Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
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In the Cabinet of Canada, the Minister of Foreign Affairs (French: Ministre des Affaires étrangères) is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations department, Foreign Affairs Canada.
[edit] History
From 1909 to 1993 the position was known as the Secretary of State for External Affairs. The current minister is The Honourable Peter MacKay. Ministers holding the External Affairs and Foreign Affairs portfolios have sometimes played prominent international roles:
- Lester B. Pearson (a future Prime Minister) defused the Suez Crisis and established the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces;
- Joe Clark (a former Prime Minister) led opposition to South Africa's Apartheid system in the Commonwealth of Nations, against initial resistance from the British government of Margaret Thatcher and from the current United States government.
- Lloyd Axworthy brought about the Ottawa Treaty, banning anti-personal landmines in most countries of the world. However many critics point out that the countries who were ratifying the treaty were not typically ones who had anit-personal land mines in the first place.
As in Pearson's case (and that of Louis St. Laurent, his predecessor), the portfolio can be a final stepping stone to the Prime Minister's Office. Until 1946, it was customary for the office to be held by the sitting Prime Minster. John Diefenbaker would hold the portfolio on two subsequent occasions.
[edit] See also
- List of Canadian Ministers of Foreign Affairs
- List of Canadian Secretaries of State for External Affairs
