 11, 1960July 5, 1962Progressive Conservative
Léon Balcer
(Acting - Second time)
July 11, 1962August 8, 1962Progressive Conservative
37 Ernest Halpenny August 9, 1962April 22, 1963Progressive Conservative
(32)Jack PickersgillApril 22, 1963February 2, 1964 Liberal 19 (Pearson)
38 Maurice Lamontagne February 2, 1964December 17, 1965Liberal
39 Judy LaMarsh [4] December 17, 1965April 9, 1968Liberal
John Joseph Connolly
(Acting)
April 10, 1968April 20, 1968Liberal
40 Jean Marchand.jpg Jean Marchand April 20, 1968July 5, 1968Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
41 Gérard Pelletier July 5, 1968November 26, 1972Liberal
42 Hugh Faulkner November 27, 1972September 13, 1976Liberal
43 John Roberts September 14, 1976June 3, 1979Liberal
44 David MacDonald June 4, 1979March 2, 1980 Progressive Conservative 21 (Clark)
45 Francis Fox March 3, 1980September 21, 1981 Liberal 22 (P. E. Trudeau)
46 Gerald Regan September 22, 1981October 5, 1982Liberal
47 Serge Joyal October 6, 1982June 29, 1984Liberal
June 30, 1984September 16, 1984 23 (Turner)
48 Walter McLean September 17, 1984April 19, 1985 Progressive Conservative 24 (Mulroney)
49 Benoît Bouchard April 20, 1985June 29, 1986Progressive Conservative
50 Crombie1983.jpg David Crombie June 30, 1986March 30, 1988Progressive Conservative
51 Bouchardimg229us-signed.jpg Lucien Bouchard March 31, 1988January 29, 1989Progressive Conservative
52 Gerry Weiner January 30, 1989April 20, 1991Progressive Conservative
53 Robert de Cotret April 21, 1991January 3, 1993Progressive Conservative
54 Monique Landry January 4, 1993June 24, 1993Progressive Conservative
June 24, 1993November 3, 1993 25 (Campbell)
55 Sergio Marchi November 4, 1993January 24, 1996 Liberal 26 (Chrétien)
56 Lucienne Robillard January 25, 1996July 12, 1996Liberal

See also

References

  1. Canada. 1867. "Secretary of State for Canada." House of Commons Debates, 1st Parl, 1st Sess, at 94-95.
  2. Scott, R. W. 1874. "Report of the Secretary of State for Canada for the Year Ending on the 30th June, 1873..." Ottawa: I. B. Taylor.
  3. Christensen, Martin Iversen. 2016. "Female Members of the Cabinet of Canada." Female Members of the Cabinet of Canada.. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. Zuschlag, Anna. 2017. "Judy LaMarsh." The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved 7 August 2020.