The leader of the Government in the House of Commons (), often simplified to Government House Leader, is the member of Parliament (MP) from the government caucus who is responsible for planning and managing the government's legislative program in the House of Commons. The position is often held concurrently with another portfolio by a Cabinet minister. Despite the name of the position, it does not refer to the prime minister, who is the head of government.
History From 1867 until World War II, prime ministers took upon themselves the responsibilities of being leader of the government in the House of Commons, organizing and coordinating House of Commons business with the other parties. The expansion of government responsibilities during the war led to Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King deciding to delegate the House leadership to one of his ministers. In 1946, the position of government house leader was formally recognized.
In 1968, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau designated the government house leader as president of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Under Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, the roles of government house leader and president of the Privy Council were separated in 1989. Under Mulroney and his successors, the position of house leader would often be held by someone who was named a minister of state without any portfolio responsibilities specified. Since 2003, this minister of state status has been obscured in all but the most official circumstances by the use of a "Leader of the Government in the House of Commons" style in its place.
Prime Minister Paul Martin's first House Leader, Jacques Saada was also the minister responsible for democratic reform; however, with the election of a minority government in the 2004 election, Martin appointed Tony Valeri to the position of leader of the government in the House of Commons with no additional responsibilities.
List of officeholders Until 2005, the position of government house leader was not technically a cabinet-level post, but rather a parliamentary office, so to qualify for cabinet membership, an individual had to be named to cabinet in some other capacity. For a time, with the position having evolved into a full-time job, government house leaders have been named to cabinet as ministers of state with no portfolio specified. The Martin government created these positions so that the minister of state title is effectively invisible. An amendment to the Salaries Act made this unnecessary by listing the government house leader as a minister.
Key:
Portrait NameElectoral district(Birth–Death) Term of officePartyPrime minister(Ministry)Term startTerm endIan Alistair MackenzieMP for Vancouver Centre(1890–1949)October 14,1944April 30,1948LiberalWilliam Lyon Mackenzie King(16th)Alphonse FournierMP for Hull(1893–1961)May 1,1948May 8,1953LiberalLouis St. Laurent(17th)Walter Edward HarrisMP for Grey—Bruce(1904–1999)May 9,1953April 12,1957LiberalHoward Charles GreenMP for Vancouver Quadra(1895–1989)October 14,1957July 18,1959Progressive ConservativeJohn Diefenbaker(18th)Gordon ChurchillMP for Winnipeg South Centre(1898–1985)January 14,1960February 5,1963Progressive ConservativeJack PickersgillMP for Bonavista—Twillingate(1905–1997)May 16,1963December 21,1963LiberalLester B. Pearson(19th)Guy FavreauMP for Papineau(1917–1967)February 18,1964October 29,1964LiberalGeorge McIlraithMP for Ottawa West(1908–1992)October 30,1964May 3,1967LiberalAllan MacEachenMP for Inverness—Richmond(1921–2017)May 4,1967April 23,1968LiberalDonald Stovel MacdonaldMP for Rosedale(1932–2018)September 12,1968September 23,1970LiberalPierre Trudeau(20th)Allan MacEachenMP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso(1921–2017)September 24,1970May 9,1974LiberalMitchell SharpMP for Eglinton(1911–2004)August 8,1974September 13,1976LiberalAllan MacEachenMP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso(1921–2017)September 14,1976March 26,1979LiberalWalter BakerMP for Nepean—Carleton(1930–1983)June 4,1979March 2,1980Progressive ConservativeJoe Clark(21st)Yvon PinardMP for Drummond(born 1940)March 3,1980June 29,1984LiberalPierre Trudeau(22nd)André OuelletMP for Papineau(born 1939)June 30,1984November 4,1984LiberalJohn Turner(23rd)Ray HnatyshynMP for Saskatoon West(1934–2002)November 5,1984June 29,1986Progressive ConservativeBrian Mulroney(24th)Don MazankowskiMP for Vegreville(1935–2020)June 30,1986April 2,1989Progressive ConservativeDoug LewisMP for Simcoe North(born 1938)April 3,1989February 22,1990Progressive ConservativeHarvie AndreMP for Calgary Centre(1940–2012)February 23,1990June 24,1993Progressive ConservativeDoug LewisMP for Simcoe North(born 1938)June 25,1993November 3,1993Progressive ConservativeKim Campbell(25th)Herb GrayMP for Windsor West(1931–2014)November 4,1993April 27,1997LiberalJean Chrétien(26th)Don BoudriaMP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell(born 1949)June 11,1997January 14,2002LiberalRalph GoodaleMP for Wascana(born 1949)January 15,2002May 25,2002LiberalDon BoudriaMP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell(born 1949)May 26,2002December 11,2003LiberalJacques SaadaMP for Brossard—La Prairie(born 1947)December 12,2003July 20,2004LiberalPaul Martin(27th)Tony ValeriMP for Hamilton East—Stoney Creek(born 1957)July 20,2004January 23,2006LiberalRob NicholsonMP for Niagara Falls(born 1952)February 6,2006January 4,2007ConservativeStephen Harper(28th)Peter Van LoanMP for York—Simcoe(born 1963)January 4,2007October 29,2008ConservativeJay HillMP for Prince George—Peace River(born 1952)October 30,2008August 6,2010ConservativeJohn BairdMP for Ottawa West—Nepean(born 1969)August 6,2010May 18,2011ConservativePeter Van LoanMP for York—Simcoe(born 1963)May 18,2011November 4,2015ConservativeDominic LeBlancMP for Beauséjour(born 1967)November 4,2015August 19,2016LiberalJustin Trudeau(29th)Bardish ChaggerMP for Waterloo(born 1980)August 19,2016November 20,2019LiberalPablo RodriguezMP for Honoré-Mercier(born 1967)November 20,2019October 26,2021LiberalMark HollandMP for Ajax(born 1974)October 26,2021July 26,2023LiberalKarina GouldMP for Burlington(born 1987)(on parental leave January 8—late July 2024)July 26,2023January 8,2024LiberalSteven MacKinnon (interim)MP for Gatineau(born 1966)January 8,2024July 19,2024LiberalKarina GouldMP for Burlington(born 1987)(on parental leave January 8—late July 2024)July 19,2024 January 24,2025LiberalSteven MacKinnonMP for Gatineau(born 1966)January 24,2025March 14,2025LiberalArielle KayabagaMP for London West(born 1990 or 1991)March 14,2025 May 13,2025LiberalMark Carney(30th)Steven MacKinnonMP for Gatineau(born 1966)May 13,2025PresentLiberal
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