Minister of Finance (Canada)

The minister of finance (French: ministre des Finances) is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet, who is responsible for overseeing the Department of Finance and presenting the federal government's budget each year. It is one of the most important positions in the Cabinet.

Minister of Finance
Ministre des Finances
Incumbent
Chrystia Freeland
since August 18, 2020[1]
Department of Finance
StyleThe Honourable
Member of[2]
Reports to[3]
AppointerMonarch (represented by the governor general)
on the advice of the prime minister
Term lengthAt His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holderAlexander Galt
FormationJuly 1, 1867
SalaryCA$269,800 (2019)[4]
Websitefin.canada.ca

Chrystia Freeland is the 40th and current finance minister, assuming the role in August 2020 following the resignation of Bill Morneau.[5] She concurrently is the deputy prime minister of Canada.

Because of the prominence and responsibility of this cabinet position, it is not uncommon for former ministers of finance to later become prime minister. Charles Tupper, R. B. Bennett, John Turner, Jean Chrétien, and Paul Martin all became prime minister after previously serving as minister of finance.

Responsibilities

In addition to being the head of the Department of Finance, the minister of finance is also the minister responsible for:

List of ministers

Key:

No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry
1 Alexander GaltJuly 1, 1867November 7, 1867Liberal-Conservative1 (Macdonald)
2 Sir John RoseNovember 18, 1867September 29, 1869Liberal-Conservative
3 Sir Francis HincksOctober 9, 1869February 21, 1873Liberal-Conservative
4 Samuel Leonard Tilley
(1st time)
February 22, 1873November 5, 1873Liberal-Conservative
5 Richard John CartwrightNovember 7, 1873October 16, 1878Liberal2 (Mackenzie)
(4) Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley
(2nd time)
October 17, 1878November 11, 1885Liberal-Conservative3 (Macdonald)
VacantNovember 11, 1885December 10, 1885
6 Archibald McLelanDecember 10, 1885January 27, 1887Conservative (historical)
7 Sir Charles TupperJanuary 27, 1887May 22, 1888Conservative (historical)
8 George Foster
(1st time)
May 29, 1888June 6, 1891Conservative (historical)
June 16, 1891November 24, 18924 (Abbott)
December 5, 1892December 12, 18945 (Thompson)
December 21, 1894January 6, 18966 (Bowell)
Mackenzie Bowell
(Acting)
January 6, 1896January 15, 1896Conservative (historical)
(8) George Foster
(2nd time)
January 15, 1896April 27, 1896Conservative (historical)
May 1, 1896July 8, 18967 (Tupper)
VacantJuly 8, 1896July 20, 18968 (Laurier)
9 William Stevens Fielding
(1st time)
July 20, 1896October 6, 1911Liberal
10 Sir Thomas WhiteOctober 10, 1911August 2, 1919Conservative (historical)910 (Borden)
11 Sir Henry Drayton
(1st time)
August 2, 1919July 10, 1920Conservative (historical)
July 10, 1920December 29, 192111 (Meighen)
(9) William Stevens Fielding
(2nd time)
December 29, 1921September 5, 1925Liberal12 (King)
12 James Robb
(1st time)
September 5, 1925June 29, 1926Liberal
Sir Henry Drayton
(2nd time; Acting)
June 29, 1926July 13, 1926Conservative (historical)13 (Meighen)
13 Richard Bedford Bennett
(1st time)
July 13, 1926September 25, 1926Conservative (historical)
(12) James Robb
(2nd time)
September 25, 1926November 11, 1929Liberal14 (King)
14 Charles Avery DunningNovember 26, 1929August 7, 1930Liberal
(13) Richard Bedford Bennett
(2nd time)
August 7, 1930February 2, 1932Conservative (historical)15 (Bennett)
15 Edgar Nelson RhodesFebruary 3, 1932October 24, 1935Conservative (historical)
(14) Charles Avery Dunning
(2nd time)
October 24, 1935September 6, 1939Liberal16 (King)
16 James RalstonSeptember 6, 1939July 4, 1940Liberal
17 James Lorimer IlsleyJuly 8, 1940December 10, 1946Liberal
18 Douglas AbbottDecember 10, 1946November 15, 1948Liberal
November 15, 1948June 30, 195417 (St. Laurent)
19 Walter HarrisJuly 1, 1954June 21, 1957Liberal
20 Donald FlemingJune 21, 1957August 9, 1962Progressive Conservative18 (Diefenbaker)
21 George NowlanAugust 9, 1962April 22, 1963Progressive Conservative
22 Walter L. GordonApril 22, 1963November 11, 1965Liberal19 (Pearson)
23 Mitchell SharpNovember 11, 1965
(Acting until Dec.18)
April 20, 1968Liberal
24 Edgar BensonApril 20, 1968January 28, 1972Liberal20 (P. E. Trudeau)
25John TurnerJanuary 28, 1972September 10, 1975Liberal
Charles Drury
(Acting)
September 10, 1975September 26, 1975Liberal
26 Donald Stovel MacdonaldSeptember 26, 1975September 16, 1977Liberal
27 Jean ChrétienSeptember 16, 1977June 4, 1979Liberal
28 John CrosbieJune 4, 1979March 3, 1980Progressive Conservative21 (Clark)
29 Allan MacEachenMarch 3, 1980September 10, 1982Liberal22 (P. E. Trudeau)
30 Marc LalondeSeptember 10, 1982June 30, 1984Liberal
June 30, 1984September 17, 198423 (Turner)
31 Michael WilsonSeptember 17, 1984April 21, 1991Progressive Conservative24 (Mulroney)
32 Don MazankowskiApril 21, 1991June 25, 1993Progressive Conservative
33 Gilles LoiselleJune 25, 1993November 4, 1993Progressive Conservative25 (Campbell)
34 Paul MartinNovember 4, 1993June 2, 2002Liberal26 (Chrétien)
35 John ManleyJune 2, 2002December 12, 2003Liberal
36 Ralph GoodaleDecember 12, 2003February 6, 2006Liberal27 (Martin)
37 Jim FlahertyFebruary 6, 2006March 18, 2014Conservative28 (Harper)
38 Joe OliverMarch 19, 2014November 4, 2015Conservative
39 Bill MorneauNovember 4, 2015August 18, 2020Liberal29 (J. Trudeau)
40 Chrystia FreelandAugust 18, 2020[1]IncumbentLiberal

References

External links