Minister of Public Works Designated for Labour Act

Summary#

This is an order (Registration SI/2019-115) that names who in cabinet counts as "the Minister" for the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act. It repeals an earlier order (P.C. 2019-390 / SI/2019-23 of April 26, 2019) and, by P.C. 2019-1353 of November 20, 2019, assigns that role to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services. The item was registered in the Canada Gazette on December 11, 2019.

What it does#

• Repeals the previous Order in Council (P.C. 2019-390, SI/2019-23, April 26, 2019).
• Designates the Minister of Public Works and Government Services as "the Minister" for the purposes of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act.
• Notes that the designated minister is a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and is not a member of the Treasury Board.

Who's affected#

• People and groups covered by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act, such as federal public service employees and their unions, are most directly connected to who is officially "the Minister" under that law.
• Government officials and departments that deal with federal public sector labour relations will notice the change because it shifts which minister holds the formal designation.
• This is mainly an internal, administrative change; the item does not itself change rights or obligations in the Act.

Why it matters#

• The change decides which cabinet minister is the official point of responsibility under the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act. That can affect who receives reports, who is the formal contact for certain decisions, and where political accountability sits.
• For most members of the public, this is a routine administrative decision with no immediate day-to-day effect. For federal labour relations stakeholders, it clarifies which minister has the formal role under the law.