Federal Economic Development Agency Minister Reassigned

Summary#

This is the Order Amending Schedule I.1 of that Act: SOR/2021-221, which changes who is listed as the responsible minister for a federal agency under the Financial Administration Act. It replaces the reference to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages with the Minister of Indigenous Services opposite the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario. The order was registered on October 27, 2021 and published in the Canada Gazette on November 10, 2021.

What it does#

• Amends Schedule I.1 of the Financial Administration Act.
• Strikes out the reference to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages in the schedule opposite the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario.
• Substitutes a reference to the Minister of Indigenous Services in that same spot.

Who's affected#

• Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (the agency named in the change).
• The offices of the Minister of Indigenous Services and the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, because the formal ministerial association for the agency moves from one to the other.
• Staff, partners and stakeholders who deal with the agency in Northern Ontario — businesses, communities and organizations — could notice changes in who their primary federal contact is for ministerial or administrative matters.

Why it matters#

• Schedule I.1 lists which minister is formally tied to an agency for purposes of government financial and administrative rules. Moving the listing shifts which minister is officially associated with the agency.
• That can affect who answers questions in Parliament about the agency, who is the main ministerial contact for oversight and coordination, and who may be responsible for certain formal approvals. The order itself is an administrative reassignment; it does not create or cancel programs.