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Minister of Labour (Canada)

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Minister of Labour
Ministre du Travail
since July 19, 2024
Employment and Social Development Canada
StyleThe Honourable
Member of
Reports to
AppointerMonarch (represented by the governor general);[3]
on the advice of the prime minister[4]
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King
Formation2 June 1909
SalaryCA$269,800 (2019)[5]
Websitewww.canada.ca/labour
Politics of Canada
Government (structure)
The Crown
Executive
Legislative
Judicial
Elections
Local government
Foreign relations
Crown and Indigenous peoples
Related topics

The minister of Labour (French: Ministre du Travail) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the labour portfolio of Employment and Social Development Canada. From 2015 to 2019, the portfolio was included in that of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, but was split in 2019 during the government of Justin Trudeau. The office has been held by Steven MacKinnon since 2024, who is also the Minister of Seniors.

History

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The Department of Labour was created in 1900 through the efforts of the then postmaster general, William Mulock, who already held the responsibility for labour affairs, and William Lyon Mackenzie King becoming, respectively, the first minister and deputy minister of the new department.[6][7] Until June, 1909, the postmaster general acted as minister of labour.[8][9]

The Ministry of Labour oversaw a variety of issues, including union riots against immigration in 1907,[10] post-war promotion of the federal Labour-Management Cooperation Service,[11] and legislation surrounding the formation of unions.[12]

In 1996, the Department of Labour was abolished, but the ministerial position continued within Human Resources Development Canada from 1996 to 2003 and Human Resources and Social Development Canada from 2003 to date.[13]

From 1993 to 1996, the Department of Labour was amalgamated with the Department of Employment and Immigration to create Human Resources Development Canada. Although the intent was to replace two Cabinet posts with a single minister of human resources development, the desire to appoint "star candidate" Lucienne Robillard's to Cabinet in 1995 gave the position a reprieve from amalgamation—Robillard was given the title and positioned as a second minister inside HRDC, responsible for the Labour Program.

A December, 2003, reorganization had seen HRDC dismantled and labour responsibilities passing to a successor department, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, again with two ministers: a minister of labour and a minister of human resources and skills development. The name change to Labour and Housing occurred seven months later. The Ministry of HRDC was reconstituted in February, 2006, as Human Resources and Social Development Canada, but still with two ministers.

In 2004, the portfolio was renamed from Labour to Labour and Housing.

From 2004 to 2006, the position was styled the minister of labour and housing (French: ministre du travail et du logement), a name change corresponding with responsibility for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation being transferred to the portfolio at that time. Minister of labour remains the title for legal purposes.[14]

In 2015, the Labour portfolio was merged into the expanded ministry of Employment, Workforce, and Labour, gaining some responsibilities previously held by the minister of employment and social development.[15]

In 2019, following the 2019 Canadian federal election, the portfolio was split between the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, with Filomena Tassi being appointed the new minister of Labour on November 20.[16]

List of ministers

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Key:

  Liberal Party of Canada
  Historical conservative parties: Liberal-Conservative, Conservative (historical), Unionist, National Liberal and Conservative, Progressive Conservative
  Conservative Party of Canada
No. Portrait Name Term of office Political party Ministry
Minister of Labour
For ministers responsible for labour issues before 1909, see Postmaster General of Canada.
1 William Lyon Mackenzie King June 2, 1909 October 6, 1911 Liberal 8 (Laurier)
2 Thomas Wilson Crothers October 10, 1911 October 12, 1917 Conservative (historical) 9 (Borden)
October 12, 1917 November 6, 1918 Unionist 10 (Borden)
3 Gideon Robertson
1st time 		November 8, 1918 July 10, 1920 Unionist
July 10, 1920 December 29, 1921 National Liberal and Conservative 11 (Meighen)
4 James Murdock December 29, 1921 November 13, 1925 Liberal 12 (King)
* James Horace King
Acting 		November 13, 1925 March 8, 1926 Liberal
5 John Campbell Elliott March 8, 1926 June 29, 1926 Liberal
* Robert James Manion
Acting 		June 29, 1926 July 13, 1926 Conservative (historical) 13 (Meighen)
6 George Burpee Jones July 13, 1926 September 25, 1926 Conservative (historical)
7 Peter Heenan September 25, 1926 August 7, 1930 Liberal 14 (King)
(3) Gideon Robertson
2nd time[17] 		August 7, 1930 February 3, 1932 Conservative (historical) 15 (Bennett)
8 Wesley Ashton Gordon February 3, 1932 October 23, 1935 Conservative (historical)
9 Norman McLeod Rogers October 23, 1935 September 18, 1939 Liberal 16 (King)
10 Norman Alexander McLarty September 18, 1939 December 14, 1941 Liberal
11 Humphrey Mitchell December 14, 1941 November 15, 1948 Liberal
November 15, 1948 August 2, 1950 17 (St. Laurent)
* Paul Martin Sr.
Acting 		August 2, 1950 August 6, 1950 Liberal
12 Milton Fowler Gregg August 6, 1950 June 21, 1957 Liberal
13 Michael Starr June 21, 1957 April 22, 1963 Progressive Conservative 18 (Diefenbaker)
14 Allan MacEachen April 22, 1963 December 18, 1965 Liberal 19 (Pearson)
15 John Robert Nicholson December 18, 1965 April 20, 1968 Liberal
16 Jean-Luc Pépin April 20, 1968 July 6, 1968 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
17 Bryce Mackasey July 6, 1968 January 28, 1972 Liberal
18 Martin O'Connell January 28, 1972 November 27, 1972 Liberal
19 John Munro November 27, 1972 September 8, 1978 Liberal
* André Ouellet
Acting 		September 8, 1978 November 24, 1978 Liberal
(18) Martin O'Connell
2nd time 		November 24, 1978 June 4, 1979 Liberal
20 Lincoln Alexander June 4, 1979 March 3, 1980 Progressive Conservative 21 (Clark)
21 Gerald Regan March 3, 1980 September 22, 1981 Liberal 22 (P. E. Trudeau)
22 Charles Caccia September 22, 1981 August 12, 1983 Liberal
23 André Ouellet August 12, 1983 June 30, 1984 Liberal
June 30, 1984 September 17, 1984 23 (Turner)
24 Bill McKnight September 17, 1984 June 30, 1986 Progressive Conservative 24 (Mulroney)
25 Pierre Cadieux June 30, 1986 January 30, 1989 Progressive Conservative
26 Jean Corbeil January 30, 1989 April 21, 1991 Progressive Conservative
27 Marcel Danis April 21, 1991 June 25, 1993 Progressive Conservative
28 Bernard Valcourt June 25, 1993 November 4, 1993 Progressive Conservative 25 (Campbell)
29 Lloyd Axworthy November 4, 1993 February 22, 1995 Liberal 26 (Chrétien)
30 Lucienne Robillard February 22, 1995 January 25, 1996 Liberal
31 Alfonso Gagliano January 25, 1996 June 11, 1997 Liberal
32 Lawrence MacAulay June 11, 1997 November 23, 1998 Liberal
33 Claudette Bradshaw November 23, 1998 December 12, 2003 Liberal
December 12, 2003 July 20, 2004 27 (Martin)
Minister of Labour and Housing
34 Joe Fontana[18] July 20, 2004 February 6, 2006 Liberal
Minister of Labour
35 Jean-Pierre Blackburn February 6, 2006 October 30, 2008 Conservative 28 (Harper)
36 Rona Ambrose October 30, 2008 January 19, 2010 Conservative
37 Lisa Raitt January 19, 2010 July 15, 2013 Conservative
38 Kellie Leitch July 15, 2013 November 4, 2015 Conservative
Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour
39 MaryAnn Mihychuk November 4, 2015 January 10, 2017 Liberal 29 (J. Trudeau)
40 Patty Hajdu[19] January 10, 2017 November 20, 2019 Liberal
Minister of Labour
41 Filomena Tassi November 20, 2019 October 26, 2021 Liberal 29 (J. Trudeau)
42 Seamus O'Regan October 26, 2021 July 19, 2024 Liberal
43 Steven MacKinnon July 19, 2024 Liberal

References

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  1. ^ "The Canadian Parliamentary system - Our Procedure - House of Commons". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  2. ^ "Review of the Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Ministers and Senior Officials" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  4. ^ "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
  5. ^ "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". Library of Parliament. April 11, 2018. Archived from the original on June 1, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
  6. ^ "Mulock, Sir William". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. Hurtig Publishers. 1988. p. 1401.
  7. ^ Loudon, William James (1932). Sir William Mulock: A Short Biography. Toronto: Macmillan. pp. 106–134.
  8. ^ "Canada. Department of Labour". Trent University Archives. Retrieved 24 December 2010.
  9. ^ Frances Stanford (2004). Prime Ministers of Canada Gr. 4-8. On The Mark Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-77072-750-2.
  10. ^ Julie F Gilmour (22 April 2014). The History of Canada Series: Trouble on Main Street: Mackenzie King Reason Race And The 1907 Vancouver Riots. Penguin Canada. p. 34. ISBN 978-0-14-319191-9.
  11. ^ Frank A. Kunz (15 December 1965). The Modern Senate of Canada 1925-1963. University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-1-4875-9107-6.
  12. ^ "How “Anti-Union” Laws Saved Canadian Labour". Érudit, Volume 57, Number 1, winter 2002, pp. 3-221
  13. ^ "What’s in a name? A look at cabinet changes since Confederation". Hill Times, By Laura Ryckewaert Jun. 28, 2017
  14. ^ "Harper defends Air Canada labour dispute intervention". CTV News, March 9, 2012
  15. ^ "Here are all 30 cabinet ministers at a glance".The Ottawa Citizen , November 11, 2015
  16. ^ "Vancouver-area MPs Jonathan Wilkinson, Carla Qualtrough, Harjit Sajjan, and Joyce Murray back in Trudeau cabinet". The Georgia Straight. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
  17. ^ Frank A. Kunz (15 December 1965). The Modern Senate of Canada 1925-1963. University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-1-4875-9107-6.
  18. ^ Philip Slayton (19 May 2015). Mayors Gone Bad. Penguin Canada. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-14-319451-4.
  19. ^ "Justin Trudeau adds fresh faces in cabinet shuffle". Maclean's, Joan Bryden, Jan 10, 2017
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