Department of National Defence (Canada)
Government department / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Department of National Defence (DND; French: Ministère de la Défense nationale) is the department of the Government of Canada which supports the Canadian Armed Forces in its role of defending Canadian national interests domestically and internationally.[3] The department is a civilian organization, part of the public service, and supports the armed forces; however, as a civilian organization is separate and not part of the military itself.[4][5][6] National Defence is the largest department of the Government of Canada in terms of budget, and it is the department with the largest number of buildings (6,806 in 2015).[7]
Ministère de la Défense nationale | |
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Department overview | |
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Formed | 1923 (1923) |
Preceding agencies | |
Jurisdiction | Government of Canada |
Headquarters | Major-General George R Pearkes Building, Ottawa, Ontario |
Employees | 24,000[1] |
Annual budget | CA$21.16 billion (2019–2020)[2] |
Ministers responsible | |
Department executive | |
Child agencies | |
Key document | |
Website | www![]() |
The department is responsible to Parliament through the minister of national defence – Bill Blair as of February 2024.[update] The deputy minister of National Defence, the senior most civil servant within the department, is responsible for the day-to-day leadership and operations of the department and reports directly to the minister.[8] The department exists to aid the minister in carrying out their responsibilities within the Defence Portfolio and provides a civilian support system for the Canadian Armed Forces.[9][10] Under the National Defence Act, the Canadian Armed Forces is a completely separate and distinct organization from, and is not part of, the Department of National Defence.