| Minister of Labour | |
|---|---|
| Ministry | |
| Federal | |
| Incumbent Lisa Raitt PC, MP since 19 January 2010 |
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| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointed by | Michaëlle Jean as Governor General of Canada |
| First | William Lyon Mackenzie King |
| Formation | 2 June 1909 |
| Term length | At Her Majesty's pleasure |
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| Website | www.hrsdc.gc.ca |
| Canada |
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Canadian federalism Executive Councils General
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The Minister of Labour (French: Ministre du Travail) is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for setting national labour standards and federal labour dispute mechanisms. Most of the responsibility for labour belongs with the provinces, however the federal government is responsible for labour issues in industries under its jurisdiction.
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.
The Department of Labour was created in 1900. Previously, the responsibility for labour affairs was handled by the Postmaster General.
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 received a reprieve from amalgamation—Robillard was given the title and positioned as a second minister inside HRDC, responsible for the "Labour Program."
A Dec. 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.
The Minister of Labour and Housing is responsible for HRSDC's "Labour Program" and thus is responsible for the Canada Labour Code, the Employment Equity Act, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service as well as the implementation of health and safety legislation. Other Acts the Minister retains responsibility for include the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act, Government Employees Compensation Act and Merchant Seamen Compensation Act. The Minister is also responsible for the Strategic Policy and International Labour Affairs (SPILA) Directorate which focuses on workplace trends and changes, including work-life balanceand the reformation of employment relationships and the Workplace Information Directorate (WID) which provides information on workplace conditions, trends and innovative practices through direct personal services, electronic means, and various publications, including the Workplace Gazette and the Wage Settlements Bulletin.
| 1. | William Mulock | Cabinet of Laurier | 1900 – May 19, 1905 |
| 2. | Allen Bristol Aylesworth | Cabinet of Laurier | October 16, 1905 – June 1906 |
| 3. | Rodolphe Lemieux | Cabinet of Laurier | June 4, 1906 – May 18, 1909 |
| 4. | William Lyon Mackenzie King | Cabinet of Laurier | June 2, 1909 – October 6, 1911 |
| 5. | Thomas Wilson Crothers | Cabinet of Borden | October 10, 1911 – November 6, 1918 |
| 6. | Gideon Decker Robertson | Cabinet of Borden | November 8, 1918 – July 10, 1920 |
| Cabinet of Meighen | July 10, 1920 – December 29, 1921 | ||
| 7. | James Murdock | Cabinet of King | December 29, 1921 – November 12, 1925 |
| * | James Horace King (Acting) | Cabinet of King | November 13, 1925 – March 7, 1926 |
| 8. | John Campbell Elliott | Cabinet of King | March 8, 1926 – June 28, 1926 |
| * | Robert James Manion (Acting) | Cabinet of Meighen | June 29, 1926 – July 12, 1926 |
| 9. | George Burpee Jones | Cabinet of Meighen | July 13, 1926 – September 25, 1926 |
| 10. | Peter Heenan | Cabinet of King | September 25, 1926 – August 7, 1930 |
| Gideon Decker Robertson (2nd time) | Cabinet of Bennett | August 7, 1930 – February 2, 1932 | |
| 11. | Wesley Ashton Gordon | Cabinet of Bennett | February 3, 1932 – October 23, 1935 |
| 12. | Norman McLeod Rogers | Cabinet of King | October 24, 1935 – September 18, 1939 |
| 13. | Norman Alexander McLarty | Cabinet of King | September 19, 1939 – December 14, 1941 |
| 14. | Humphrey Mitchell | Cabinet of King | December 15, 1941 – November 15, 1948 |
| under St-Laurent | November 15, 1948 – August 2, 1950 | ||
| * | Paul Joseph James Martin (Acting) | Cabinet of St-Laurent | August 3, 1950 – August 6, 1950 |
| 15. | Milton Fowler Gregg | Cabinet of St-Laurent | August 7, 1950 – June 21, 1957 |
| 16. | Michael Starr | Cabinet of Diefenbaker | June 21, 1957 – April 21, 1963 |
| 17. | Allan MacEachen | Cabinet of Pearson | April 22, 1963 – December 17, 1965 |
| 18. | John Robert Nicholson | Cabinet of Pearson | December 18, 1965 – April 20, 1968 |
| 19. | Jean-Luc Pépin | Cabinet of Trudeau | April 20, 1968 – July 5, 1968 |
| 20. | Bryce Stuart Mackasey | Cabinet of Trudeau | July 6, 1968 – January 27, 1972 |
| 21. | Martin Patrick O'Connell | Cabinet of Trudeau | January 28, 1972 – November 26, 1972 |
| 22. | John Carr Munro | Cabinet of Trudeau | November 27, 1972 – September 7, 1978 |
| * | André Ouellet (Acting) | Cabinet of Trudeau | September 8, 1978 – November 23, 1978 |
| Martin Patrick O'Connell (2nd time) | Cabinet of Trudeau | November 24, 1978 – June 3, 1979 | |
| 23. | Lincoln Alexander | Cabinet of Clark | June 4, 1979 – March 2, 1980 |
| 24. | Gerald Regan | Cabinet of Trudeau | March 3, 1980 – September 21, 1981 |
| 25. | Charles Caccia | Cabinet of Trudeau | September 22, 1981 – August 11, 1983 |
| 26. | André Ouellet | Cabinet of Trudeau | August 12, 1983 – June 29, 1984 |
| Cabinet of Turner | June 30, 1984 – September 16, 1984 | ||
| 27. | William Hunter McKnight | Cabinet of Mulroney | September 17, 1984 – June 29, 1986 |
| 28. | Pierre H. Cadieux | Cabinet of Mulroney | June 30, 1986 – January 29, 1989 |
| 29. | Jean Corbeil | Cabinet of Mulroney | January 30, 1989 – April 20, 1991 |
| 30. | Marcel Danis | Cabinet of Mulroney | April 21, 1991 – June 24, 1993 |
| 31. | Bernard Valcourt | Cabinet of Campbell | June 25, 1993 – November 3, 1993 |
| 32. | Lloyd Axworthy | Cabinet of Chrétien | November 4, 1993 – February 21, 1995 |
| 33. | Lucienne Robillard | Cabinet of Chrétien | February 22, 1995 – January 24, 1996 |
| 34. | Alfonso Gagliano | Cabinet of Chrétien | January 25, 1996 – June 10, 1997 |
| 35. | Lawrence MacAulay | Cabinet of Chrétien | June 11, 1997 – November 22, 1998 |
| 36. | Claudette Bradshaw | Cabinet of Chrétien | November 23, 1998 – December 11, 2003 |
| Cabinet of Martin | December 12, 2003 – July 19, 2004 | ||
| 37. | Joe Fontana (styled as Minister of Labour and Housing) | Cabinet of Martin | July 20, 2004 – February 5, 2006 |
| 38. | Jean-Pierre Blackburn | Cabinet of Harper | February 6, 2006 -October 29, 2008 |
| 39. | Rona Ambrose | Cabinet of Harper | October 30, 2008 - January 19, 2010 |
| 40. | Lisa Raitt | Cabinet of Harper | January 19, 2010 - present |
The Department of Labour was created in 1900 through the efforts of Postmaster General William Mulock and William Lyon Mackenzie King, becoming, respectively, the first Minister and Deputy Minister.[2][3] Until June 1909, the Postmaster General acted as Minister of Labour.[4] 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.
In 2004 the portfolio was renamed from “Labour” to “Labour and Housing”.