Secretary of state (Canada)

{{about|the generic usage of the title "secretary of state" by the Canadian government from 1993 to 2003 and from 2007 to 2008|the Canadian cabinet position extant from 1867 to 1996|Secretary of State for Canada}}

{{confused|Parliamentary secretary|Secretary of State for External Affairs (Canada)|Secretary of State for the Provinces}}

In Canada from 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2008, secretary of state was a title given to junior ministers of state in the Government of Canada that sat outside Cabinet.Forsey, Eugene. [1980] 2016. "[https://lop.parl.ca/about/parliament/senatoreugeneforsey/book/chapter_1-e.html Parliamentary Government]." Ch. 1 in How Canadians Govern Themselves (9th ed.). Ottawa, ON: Library of Parliament. Because it was a position that was assigned to assist Cabinet ministers, a secretary of state was legally a minister of state;{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} the distinction is that, unlike a minister, a secretary is not a full cabinet portfolio itself and thus not considered a member of Cabinet. (They were hence considered junior to ministers of state.) The Secretary of State (Training and Youth), for instance, would assist the Minister for Human Resources and Development. This usage is opposite to that in the United Kingdom, where junior ministers generally report to more senior secretaries of state. Secretaries of state were, however, members of the ministry and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

This generic usage should not be confused with the former cabinet positions of Secretary of State for Canada (1867–1996), Secretary of State for the Provinces (1867–1873), and Secretary of State for External Affairs (1909–1995).

History

These positions were first used by Jean Chrétien as a way to decrease the size of the Cabinet without substantially decreasing the size of the ministry. When Paul Martin became Prime Minister in 2003, this usage ended, and he instead appointed ministers of state and increased the powers of parliamentary secretaries to act in junior policy positions."Martin's Team", The Globe and Mail, 13 December 2003, A13.

Martin's successor, Stephen Harper, resumed the use of secretaries of state in a cabinet shuffle on 4 January 2007, but went back to ministers of state in his October 2008 cabinet.

List of secretaries of state in Canada

= {{Anchor|Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific)|Secretary of State for Latin America and Africa|Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa)|Secretary of State (Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East)}}External affairs =

Between 1993 and 2003, there were at least three junior Minister of State positions within the Department of External Affairs (renamed in 1995 to the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade){{Cite web|title=Profile - Foreign Affairs and International Trade|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal/areasResponsibility/profile?depId=3048|access-date=2021-04-28|website=lop.parl.ca}} responsible for assisting the Minister of Foreign Affairs (known until 1993 as the Secretary of State for External Affairs).{{Cite web|title=Profile - External Affairs|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal/areasResponsibility/profile?depId=2924|access-date=2021-04-28|website=lop.parl.ca}}

the Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) — relations within the Asia-Pacific
the Secretary of State (Latin America and Africa) — relations with Latin America and Africa.
the Secretary of State (Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East) — relations with Central & Eastern Europe and the Middle East (introduced by Order-in-Council in 2002).

Between 2007 and 2008, the Conservative Harper government included a less narrow position to assist with the Foreign Affairs minister, called the Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade).

class="wikitable" !Name !Took office !Left office
colspan="3" \|Asia-Pacific
Raymond Chan \|1993 November 4 \|2001 January 8
Rey Pagtakhan \|2001 January 9 \|2002 January 14
David Kilgour \|2002 January 15 \|2003 December 11
colspan="3" \|Latin America and Africa
Christine Stewart \|1993 November 4 \|1997 June 10
David Kilgour \|1997 June 11 \|2002 January 14
Denis Paradis \|2002 January 15 \|2003 December 11
colspan="3" \|Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East
Gar Knutson \|2002 January 15 \|2003 December 11
colspan="3" \|Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Helena Guergis \|2007 January 4 \|2008 October 29

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Took office

!Left office

colspan="3" |Asia-Pacific

Raymond Chan

|1993 November 4

|2001 January 8

Rey Pagtakhan

|2001 January 9

|2002 January 14

David Kilgour

|2002 January 15

|2003 December 11

colspan="3" |Latin America and Africa

Christine Stewart

|1993 November 4

|1997 June 10

David Kilgour

|1997 June 11

|2002 January 14

Denis Paradis

|2002 January 15

|2003 December 11

colspan="3" |Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East

Gar Knutson

|2002 January 15

|2003 December 11

colspan="3" |Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Helena Guergis

|2007 January 4

|2008 October 29

= Heritage =

Several Secretaries of State assisted the Minister of Canadian Heritage (and antecedents) with the various portfolios of the Department of Canadian Heritage (formerly Department of Communications), including multiculturalism, which at one point fell under the Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship.{{Cite web|title=Departments and Roles: 1867 - Today|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal/areasResponsibility?permalink=427|access-date=2021-04-29|website=lop.parl.ca}}

class="wikitable"

!Title and portfolio

!Name

!Took position

!Left position

!Party

rowspan="2" |Secretary of State (Multiculturalism) (Status of Women)

communications, multiculturalism, status of women

|Sheila Finestone

|1993 November 4

|1996 January 24

|Liberal

Hedy Fry

|1996 January 25

|2002 January 27

|Liberal

rowspan="2" |Secretary of State (Multiculturalism)

multiculturalism

|Claudette Bradshaw

|2002 January 15

|2002 May 25

|Liberal

Jean Augustine

|2002 May 26

|2003 December 11

|Liberal

Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)

multiculturalism, Canadian identity

|Jason Kenney

|2007 January 4

|2008 October 29

|Conservative

Secretary of State (2010 Olympics) (Official Languages)

official languages, Vancouver-Whistler Olympics,

|James Moore

|2008 July 25

|2008 October 29

|Conservative

rowspan="2" |Secretary of State (Amateur Sport)

amateur sport

|Denis Coderre

|1999 August 3

|2002 January 14

|Liberal

rowspan="2" |Paul DeVillers

|2002 January 15

|2003 July 16

|Liberal

Secretary of State (Physical Activity and Sport)

sport

|2003 July 17

|2003 December 11

|Liberal

Secretary of State (Sport)

sport

|Helena Guergis

|2007 January 4

|2008 October 29

|Conservative

Secretary of State (Parks)

National Parks

|Andy Mitchell

|1997 July 11

|1999 August 2

|Liberal

= {{Anchor|Secretary of State (Western Economic Diversification)|Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development)}}Industry =

The Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development) was a position introduced in 1993 to assist the Minister of Industry within Industry Canada.

The Secretary of State (Science, Research and Development) (Western Economic Diversification) was introduced in 1996 to provide assistance to the Minister of Western Economic Diversification within their department.{{Cite web|title=Profile - Western Economic Diversification|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal/areasResponsibility/profile?depId=9872|access-date=2021-04-28|website=lop.parl.ca}}

Under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the office of Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) was introduced. On 2008 October 30, a ministerial position was established by Harper as the Minister of State (Science & Technology).

class="wikitable"

|+Secretaries of State

!Name

!Portfolio

!Took office

!Left office

rowspan="2" |Jon Gerrard

|Science, Research and Development

|1993 November 4

| rowspan="2" |1997 June 11

Western Economic Diversification

|1996 January 25

rowspan="2" |Ron Duhamel

|Science, Research and Development

| rowspan="2" |1997 June 11

|1999 August 3

Western Economic Diversification

|15 January 2002

Gilbert Normand

|Science, Research and Development

|1999 August 3

|2002 January 15

Andy Mitchell

|Rural Development (Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario)

|1999 August 3

|2003 December 11

Maurizio Bevilacqua

|Science, Research and Development

|2002 January 15

|2002 May 26

Rey Pagtakhan

|Science, Research and Development

|2002 May 26

|2003 December 11

Stephen Owen

|Western Economic Diversification (including Indian Affairs and Northern Development)

|2002 January 15

|2003 December 11

Gerry Ritz

|Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

|2007 January 4

|2007 August 13

Diane Ablonczy

|Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)

|2007 August 14

|2008 October 29

class="wikitable"

|+Ministers of State (Science, Research and Development)

!Name

!Took office

!Left office

Gary Goodyear

|2008 October 30

|2013 July 15

Greg Rickford

|2013 July 15

|2014 March 19

Ed Holder

|2014 March 19

|2015 October 19

= {{Anchor|Secretary of State (Training and Youth)}}Labour =

The Secretary of State (Training and Youth) assisted the Minister of Labour for the Department of Labour until July 1996, when the labour ministry was abolished and transferred to the Human Resources Development. In 1997, the secretarial position was changed to Secretary of State (Children and Youth).{{Cite web|title=Profile - Labour|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal/areasResponsibility/profile?depId=4339|access-date=2021-04-28|website=lop.parl.ca}}{{Cite web|title=Profile - Human Resources Development|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/Federal/areasResponsibility/profile?depId=3736|access-date=2021-04-29|website=lop.parl.ca}}

Between 2007 and 2008 during the conservative Harper government, Human Resources Development included a Secretary of State (Seniors) to assist with the seniors portfolio.

class="wikitable"

!Name

!Role

!Took office

!Left office

rowspan="2" |Ethel Blondin-Andrew

|Secretary of State (Training and Youth)

|1993 November 4

|1997 July 10

Secretary of State (Children and Youth)

|1997 July 11

|2003 December 11