Change of Minister for Intergovernmental Secretariat

Summary#

This is an administrative order under the Financial Administration Act that changes which minister is listed as responsible for the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat in Schedule I.1. The order was issued as P.C. September 4, 2020 and registered in the Canada Gazette on October 14, 2020.

What it does#

• Removes the reference to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs in column II opposite the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat in Schedule I.1.
• Replaces that reference with a reference to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.

Who's affected#

• The main organization named is the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat.
• The two ministerial titles involved are the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.
• Other federal departments, parliamentarians, and members of the public who contact or look to the Secretariat for ministerial responsibility may notice where questions or correspondence are directed.
• It is not clear from the notice whether this change affects staff, funding, or day-to-day operations of the Secretariat.

Why it matters#

• The change shifts which minister is formally listed as responsible for the Secretariat. That affects who answers to Parliament and the public about the Secretariat’s work.
• For most people this is a technical housekeeping move inside government. But it can matter for where to send official inquiries, how ministerial accountability is recorded, and which minister appears in related documents or statements.