Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)

Minister of Veterans Affairs of Canada
Incumbent
Kent Hehr
since 4 November 2015
Department of Veterans Affairs
Style The Honourable
Member of
Appointer Governor General of Canada
Term length At Her Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder Ian Alistair Mackenzie
Formation 18 October 1944
Website www.vac-acc.gc.ca
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The Minister of Veterans Affairs (French: Ministre des Anciens Combattants) is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet whose position was created in 1944. The Department of Veterans Affairs Canada was split from the Department of Pensions and National Health and was given the responsibility of administering benefits and pensions for war veterans. Its first responsibility was assisting in the reintegration of demobilised soldiers into civilian life and assisting them with health care, education, employment, loans and pensions. Today the department is largely responsible for medical care and pensions for aging veterans via the Canadian Pension Commission, War Veterans Appeal Board, and Bureau of Pensions Advocates.

Ministers

Key:

No. Name Term of office Political party Ministry
1 Ian Alistair Mackenzie October 18, 1944 January 18, 1948 Liberal 16 (King)
2 Milton Gregg January 19, 1948 November 15, 1948 Liberal
November 15, 1948 August 6, 1950 17 (St. Laurent)
3 Hugues Lapointe August 7, 1950 June 20, 1957 Liberal
4 Alfred Johnson Brooks June 21, 1957 October 10, 1960 Progressive Conservative 18 (Diefenbaker)
5 Gordon Churchill October 11, 1960 February 11, 1963 Progressive Conservative
6 Marcel Lambert February 12, 1963 April 21, 1963 Progressive Conservative
7 Roger Teillet April 22, 1963 April 19, 1968 Liberal 19 (Pearson)
April 20, 1968 July 5, 1968 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
8 Jean-Eudes Dubé July 6, 1968 January 27, 1972 Liberal
9 Arthur Laing January 28, 1972 November 26, 1972 Liberal
10 Daniel J. MacDonald November 27, 1972 June 3, 1979 Liberal
11 Allan McKinnon June 4, 1979 March 2, 1980 Progressive Conservative 21 (Clark)
(10) Daniel J. MacDonald (2nd time) March 3, 1980 September 30, 1980 Liberal 22 (P. E. Trudeau)
– Gilles Lamontagne (acting) October 1, 1980 September 21, 1981 Liberal
12 W. Bennett Campbell September 22, 1981 June 29, 1984 Liberal
June 30, 1984 September 16, 1984 23 (Turner)
13 George Hees September 17, 1984 September 14, 1988 Progressive Conservative 24 (Mulroney)
14 Gerald Stairs Merrithew September 18, 1988 January 3, 1993 Progressive Conservative
15 Kim Campbell January 4, 1993 June 24, 1993 Progressive Conservative
16 Peter McCreath June 25, 1993 November 3, 1993 Progressive Conservative 25 (Campbell)
17 David Collenette November 4, 1993 October 4, 1996 Liberal 26 (Chrétien)
18 Doug Young October 5, 1996 June 10, 1997 Liberal
19 Fred Mifflin June 11, 1997 August 2, 1999 Liberal
20 George Baker August 3, 1999 October 17, 2000 Liberal
21 Ron Duhamel October 18, 2000 January 14, 2002 Liberal
22 Rey Pagtakhan January 15, 2002 December 11, 2003 Liberal
23 John McCallum December 12, 2003 July 19, 2004 Liberal 27 (Martin)
24 Albina Guarnieri July 20, 2004 February 5, 2006 Liberal
25 Greg Thompson February 6, 2006 January 16, 2010 Conservative 28 (Harper)
26 Jean-Pierre Blackburn January 19, 2010 May 18, 2011 Conservative
27 Steven Blaney May 18, 2011 July 15, 2013 Conservative
28 Julian Fantino July 15, 2013 January 5, 2015 Conservative
29 Erin O'Toole January 5, 2015 November 4, 2015 Conservative
30 Kent Hehr November 4, 2015 Incumbent Liberal 29 (J. Trudeau)

Prior to 1944, the responsibilities of the current Veterans Affairs portfolio were part of the now-defunct post of Minister of Pensions and National Health.

Military Service

Many ministers, all of whom were officers, have had prior military experience. The posting does not however require prior military service.

Name Branch Notable Units Rank Service Period
Milton Fowler Gregg Canadian Army Royal Canadian Regiment, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Brigadier World War I, World War II
Hugues Lapointe Canadian Army Régiment de la Chaudière Lieutenant Colonel World War II
Gordon Churchill Canadian Army 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment Lieutenant Colonel World War I, World War II
Marcel Lambert Canadian Army King's Own Calgary Regiment Lieutenant Colonel World War II
Roger Teillet Royal Canadian Air Force No. 35 Squadron RAF Flight Lieutenant World War II
Daniel J. MacDonald Canadian Army - The Prince Edward Island Highlanders, Cape Breton Highlanders Lieutenant Colonel World War II
Allan McKinnon Canadian Army Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Major World War II
Gilles Lamontagne Royal Canadian Air Force 425 Bomber Squadron Flight Lieutenant World War II
George Hees Canadian Army 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade Brigade major World War II
Gerald Merrithew Canadian Army Royal New Brunswick Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Militia pre-1970s
Fred Mifflin Royal Canadian Navy HMCS Saguenay, HMCS Skeena, Deputy Commander - Maritime Command Rear Admiral Cold War 1954-1987
Erin O'Toole Royal Canadian Air Force 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron Captain 1991-2000s
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