Office of the Secretary of State (Canada)
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| Office of the Secretary of State (Canada) | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Office of the Secretary of State (Canada) |
| Native name | Office of the Secretary of State for Canada |
| Formed | 1993 |
| Preceding1 | Privy Council Office |
| Dissolved | 2003 |
| Superseding | Privy Council Office |
| Jurisdiction | Canada |
| Headquarters | Ottawa |
| Minister1 name | Various |
Office of the Secretary of State (Canada) was a central coordinating office in Ottawa established in the 1990s to manage a portfolio of cultural, heritage, and regional affairs within the federal framework. It operated alongside institutions such as the Privy Council Office, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and the Department of Canadian Heritage, interfacing with provincial entities like the Government of Ontario, the Government of Quebec, and municipal authorities including the City of Toronto and the City of Montreal. The office's remit touched on files linked to national bodies such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the Canadian Museum of History, and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
History
The office emerged during the premiership of Jean Chrétien amid cabinet reorganizations responding to fiscal debates that involved the 1995 Quebec referendum, negotiations with premiers like Roy Romanow and Mike Harris, and federal-provincial accords such as the Meech Lake Accord aftermath and the Charlottetown Accord consequences. Its foundation reflected priorities shaped by actors including Allan Rock and policies debated in the House of Commons of Canada. Over its decade of operation the office interacted with agencies such as Parks Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and Crown corporations like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, until structural changes during portfolios assigned under Paul Martin saw many responsibilities reabsorbed by the Privy Council Office and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Role and Responsibilities
The office coordinated policy files crossing agencies such as the Department of Canadian Heritage, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and the Department of Justice (Canada), working with ministers like Lloyd Axworthy and Herb Gray on legislation appearing before the Senate of Canada and the House of Commons of Canada. It was responsible for liaison with cultural institutions including the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Heritage Information Network, and the National Film Board of Canada, and it engaged on regional development with bodies like FedDev Ontario equivalents, interacting with leaders such as Ralph Goodale and John Manley. The office also managed symbolic and administrative duties linked to the Governor General of Canada's ceremonial functions and cooperative programs involving the Assembly of First Nations, the Métis National Council, and provincial ministries.
Organizational Structure
The Office operated as a ministerial apparatus with senior civil servants drawn from the Public Service of Canada, reporting through deputy levels comparable to the Privy Council Office hierarchy and coordinating with central agencies such as the Department of Finance (Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Staff liaised with external organizations including the Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and regional institutions like the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and provincial culture ministries including Culture of Ontario and Ministry of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women (Quebec). The office's internal units corresponded to portfolios that aligned with ministerial responsibilities mirrored in ministries led by figures such as Sheila Copps and Hélène Scherrer.
List of Secretaries of State
Secretaries of State who held responsibilities associated with this office included cabinet members appointed during the administrations of Kim Campbell, Jean Chrétien, and Paul Martin; prominent names associated with similar portfolios include Pierre Pettigrew, Jean Augustine, Suzanne Tremblay, David Kilgour, and Ralph Goodale. Appointments were debated in the House of Commons of Canada and announced from Rideau Hall by the Governor General of Canada acting on the advice of the Prime Minister of Canada.
Relations with Other Government Bodies
The Office maintained formal and informal relationships with the Privy Council Office, Department of Canadian Heritage, Parks Canada, National Research Council (Canada), and Crown corporations such as the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It coordinated intergovernmental files with provincial governments including the Government of British Columbia, Government of Alberta, and Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and engaged with municipal networks like the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Indigenous organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. The office's remit required interaction with parliamentary committees such as the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage and finance scrutiny through the Standing Committee on Finance.
Controversies and Criticism
The Office faced critique concerning duplication of functions with the Privy Council Office and the Department of Canadian Heritage, drawing scrutiny from opposition parties including the Conservative Party of Canada and the Reform Party of Canada. Debates during budget cycles in the House of Commons of Canada and media coverage by outlets such as the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, and the National Post raised questions about efficiency, accountability to the Parliament of Canada, and overlap with bodies like the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Critics compared its span to earlier institutional arrangements under leaders including Brian Mulroney and raised issues similar to discussions around the Public Service Agency of Canada and central agency reform.