Change of Minister for Chief Electoral Officer

Summary#

The Order Amending Schedule I.1 to the Financial Administration Act (Office of the Chief Electoral Officer) changes which minister is listed as responsible for the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. The order was registered as SOR/2025-24 on February 14, 2025 and published in the Canada Gazette on February 26, 2025.

What it does#

• It removes the reference to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness from Schedule I.1 to the Financial Administration Act opposite the name of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
• It substitutes a reference to the Minister of State (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) in that same spot.

Who's affected#

• The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, whose ministerial contact listed in the Financial Administration Act has been changed.
• The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, whose name was removed from this administrative responsibility.
• The Minister of State (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, which now appear as the listed ministerial contact for the office.
• Federal officials who handle financial, administrative or reporting arrangements for the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer. For most members of the public, the change is unlikely to be directly noticeable.

Why it matters#

• This is an administrative reassignment of which minister is formally listed as associated with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in a federal financial schedule.
• Practically, it may change where routine administrative and financial liaison or correspondence is routed inside government.
• It does not, on its face, change how elections are run or voters’ rights; it is mainly a housekeeping change in government records.