Janice Charette

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
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	Stephen Harper Justin Trudeau
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	Civil servant diplomat

Early and personal life

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]

Career

Charette joined the public service in 1984, working in the Department of Finance.^[4]

• 1988 – 1989— Policy Analyst, Office of Privatization and Regulatory Affair.^[4]
• 1989 – 1991— Senior Departmental Assistant, Office of the Minister of Finance.^[4]
• 1991 – 1992— Senior Policy Adviser, Federal-Provincial Relations Office.^[4]
• 1992 – 1993— Senior Departmental Assistant, Office of the Minister of Finance, then Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Prime Minister.^[4]
• 1994 – 1996— Co-ordinator, Base Closures Task Force, then Director of Operations, Program Review Secretariat, and Executive Director, Strategic Projects Unit, Privy Council Office.^[4][5]

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)

Volunteer work

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]

Awards and recognition

In 2023, Charette was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from Carleton University.^[18]

References

1. "Prime Minister announces the upcoming retirement of Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet Janice Charette". newswire.ca. Newswire. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
2. "Canada".
3. Government of Canada, Global Affairs Canada (June 25, 2009). "Biography of HE Mrs. JANICE CHARETTE High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Permanent Representative of Canada to the International Maritime Organisation". canadainternational.gc.ca. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
4. "Background: Janice Charette, Canada's next Clerk of the Privy Council". Ottawa Citizen. August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
5. "Mrs Janice Charette - Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - OECD". oecd.org. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
6. "PM announces appointment of Janice Charette as Clerk of the Privy Council". Prime Minister of Canada. August 20, 2014. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
7. "Dion shakes up diplomatic ranks, replaces controversial Tory appointees". The Globe and Mail, July 19, 2016.
8. "Diplomatic appointments". Global Affairs Canada. July 19, 2016. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016.
9. "Diplomatic Life". Publishing Business. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
10. "Dion shuffles diplomatic ranks, replaces controversial Tory appointees". Retrieved September 1, 2020.
11. "Trudeau asks former top bureaucrat to assume interim job as Privy Council Clerk". Retrieved May 22, 2021.
12. "High commissioner to the U.K. will serve as interim Clerk of the Privy Council". ottawacitizen. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
13. "The Prime Minister announces a change in the leadership of the Public Service". May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
14. "Pardon my French". politico. May 26, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
15. "Federal Court finds Emergencies Act for 'Freedom Convoy' violated Charter | Globalnews.ca".
16. "Day 31 - November 25". November 25, 2022.
17. "Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada: Public Sector Leaders". Financial Post. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
18. "Janice Charette". Carleton University Senate. Carleton University. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.