Deputy Prime Minister of Canada facts for kids

The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada (French: vice-première ministre du Canada) is a special helper to the Prime Minister. This person is also a member of the Cabinet, which is like a team of top government leaders. The Prime Minister chooses who gets this job. It doesn't have its own government department, but it's a very important role.

Deputy Prime Ministers are part of the Privy Council. This means they get the special title "The Honourable" (French: l'honorable), which they keep for life.

Right now, the position is empty. The last person to be Deputy Prime Minister was Chrystia Freeland. She held the job from November 20, 2019, until she stepped down on December 16, 2024. While she was Deputy Prime Minister, she also worked as the Minister of Finance, managing Canada's money.

Before Chrystia Freeland, the job was empty for a long time. It was vacant during all of Stephen Harper's time as Prime Minister. It was also empty during the first term of Justin Trudeau's time as Prime Minister.

It's important not to confuse the Deputy Prime Minister with the Clerk of the Privy Council. The Clerk is the most senior civil servant in the Prime Minister's department. They are a top government employee, not a politician.

History of the Deputy Prime Minister Role

The job of Deputy Prime Minister was created in 1977 by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He created it mainly to honor Allan J. MacEachen for his many years of service. Before this, Trudeau had a similar role called "senior minister." The last person to hold that title was Paul Hellyer.

Some Prime Ministers chose not to have a Deputy Prime Minister. For example, Joe Clark and Stephen Harper did not appoint anyone to this role. Justin Trudeau also did not have a Deputy Prime Minister until he appointed Chrystia Freeland in 2019.

Before Freeland, the last Deputy Prime Minister was Anne McLellan. In 2006, she was also the first Deputy Prime Minister to lose her seat in the House of Commons during an election.

Even when there wasn't a formal Deputy Prime Minister, Prime Ministers often had a plan for who would take over if they couldn't do their job. This was done through a special government order. The person at the top of this list was often seen as the "unofficial" Deputy Prime Minister. However, these lists were not about who would become the next Prime Minister permanently.

After the 2019 election, the Liberal Party won fewer seats in western Canada. To help with this, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Chrystia Freeland as Deputy Prime Minister. She was born in Alberta, which helped show that western Canada was represented in the Cabinet.

On December 16, 2024, Chrystia Freeland resigned from her roles. Prime Minister Trudeau appointed Dominic LeBlanc as the new Minister of Finance. However, he did not appoint LeBlanc as Deputy Prime Minister. This means the position is once again vacant.

What Does a Deputy Prime Minister Do?

The official duties of the Deputy Prime Minister are quite specific. They answer questions about the government's overall plans during Question Period. This is a time when members of Parliament ask questions to government ministers. The Deputy Prime Minister also chairs, or leads, the Cabinet meetings when the Prime Minister is away.

The job doesn't have its own set of laws or formal tasks. It's not like leading a specific government department. However, the Prime Minister can give the Deputy Prime Minister special tasks or projects. Most Deputy Prime Ministers have also held another important job in the Cabinet at the same time. The only exception was Herb Gray.

Sometimes, the role can be tricky. Some experts say it can be a way for the Prime Minister to keep a close eye on a powerful rival. Others describe it as a role of "soft power." This means the Deputy Prime Minister has as much power as the Prime Minister allows them to have. Their power often comes from what other jobs they hold in the Cabinet, not just from the Deputy Prime Minister title itself.

One former Deputy Prime Minister, Sheila Copps, once caused a stir when she said she was "in charge" while the Prime Minister was on vacation. She later wrote that even though the job is mostly ceremonial, it often involves protecting the Prime Minister from tough questions in Parliament.

Who Takes Over if the Prime Minister Leaves Office?

Unlike some other countries, the Deputy Prime Minister does not automatically become the new Prime Minister if the current one dies or resigns. They might temporarily act as Prime Minister to keep the government running smoothly. But they don't become the permanent new leader.

If the Prime Minister leaves office suddenly, the Governor General talks to the ruling political party. The party then chooses a new leader. The Governor General is expected to follow the party's choice. The Deputy Prime Minister could be chosen, but it's not guaranteed.

Prime Ministers usually announce well in advance when they plan to leave office. This allows their party to hold a leadership contest to choose a new leader. The outgoing Prime Minister then hands over power directly to their chosen successor. This means there is usually no need for an interim Prime Minister.

List of Deputy Prime Ministers

Key:

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

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

Acting Prime Minister Role

Before the Deputy Prime Minister job was created, Prime Ministers would name a Cabinet member to act on their behalf. This happened when the Prime Minister was away, like on a trip or vacation. This person was a caretaker. Their job was to handle the daily tasks of the government while the Prime Minister was gone. For example, in 1970, Mitchell Sharp ordered government offices in Ottawa to close for a day due to a storm.

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's hard to find a full list of everyone who served as acting Prime Minister. This is because the role was routine and not usually a big deal. However, it's worth noting that John Diefenbaker chose Ellen Fairclough to be acting Prime Minister in 1958. She was the first woman ever to be given this responsibility in Canada.

Senior Minister Role

Before the Deputy Prime Minister position, there was a similar role called "Senior Minister." This was a ceremonial position. The Senior Minister was at the top of the list for who would act on behalf of the Prime Minister when they were absent.

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)

Images for kids

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  Ellen Fairclough served as acting prime minister from February 19 to 20, 1958, in the absence of John Diefenbaker.

See also

In Spanish: Vice primer ministro de Canadá para niños

• Deputy Premier (Canada)