Transfer of Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act

Summary#

This order moves responsibility for the law called the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act from the Minister of Health to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health. It was made by Order in Council P.C. 2021-938 on October 26, 2021 and appeared in the Canada Gazette on November 10, 2021 (Registration SI/2021-83).

What it does#

• Transfers the powers, duties and functions under the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act from the Minister of Health to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health.
• Records that change as an administrative move under the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act.

Who's affected#

• The two ministerial offices named: the Minister of Health and the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health.
• The organization governed by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse Act (the Act itself is what is being re-assigned).
• People and groups who deal directly with that organization or with the federal minister responsible for it (for example, service providers, researchers, provinces, or advocacy groups) may notice where decisions or inquiries are routed. The Gazette notice does not list specific outside groups.

Why it matters#

• It changes which cabinet minister is formally responsible for the law and the federal body created under that law.
• In practice, this can affect who leads policy, who signs decisions, and which minister is the public contact on matters covered by the Act.
• The notice is an administrative reassign­ment; the Gazette entry does not say that programs, funding, or services change as a result.