Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |
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| Incumbent: Lawrence Cannon |
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| Style: | The Honourable |
| Appointed by: | Michaëlle Jean as Governor General of Canada |
| First : | André Ouellet |
| Formation: | November 4, 1993 |
| Canada |
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs (French: Ministre des Affaires étrangères) is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations section of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. In addition to the Department, the Minister is also the lead in overseeing the, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development and the International Development Research Centre.
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[edit] History
From 1909 to 1993 the position was known as the Secretary of State for External Affairs. The current minister is the Honourable Lawrence Cannon. Ministers holding the External Affairs and Foreign Affairs portfolios have sometimes played prominent international roles:
- Lester B. Pearson (a future Prime Minister) defused the Suez Crisis and established the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces and as a result received the 1957 Nobel Peace Prize.
- Joe Clark (a former Prime Minister) led opposition to South Africa's Apartheid system in the Commonwealth of Nations, against initial resistance from the British government of Margaret Thatcher and the United States government.
- Lloyd Axworthy brought about the Ottawa Treaty, banning anti-personnel landmines in most countries of the world.
As in Pearson's case (and that of Louis St. Laurent, his predecessor), the portfolio can be a final stepping stone to the Prime Minister's Office. Until 1946, it was customary for the office to be held by the sitting Prime Minister. John Diefenbaker would hold the portfolio on two subsequent occasions.
[edit] Ministers
| 1. | André Ouellet | November 4, 1993 - January 24, 1996 | Cabinet of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien |
| 2. | Lloyd Axworthy | January 25, 1996 - October 16, 2000 | |
| 3. | John Manley | October 17, 2000 - January 15, 2002 | |
| 4. | Bill Graham | January 15, 2002 - December 11, 2003 | |
| December 12, 2003 - July 19, 2004 | Cabinet of Prime Minister Paul Martin | ||
| 5. | Pierre Pettigrew | July 20, 2004 - February 5, 2006 | |
| 6. | Peter MacKay | February 6, 2006 - August 14, 2007 | Cabinet of Prime Minister Stephen Harper |
| 7. | Maxime Bernier | August 14, 2007 - May 26, 2008 | |
| 8. | David Emerson | May 26, 2008 - October 20, 2008 | |
| 9. | Lawrence Cannon | October 30, 2008 - Present |
[edit] Official Opposition Foreign Affairs Critics
- Bob Rae March 2008-present
- Ujjal Dosanjh January 2007-March 2008
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