Surf Wiki
Save to docs
geography/canada

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Government House Leader

Canadian cabinet minister

Summary

Canadian cabinet minister

FieldValue
postLeader
bodythe Government in the House of Commons
native_nameLeader du gouvernement à la Chambre des communes
flagsize200px
imageREUNIÓN CON STEVEN MACKINNON, MINISTRO DE ASUNTOS PARLAMENTARIOS, 05 DE MARZO DE 2024 (cropped).jpg
incumbentSteven MacKinnon
incumbentsinceMay 13, 2025
departmentPrivy Council Office
styleThe Honourable
member_of
reports_toPrime Minister
appointerMonarch (represented by the governor general);
appointer_qualifiedon the advice of the prime minister
termlengthgenderp=~}}}} Majesty's pleasure
formationOctober 14, 1944
inauguralIan Alistair Mackenzie
deputyDeputy Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
salary$299,900 (2024)
website

The Government House Leader, officially known as the leader of the Government in the House of Commons of Canada (), is the Cabinet minister responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the House of Commons of Canada. Despite the name of the position, it does not refer to the prime minister of Canada, who is the head of government.

History

From 1867 until World War II, prime ministers took upon themselves the responsibilities of being leader of the government in the House of Commons, organizing and coordinating House of Commons business with the other parties. The expansion of government responsibilities during the war led to Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King deciding to delegate the House leadership to one of his ministers. In 1946, the position of government house leader was formally recognized.

In 1968, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau designated the government house leader as president of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, the roles of government house leader and president of the Privy Council were separated in 1989. Under Mulroney and his successors, the position of house leader would often be held by someone who was named a minister of state without any portfolio responsibilities specified. Since 2003, this minister of state status has been obscured in all but the most official circumstances by the use of a "Leader of the Government in the House of Commons" style in its place.

Prime Minister Paul Martin's first House Leader, Jacques Saada was also the minister responsible for democratic reform; however, with the election of a minority government in the 2004 election, Martin appointed Tony Valeri to the position of leader of the government in the House of Commons with no additional responsibilities.

List of officeholders

Until 2005, the position of government house leader was not technically a cabinet-level post, but rather a parliamentary office, so to qualify for cabinet membership, an individual had to be named to cabinet in some other capacity. For a time, with the position having evolved into a full-time job, government house leaders have been named to cabinet as ministers of state with no portfolio specified. The Martin government created these positions so that the minister of state title is effectively invisible. An amendment to the Salaries Act made this unnecessary by listing the government house leader as a minister.

Key:

PortraitName
Electoral district
(Birth–Death)Term of officePartyPrime minister
(Ministry)Term startTerm end
[[File:Photograph of the Hon. Ian A. Mackenzie.jpg103x103px]]Ian Alistair Mackenzie
MP for Vancouver Centre
(1890–1949)October 14,
1944April 30,
1948CALiberal}}; "LiberalWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
(16th)
[[File:Alphonse Fournier.jpg124x124px]]Alphonse Fournier
MP for Hull
(1893–1961)May 1,
1948May 8,
1953CALiberal}}; "Liberal
Louis St. Laurent
(17th)
[[File:Walter Edward Harris.jpg107x107px]]Walter Edward Harris
MP for Grey—Bruce
(1904–1999)May 9,
1953April 12,
1957CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Howard Charles Green.jpg124x124px]]Howard Charles Green
MP for Vancouver Quadra
(1895–1989)October 14,
1957July 18,
1959CAPC}}; "Progressive ConservativeJohn Diefenbaker
(18th)
[[File:Gordon Churchill portrait.jpg121x121px]]Gordon Churchill
MP for Winnipeg South Centre
(1898–1985)January 14,
1960February 5,
1963CAPC}}; "Progressive Conservative
[[File:Jack Pickersgill portrait.jpg110x110px]]Jack Pickersgill
MP for Bonavista—Twillingate
(1905–1997)May 16,
1963December 21,
1963CALiberal}}; "LiberalLester B. Pearson
(19th)
[[File:Guy Favreau portrait 1966.jpg123x123px]]Guy Favreau
MP for Papineau
(1917–1967)February 18,
1964October 29,
1964CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:George James McIlraith a047411-v8.jpg121x121px]]George McIlraith
MP for Ottawa West
(1908–1992)October 30,
1964May 3,
1967CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Allan MacEachen.jpg122x122px]]Allan MacEachen
MP for Inverness—Richmond
(1921–2017)May 4,
1967April 23,
1968CALiberal}}; "Liberal
Donald Stovel Macdonald
MP for Rosedale
(1932–2018)September 12,
1968September 23,
1970CALiberal}}; "LiberalPierre Trudeau
(20th)
[[File:Allan MacEachen.jpg122x122px]]Allan MacEachen
MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso
(1921–2017)September 24,
1970May 9,
1974CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Mitchell Sharp 1962 Toronto Star (Restored) (cropped 3-4).jpg122x122px]]Mitchell Sharp
MP for Eglinton
(1911–2004)August 8,
1974September 13,
1976CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Allan MacEachen.jpg122x122px]]Allan MacEachen
MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso
(1921–2017)September 14,
1976March 26,
1979CALiberal}}; "Liberal
Walter Baker
MP for Nepean—Carleton
(1930–1983)June 4,
1979March 2,
1980CAPC}}; "Progressive ConservativeJoe Clark
(21st)
Yvon Pinard
MP for Drummond
(born 1940)March 3,
1980June 29,
1984CALiberal}}; "LiberalPierre Trudeau
(22nd)
André Ouellet
MP for Papineau
(born 1939)June 30,
1984November 4,
1984CALiberal}}; "LiberalJohn Turner
(23rd)
Ray Hnatyshyn
MP for Saskatoon West
(1934–2002)November 5,
1984June 29,
1986CAPC}}; "Progressive ConservativeBrian Mulroney
(24th)
Don Mazankowski
MP for Vegreville
(1935–2020)June 30,
1986April 2,
1989CAPC}}; "Progressive Conservative
Doug Lewis
MP for Simcoe North
(born 1938)April 3,
1989February 22,
1990CAPC}}; "Progressive Conservative
Harvie Andre
MP for Calgary Centre
(1940–2012)February 23,
1990June 24,
1993CAPC}}; "Progressive Conservative
Doug Lewis
MP for Simcoe North
(born 1938)June 25,
1993November 3,
1993CAPC}}; "Progressive ConservativeKim Campbell
(25th)
[[File:Herb Gray 2008.jpg113x113px]]Herb Gray
MP for Windsor West
(1931–2014)November 4,
1993April 27,
1997CALiberal}}; "LiberalJean Chrétien
(26th)
[[File:DonBourdiaimg846-signed.jpg88x88px]]Don Boudria
MP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell
(born 1949)June 11,
1997January 14,
2002CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Ralph Goodale free alternative.jpg106x106px]]Ralph Goodale
MP for Wascana
(born 1949)January 15,
2002May 25,
2002CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:DonBourdiaimg846-signed.jpg88x88px]]Don Boudria
MP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell
(born 1949)May 26,
2002December 11,
2003CALiberal}}; "Liberal
Jacques Saada
MP for Brossard—La Prairie
(born 1947)December 12,
2003July 20,
2004CALiberal}}; "LiberalPaul Martin
(27th)
[[File:Tony Valeri GHL.jpg80x80px]]Tony Valeri
MP for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek
(born 1957)July 20,
2004January 23,
2006CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Rob Nicholson infobox.jpg119x119px]]Rob Nicholson
MP for Niagara Falls
(born 1952)February 6,
2006January 4,
2007CAConservative}}; "ConservativeStephen Harper
(28th)
[[File:Peter Van Loan - 2014 (14377788468) (cropped).jpg97x97px]]Peter Van Loan
MP for York—Simcoe
(born 1963)January 4,
2007October 29,
2008CAConservative}}; "Conservative
[[File:Jay Hill 2014.jpg104x104px]]Jay Hill
MP for Prince George—Peace River
(born 1952)October 30,
2008August 6,
2010CAConservative}}; "Conservative
[[File:John Baird Minister of Foreign Affairs.jpg100x100px]]John Baird
MP for Ottawa West—Nepean
(born 1969)August 6,
2010May 18,
2011CAConservative}}; "Conservative
[[File:Peter Van Loan - 2014 (14377788468) (cropped).jpg97x97px]]Peter Van Loan
MP for York—Simcoe
(born 1963)May 18,
2011November 4,
2015CAConservative}}; "Conservative
[[File:Dominic LeBlanc 2023-03-06.jpg103x103px]]Dominic LeBlanc
MP for Beauséjour
(born 1967)November 4,
2015August 19,
2016CALiberal}}; "LiberalJustin Trudeau
(29th)
[[File:Waterloo MP 2017.jpg111x111px]]Bardish Chagger
MP for Waterloo
(born 1980)August 19,
2016November 20,
2019CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Réseau Express Métropolitain (inauguration) 12 - Pablo Rodriguez (3-4 crop).jpg106x106px]]Pablo Rodriguez
MP for Honoré-Mercier
(born 1967)November 20,
2019October 26,
2021CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Liberal MP Mark Holland speaks during a news conference in Toronto (cropped).jpg106x106px]]Mark Holland
MP for Ajax
(born 1974)October 26,
2021July 26,
2023CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Karina Gould (cropped).jpg106x106px]]date=2023-07-26title=Prime Minister announces changes to the Ministryurl=http://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/07/26/prime-minister-announces-changes-ministryaccess-date=2023-07-27website=Prime Minister of Canadalanguage=en}}
MP for Burlington
(born 1987)
(on parental leave January 8—late July 2024)July 26,
2023January 8,
2024CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:REUNIÓN CON STEVEN MACKINNON, MINISTRO DE ASUNTOS PARLAMENTARIOS, 05 DE MARZO DE 2024 (cropped).jpg106x106px]]Steven MacKinnon (interim)
MP for Gatineau
(born 1966)January 8,
2024July 19,
2024CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Karina Gould (cropped).jpg106x106px]]Burlington]]
(born 1987)
(on parental leave January 8—late July 2024)July 19,
2024January 24,
2025CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:REUNIÓN CON STEVEN MACKINNON, MINISTRO DE ASUNTOS PARLAMENTARIOS, 05 DE MARZO DE 2024 (cropped).jpg106x106px]]Steven MacKinnon
MP for Gatineau
(born 1966)January 24,
2025March 14,
2025CALiberal}}; "Liberal
[[File:Arielle Kayabaga - 26 January 2019 01 (cropped).jpg106x106px]]Arielle Kayabaga
MP for London West
(born 1990 or 1991)March 14,
2025May 13,
2025CALiberal}}; "LiberalMark Carney
(30th)
[[File:REUNIÓN CON STEVEN MACKINNON, MINISTRO DE ASUNTOS PARLAMENTARIOS, 05 DE MARZO DE 2024 (cropped).jpg106x106px]]Steven MacKinnon
MP for Gatineau
(born 1966)May 13,
2025PresentCALiberal}}; "Liberal

References

References

  1. "The Canadian Parliamentary system - Our Procedure - House of Commons".
  2. "Constitutional Duties".
  3. "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions".
  4. "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". Parliament of Canada.
  5. (June 22, 2005). "An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act and the Salaries Act and to make consequential amendments to other acts".
  6. (2023-07-26). "Prime Minister announces changes to the Ministry".
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

ministerial-offices-in-canada legislative-leaders-in-canada
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Government House Leader — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report