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Former Clerk of the Privy Council From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Janice Charette is a Canadian public servant and diplomat who served as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet from 2014 to 2016 and again from 2021 to 2023.[1] Charette was the Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2021.
Janice Charette | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Charette in London, 2019 | |
| Clerk of the Privy Council Secretary to the Cabinet | |
| In office March 9, 2021 – June 24, 2023 Interim: March 9, 2021 – May 25, 2022 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Ian Shugart |
| Succeeded by | John Hannaford |
| In office October 6, 2014 – January 21, 2016 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Wayne Wouters |
| Succeeded by | Michael Wernick |
| Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom | |
| In office July 19, 2016 – March 9, 2021 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Gordon Campbell |
| Succeeded by | Ralph Goodale |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Spouse | Reg Charette |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Carleton University (BCom) |
| Occupation |
|
Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario,[2] Charette attended Carleton University, where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Charette is married to Reg Charette. Together they have two adult children.[3]
Charette joined the public service in 1984, working in the Department of Finance.[4]
She served as the deputy minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada from 2004 until 2006, and as the deputy minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada from 2006 until 2010.[4]
Charette was appointed as the clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet on August 20, 2014, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that she would replace Wayne Wouters, who served from 2009 to 2014.[6] She is the second woman to have held that post, which is the top civil service position in the federal government.
On January 22, 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Michael Wernick would replace Charette as clerk of the Privy Council.
On July 19, 2016, she was appointed as the Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom.[7][8][9] This was seen as a consolation prize after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abruptly removed Ms. Charette as the country's top bureaucrat shortly after taking power.[10][11]
On March 1, 2021, Trudeau announced that Charette would serve as interim clerk of the Privy Council Office starting on March 9, 2021, while the current clerk Ian Shugart underwent cancer treatment.[12] She was permanently named to the position on May 25, 2022.[13][14]
Prime Minister Trudeau said Charette, as Clerk of the Privy Council, had a significant influence on his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act to suppress the Freedom Convoy protests. This use of the Emergencies Act was later determined in Federal Court to have been illegal and a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.[15] At the Public Order Emergency Commission investigating the decision, Trudeau said Charette's advice to invoke the Act played a large role in his decision: "But it was a big thing, not a small thing, to have the head of the public service formally recommend the invocation of the Emergencies Act and the declaration of a public order emergency."[16] (Public Order Emergency Commission, November 25, 2022. page 67). Trudeau added, "all the inputs in the system had come up to the Clerk of the Privy Council, the top public servant in Canada, impartial, professional public service making the recommendation to move forward on this. It was essential to me." (POEC, November 25, 2022. page 67)
Charette is a member of the board of directors of Royal Ottawa Healthcare Group and on the advisory board of the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University.[17]
In 2008, she was national Chair for the United Way’s Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign, raising over CA$136 million for communities and national health charities across Canada.[3]
In 2023, Charette was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Carleton University.[18]
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