Deputy Prime Minister of Canada facts for kids

The deputy prime minister of Canada (French: vice-première ministre du Canada) is an important member of the Canadian Cabinet. This role is chosen by the prime minister. The person in this job does not have their own government department to run. Deputy prime ministers are part of the Privy Council and are called "the Honourable" for life.

The position is currently empty. Chrystia Freeland was the tenth and most recent deputy prime minister of Canada. She held the role from November 20, 2019, until she resigned on December 16, 2024. While she was deputy prime minister, she also served as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and later as Minister of Finance.

The deputy prime minister position was empty during the time Stephen Harper was prime minister. It was also empty during the first part of Justin Trudeau's time as prime minister. The role is currently vacant under the Mark Carney premiership. It is important not to confuse the deputy prime minister with the Clerk of the Privy Council. The Clerk is the top civil servant in the prime minister's department, the Privy Council Office.

History of the Deputy Prime Minister Role

The role of deputy prime minister was created in 1977 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He created it mainly to recognize the long service of Allan MacEachen. Before this, Trudeau had given a similar title, "senior minister," to a cabinet member. Paul Hellyer was the last person to hold that "senior minister" title.

Some prime ministers have chosen not to have a deputy prime minister. For example, Joe Clark's government did not have one. Prime Minister Stephen Harper also did not name a deputy prime minister. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau did not appoint one until Chrystia Freeland took the role in November 2019. Before Freeland, Anne McLellan was the last deputy prime minister. In 2006, she was also the first deputy prime minister to lose her seat in the House of Commons in an election.

Acting for the Prime Minister

Even without a formal deputy prime minister, prime ministers have always had a plan for who would act in their place. For example, on February 6, 2006, when Stephen Harper became prime minister, he issued an official order. This order said that if the prime minister could not do his job, Lawrence Cannon would act for him, then Jim Prentice, and then other cabinet members in a specific order. This was a way to make sure the government could keep working smoothly.

Media experts often called the person at the top of these lists the "de facto" (meaning "in fact") deputy prime minister, even if they didn't have the official title. These lists are not about who would become the next prime minister if the current one died or resigned suddenly. That process is different.

When Justin Trudeau first became prime minister, he did not name a deputy prime minister. Ralph Goodale was the deputy leader of the Liberal Party. He was also ranked first in the cabinet's "order of precedence." This meant he was the first in line to take over the prime minister's duties if Trudeau was unable to. However, some media focused on Dominic Leblanc as the "de facto deputy prime minister." This was because Leblanc served on many important cabinet committees.

After the 2019 federal election, the Liberals won a minority government. They did not win many seats in the western provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. Ralph Goodale lost his seat in Saskatchewan. Dominic Leblanc was reelected in New Brunswick but was recovering from cancer treatment. To address concerns about western Canada not being represented enough in the cabinet, Justin Trudeau appointed Chrystia Freeland as deputy prime minister on November 20, 2019. Freeland was born in Peace River, Alberta, and grew up there, even though she represents a Toronto area in Parliament.

On December 16, 2024, Chrystia Freeland resigned from her roles as finance minister and deputy prime minister. Dominic LeBlanc became the new finance minister, but Prime Minister Trudeau did not appoint him as deputy prime minister. So, the position became vacant again.

What Does the Deputy Prime Minister Do?

The official duties of the deputy prime minister are to answer questions about the government's overall plans during Question Period in Parliament. They also lead the Cabinet meetings when the prime minister is away. The role does not have specific legal duties or a department to manage. However, the prime minister can give the deputy prime minister special tasks.

Most deputy prime ministers have also held another important government job at the same time. The only exception was Herb Gray.

Some people in politics believe the role can be tricky. It might be a way for the prime minister to keep a close eye on a potential rival. Political experts Eugene Lang and Greg Schmidt have described the role as having "soft power." This means the deputy prime minister's influence depends on how much power the prime minister allows them to have. Their power is often shown more by what other jobs they hold, rather than just the deputy prime minister title itself.

One deputy prime minister, Sheila Copps, caused a stir in 1993. She said she was "in charge" of government business while the prime minister, Jean Chrétien, was on a short holiday. Later, she wrote that even though the deputy prime minister's job is mostly ceremonial, it often involves protecting the prime minister from tough questions during Question Period.

Who Becomes Prime Minister if the Current One Leaves?

Unlike some countries where a vice president automatically becomes president, the deputy prime minister in Canada does not automatically become prime minister if the current prime minister dies or resigns. The deputy prime minister might act as a temporary leader to keep the government running smoothly. However, they do not automatically become the new permanent prime minister.

Instead, if the prime minister leaves office suddenly, the governor general talks to the ruling political party. The governor general then asks a member of that party to become the new prime minister. The party is free to choose anyone they want as their new leader. The governor general is expected to follow the party's choice.

It has been many decades since a prime minister died in office or resigned suddenly (unless their party lost an election). This was long before the deputy prime minister role was created.

Usually, if a prime minister plans to leave office, they announce it well in advance. Political parties then hold leadership contests to choose a new leader. This process is usually long and competitive. In almost all cases, the outgoing prime minister hands over power directly to their chosen successor. There is usually no temporary prime minister in between.

Legally, any temporary prime minister appointed by the governor general would have all the full powers of a regular prime minister.

List of Deputy Prime Ministers

Key:

     Liberal Party      Historical conservative parties: Liberal-Conservative, Conservative (historical), Unionist, National Liberal and Conservative, Progressive Conservative      Conservative Party

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral district (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Other portfolios	Party		Prime minister Party (Ministry)
			Term start	Term end
1		Allan MacEachen MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso (1921–2017)	September 16, 1977	June 4, 1979	President of the Privy Council		Liberal	Pierre Trudeau Liberal (20th)
Position did not exist June 4, 1979 – March 3, 1980								Joe Clark Progressive Conservative (21st)
(1)		Allan MacEachen MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso (1921–2017)	March 3, 1980	June 30, 1984	Minister of Finance (until 1982) Secretary of State for External Affairs (from 1982)		Liberal	Pierre Trudeau Liberal (22nd)
2		Jean Chrétien MP for Saint-Maurice (born 1934)	June 30, 1984	September 17, 1984	Secretary of State for External Affairs		Liberal	John Turner Liberal (23rd)
3		Erik Nielsen MP for Yukon (1924–2008)	September 17, 1984	June 30, 1986	President of the Privy Council (until 1985) Minister of National Defence (from 1985)		Progressive Conservative	Brian Mulroney Progressive Conservative (24th)
4		Don Mazankowski MP for Vegreville (1935–2020)	June 30, 1986	June 25, 1993	President of the Privy Council (until 1991) Government House Leader (until 1989) President of the Treasury Board (1987–1988) Minister of Agriculture (1988–1991) Minister of Finance (from 1991)		Progressive Conservative
5		Jean Charest MP for Sherbrooke (born 1958)	June 25, 1993	November 4, 1993	Minister of Industry		Progressive Conservative	Kim Campbell Progressive Conservative (25th)
6		Sheila Copps MP for Hamilton East (born 1952)	November 4, 1993	April 30, 1996	Minister of the Environment (until 1996) Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship (from 1996)		Liberal	Jean Chrétien Liberal (26th)
Vacant April 30, 1996 – June 19, 1996
(6)		Sheila Copps MP for Hamilton East (born 1952)	June 19, 1996	June 11, 1997	Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship (until 1996) Minister of Canadian Heritage (from 1996)		Liberal
7		Herb Gray MP for Windsor West (1931–2014)	June 11, 1997	January 15, 2002	–		Liberal
8		John Manley MP for Ottawa South (born 1950)	January 15, 2002	December 12, 2003	Minister of Finance (from 2002)		Liberal
9		Anne McLellan MP for Edmonton West (until 2004) MP for Edmonton Centre (from 2004) (born 1950)	December 12, 2003	February 6, 2006	Solicitor General of Canada (until 2005) Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (from 2005)		Liberal	Paul Martin Liberal (27th)
Vacant February 6, 2006 – November 20, 2019								Stephen Harper Conservative (28th)
								Justin Trudeau Liberal (29th)
10		Chrystia Freeland MP for University—Rosedale (born 1968)	November 20, 2019	December 16, 2024	Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (until 2020) Minister of Finance (from 2020)		Liberal
Vacant December 16, 2024 – present
								Mark Carney Liberal (30th)

Acting Prime Minister Role

Ellen Fairclough served as acting prime minister from February 19 to 20, 1958. She filled in when John Diefenbaker was away.

Before the deputy prime minister position was created, the prime minister would often name a cabinet member to act on their behalf. This happened when the prime minister was away, perhaps on a trip or vacation. This person was a temporary caretaker. Their job was to handle the daily tasks of the government and cabinet while the prime minister was gone. For example, in 1970, Mitchell Sharp was acting prime minister. He ordered government offices in Ottawa to close for a day because a big storm was coming.

An acting prime minister did not have the power to make big new laws or political decisions on their own. They were not considered to have actually served as prime minister. Also, they were not given the special title "The Right Honourable" just for being acting prime minister.

It is hard to find a full list of everyone who has ever been named acting prime minister. This is because the role was usually routine and not a major event. However, it is important to know that John Diefenbaker chose Ellen Fairclough as acting prime minister on February 19 and 20, 1958. She was the first woman ever to be given this role in Canada.

Senior Minister Role

Before the deputy prime minister position, there was a similar ceremonial role called "Senior Minister." This person was at the top of the order of importance in the cabinet. If the prime minister was absent, the senior minister would act on their behalf.

Portrait	Name Electoral district (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Other portfolios	Party		Prime minister Party (Ministry)
		Term start	Term end
	Paul Hellyer MP for Trinity (1923–2021)	April 30, 1968	April 23, 1969	Minister of Transport		Liberal	Pierre Trudeau Liberal (20th)

See also

In Spanish: Vice primer ministro de Canadá para niños

• Deputy Premier (Canada)