Section 7 Emergency Powers Reassigned

Summary#

This is the Order Transferring from the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to the Minister of State (Emergency Preparedness) the Powers, Duties and Functions of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness under Section 7 of the Emergency Management Act: SI/2024-58. It moves the federal powers listed in section 7 of the Emergency Management Act from the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to the Minister of State (Emergency Preparedness). The order was made under the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act, with P.C. dated November 8, 2024, and registered in the Canada Gazette on November 20, 2024.

What it does#

• Transfers the powers, duties and functions described in section 7 of the Emergency Management Act from one ministerial office to another.
• Does this under the authority of the Public Service Rearrangement and Transfer of Duties Act, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and approved by the Governor General in Council.
• The notice records the administrative reassignment; it does not itself rewrite the text of the Emergency Management Act (it changes who exercises those powers, not the statute’s words).

Who's affected#

• The most directly affected are the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and the Minister of State (Emergency Preparedness) and the staff who support them.
• Federal officials and teams who carry out emergency-preparedness functions will see an internal change in who they report to or who is authorized to act under section 7.
• It is unclear from the notice whether this transfer will change services experienced by the general public; the order mainly reallocates responsibility within government.

Why it matters#

• It changes which federal minister is legally responsible for the specific emergency-preparedness powers in section 7 of the Emergency Management Act.
• In practical terms, that can affect who speaks for the federal government, who makes certain decisions in an emergency, and how coordination is organised across departments.
• For most people, this is an internal government administrative change. Its public impact depends on how the reassigned responsibilities are exercised in future emergencies.