Minister responsible for Official Languages (Canada)

The minister of official languages (French: ministre des langues officielles) is a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet.

Minister of Official Languages
Ministre des Langues officielles
Incumbent Ginette Petitpas Taylor since October 26, 2021
Department of Canadian Heritage
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council
Reports to	Parliament Prime Minister
Appointer	Monarch (represented by the governor general);[1] on the advice of the prime minister[2]
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Constituting instrument	Official Languages Act
Formation	2003

The minister is responsible for administering Official Languages Act, ensuring that government services are available in both English and French, protecting minority language rights, particularly in the area of education, as well as promoting bilingualism throughout Canada.

Randy Boissonnault has served as the minister of official languages since July 2023.

^[3]

Background

In 2003, the first minister responsible for Official Languages was sworn in, on the creation of the "Official Languages Branch of Intergovernmental Affairs" within the Privy Council Office.^[4] In 2006, responsibility was shifted from the Privy Council Office to the Department of Canadian Heritage, and the branch was renamed the "Official Languages Secretariat".^[5] From 2015 to 2019, the post was called Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie.^[6]

Sections 42 and 43 of the Official Languages Act give the minister of Canadian heritage the specific responsibility of taking measures to advance the equality of status and use of English and French in Canadian society; under section 44 of that Act, the minister must submit annual reports to Parliament on the matters relating to official languages for which the minister is responsible.^[7][8]

List of ministers

Name	Term of office		Title[6]	Political party	Ministry
Pierre Pettigrew	December 12, 2003	July 19, 2004	Minister responsible for Official Languages	Liberal	27th (Martin)
Mauril Bélanger	July 20, 2004	February 5, 2006
Josée Verner	February 6, 2006	August 13, 2007	Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages	Conservative	28th (Harper)
	August 14, 2007	May 26, 2008	Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages
James Moore	June 25, 2008	October 29, 2008	Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific Gateway) (2010 Olympics) (Official Languages)
	October 30, 2008	July 14, 2013	Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Shelly Glover	July 15, 2013	November 4, 2015
Mélanie Joly	July 18, 2018	November 20, 2019	Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie	Liberal	29th (Trudeau)
	November 20, 2019	October 26, 2021	Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages
Ginette Petitpas Taylor	October 26, 2021	Incumbent	Minister of Official Languages

See also

• Department of Canadian Heritage
• Official bilingualism in Canada
• Official Languages Act (Canada)
• Minister of Canadian Heritage

References

1. "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
2. "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
3. Curry, Bill; Kirkup, Kristy; Raman-Wilms, Menaka; Dickson, Janice (2021-10-26). "Trudeau cabinet shuffle: Anita Anand moves to Defence, Steven Guilbeault to Environment, Mélanie Joly to Foreign Affairs". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
4. "Official Languages Secretariat". Retrieved 2011-07-23.
5. "Order Transferring from Privy Council Office to the Department of Canadian Heritage the Control and Supervision of the Official Languages Secretariat, SI/2006-45".
6. "Departments and Roles: 1867 - Today". lop.parl.ca. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
7. Official Languages Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. 31 (4th Supp.)
8. "Canadian Heritage Official Languages Annual Reports".