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Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)

Canadian federal cabinet position

Summary

Canadian federal cabinet position

FieldValue
postMinister
flagsize200px
imageUS Secretary of Defense hosts world leaders during UDCG 001 - Anita Anand (cropped).jpg
incumbentAnita Anand
incumbentsince13 May 2025
departmentGlobal Affairs Canada
styleThe Honourable
member_of
reports_to
appointerMonarch (represented by the governor general)
appointer_qualifiedon the advice of the prime minister
termlengthgenderp=~}}}} Majesty's pleasure
formation4 November 1993
inauguralAndré Ouellet
salaryCA$299,900 (2024)
website
bodyForeign Affairs
native_nameMinistre des Affaires étrangères

The minister of foreign affairs () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the Government of Canada's international relations and is the lead minister responsible for Global Affairs Canada, though the minister of international trade leads on trade issues. In addition to Global Affairs Canada, the minister is also the lead in overseeing the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and the International Development Research Centre.

From 1909 to 1993, the office was called the secretary of state for external affairs. The first two secretaries of state for external affairs, from 1909 until 1912, (Charles Murphy under Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William James Roche under Sir Robert Borden) concurrently served as the secretary of state of Canada. The two portfolios were permanently separated in 1912, and the external affairs portfolio was then held by the prime minister of Canada until 1946.

History

Ministers holding the external affairs and foreign affairs portfolios have sometimes played prominent international roles:

  • Lester B. Pearson (a future prime minister) defused the Suez Crisis and established the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces and as a result received the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.
  • Joe Clark (a former prime minister) led opposition to South Africa's Apartheid system within the Commonwealth of Nations, against initial resistance from the British government of Margaret Thatcher.
  • Lloyd Axworthy brought about the Ottawa Treaty, banning anti-personnel landmines in most countries of the world.

As in Pearson's case (and that of Louis St. Laurent, his predecessor), the portfolio can be a final stepping stone to the prime minister's Office. Until 1946, it was customary for the office to be held by the sitting prime minister. John Diefenbaker would hold the portfolio on two subsequent occasions.

Prior and subsequent diplomatic services

Lester Pearson is the only minister to have been a diplomat prior to their appointment. Pearson entered the Canadian foreign service in 1927 and rose to become Canadian ambassador to the United States from 1944 to 1946.

Paul Martin, Sr. served as Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom after his retirement from active politics. Following his defeat in the 2011 election, Lawrence Cannon has served as Canadian ambassador to France since 2012, while Stéphane Dion was named Canadian ambassador to the European Union and Germany immediately after leaving cabinet in 2017. Unlike Pearson, none were career diplomats.

List of ministers

Key:

No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistrySecretary of State for External AffairsCALiberal}}; color:white"1CAConservative (historical)}};"2CAConservative (historical)}};"3CAConservative (historical)}};"4CALiberal}}; color:white"5CAConservative (historical)}};"(4)CALiberal}}; color:white"(5)CAConservative (historical)}};"6CALiberal}}; color:white"(5)CALiberal}}; color:white"7CALiberal}}; color:white"8CAConservative (historical)}};"9CAConservative (historical)}};"10CAConservative (historical)}};"–CAConservative (historical)}};"11CALiberal}}; color:white"12CALiberal}}; color:white"13CALiberal}}; color:white"14CALiberal}}; color:white"15CAConservative (historical)}};"16CALiberal}}; color:white"17CALiberal}}; color:white"(14)CALiberal}}; color:white"18CAConservative (historical)}};"19CAConservative (historical)}}"20CAConservative (historical)}};"21CALiberal}}; color:white"22Minister of Foreign AffairsCALiberal}}; color:white"(22)CALiberal}}; color:white"23CALiberal}}; color:white"24CALiberal}}; color:white"25CALiberal}}; color:white"26CAConservative}};"27CAConservative}};"28CAConservative}};"29CAConservative}};"30CAConservative}};"31CAConservative}};"–CAConservative}};"32CALiberal}}; color:white"33CALiberal}}; color:white"34CALiberal}}; color:white"35CALiberal}}; color:white"36CALiberal}}; color:white"37Minister of Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentCALiberal}}; color:white"(37)Minister of Foreign AffairsCALiberal}}; color:white"38
[[File:Charles Murphy.jpg50px]]Charles MurphyMay 19, 1909October 6, 1911Liberal8 (Laurier)
[[File:William James Roche.jpg50px]]William James RocheOctober 10, 1911April 1, 1912Conservative (historical)9 (Borden)
[[File:RobertLBorden.jpg50px]]Robert BordenApril 1, 1912October 11, 1917Conservative (historical)
October 12, 1917July 9, 1920Unionist10 (Borden)
[[File:Former PM Arthur Meighen.jpg50px]]Arthur Meighen
1st timeJuly 10, 1920December 29, 1921National Liberal and Conservative11 (Meighen)
[[File:Wm Lyon Mackenzie King.jpg50px]]William Lyon Mackenzie King
1st timeDecember 29, 1921June 28, 1926Liberal12 (King)
[[File:Former PM Arthur Meighen.jpg50px]]Arthur Meighen
2nd timeJune 29, 1926September 25, 1926Conservative (historical)13 (Meighen)
[[File:Wm Lyon Mackenzie King.jpg50px]]William Lyon Mackenzie King
2nd timeSeptember 25, 1926August 7, 1930Liberal14 (King)
[[File:Richard Bedford Bennett.jpg50px]]Richard Bedford BennettAugust 7, 1930October 23, 1935Conservative (historical)15 (Bennett)
[[File:Wm Lyon Mackenzie King.jpg50px]]William Lyon Mackenzie King
3rd timeOctober 23, 1935September 3, 1946Liberal16 (King)
[[File:Louisstlaurent.jpg50px]]Louis St. LaurentSeptember 4, 1946September 9, 1948Liberal
[[File:Lester B. Pearson with a pencil.jpg50px]]Lester B. PearsonSeptember 10, 1948November 15, 1948Liberal
November 15, 1948June 20, 195717 (St. Laurent)
[[File:John G. Diefenbaker.jpg50px]]John DiefenbakerJune 21, 1957September 12, 1957Progressive Conservative18 (Diefenbaker)
[[File:Sidney Smith.JPG50px]]Sidney Earle SmithSeptember 13, 1957March 17, 1959Progressive Conservative
[[File:John G. Diefenbaker.jpg50px]]John Diefenbaker
2nd time; acting ministerMarch 19, 1959June 3, 1959Progressive Conservative
[[File:Howard Charles Green.jpg50px]]Howard Charles GreenJune 4, 1959April 21, 1963Progressive Conservative
[[File:Paul Martin Sr Portrait 1943 (cropped).jpg50px]]Paul Martin Sr.April 22, 1963April 20, 1968Liberal19 (Pearson)
[[File:Mitchell Sharp 1962 Toronto Star (Restored) (cropped 3-4).jpg50px]]Mitchell SharpApril 20, 1968August 7, 1974Liberal20 (P. E. Trudeau)
[[File:Allan MacEachen.jpg50px]]Allan MacEachen
1st timeAugust 8, 1974September 13, 1976Liberal
[[File:Don-Jamieson.jpg50px]]Don JamiesonSeptember 14, 1976June 3, 1979Liberal
[[File:Flora MacDonald 1979 (cropped).jpg50px]]Flora MacDonaldJune 4, 1979March 2, 1980Progressive Conservative21 (Clark)
[[File:No image.svg50px]]Mark MacGuiganMarch 3, 1980September 9, 1982Liberal22 (P. E. Trudeau)
[[File:Allan MacEachen.jpg50px]]Allan MacEachen
2nd timeSeptember 10, 1982June 29, 1984Liberal
[[File:Jean Chrétien1.jpg50px]]Jean ChrétienJune 30, 1984September 16, 1984Liberal23 (Turner)
[[File:JoeClark.jpg50px]]Joe ClarkSeptember 17, 1984April 20, 1991Progressive Conservative24 (Mulroney)
[[File:No image.svg50px]]Barbara McDougallApril 21, 1991June 24, 1993Progressive Conservative
[[File:No image.svg50px]]Perrin BeattyJune 25, 1993November 3, 1993Progressive Conservative25 (Campbell)
[[File:No image.svg50px]]André OuelletNovember 4, 1993May 13, 1995Liberal26 (Chrétien)
[[File:No image.svg50px]]André OuelletMay 13, 1995January 24, 1996Liberal26 (Chrétien)
[[File:Lloyd Axworthy (1999).JPEG50px]]Lloyd AxworthyJanuary 25, 1996October 16, 2000Liberal
[[File:John Manley IMF.jpg50px]]John ManleyOctober 17, 2000January 15, 2002Liberal
[[File:Bill Graham by Rod Brito.jpg50px]]Bill GrahamJanuary 15, 2002December 11, 2003Liberal
December 12, 2003July 19, 200427 (Martin)
[[File:PierrePettigrew.JPG50px]]Pierre PettigrewJuly 20, 2004February 5, 2006Liberal
[[File:Peter MacKay 2014.jpg50px]]Peter MacKayFebruary 6, 2006August 14, 2007Conservative28 (Harper)
[[File:Maxime Bernier.jpg50px]]Maxime BernierAugust 14, 2007May 26, 2008Conservative
[[File:No image.svg50px]]David Emerson
*Acting minister until
June 25, 2008*May 25, 2008October 29, 2008Conservative
[[File:Lawrence Cannon on March 29, 2010.jpg50px]]Lawrence CannonOctober 30, 2008May 18, 2011Conservative
[[File:John Baird - Canadian MP.jpg50px]]John BairdMay 18, 2011February 3, 2015Conservative
[[File:Ed Fast visits University of the Fraser Valley.jpg50px]]Ed Fast (acting)February 3, 2015February 9, 2015Conservative
[[File:Rob Nicholson infobox.jpg50px]]Rob NicholsonFebruary 9, 2015November 4, 2015Conservative
[[File:Canadian Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion - 2016 (28405975206) (cropped).jpg50px]]Stéphane DionNovember 4, 2015January 10, 2017Liberal29 (J. Trudeau)
[[File:Chrystia Freeland at OSCE - 2017 (38910129611) (cropped).jpg50px]]Chrystia FreelandJanuary 10, 2017November 20, 2019Liberal
[[File:François-Philippe Champagne - July 2024 - P064113-99350 (cropped).jpg50px]]François-Philippe ChampagneNovember 20, 2019January 12, 2021Liberal
[[File:Marc Garneau - 2018 (42748534304) (cropped).jpg50px]]Marc GarneauJanuary 12, 2021October 26, 2021Liberal
[[File:Joly cropped (cropped).jpg50px]]Mélanie JolyOctober 26, 2021March 14, 2025Liberal
[[File:Joly cropped (cropped).jpg50px]]Mélanie JolyMarch 14, 2025May 13, 2025Liberal30 (Carney)
[[File:US Secretary of Defense hosts world leaders during UDCG 001 - Anita Anand (cropped).jpg50px]]Anita AnandMay 13, 2025IncumbentLiberal30 (Carney)

References

References

  1. "The Canadian Parliamentary system - Our Procedure - House of Commons".
  2. "Review of the Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Ministers and Senior Officials".
  3. (April 1, 2024). "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances".
  4. "Roles - Hon. David Emerson - Current and Past - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada".
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.

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