Treasury Board of Canada

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The Treasury Board of Canada (French: Conseil du Trésor du Canada) is the Cabinet committee of the Privy Council of Canada which oversees the spending and operation of the Government of Canada and is the principal employer of the core public service.[1] The committee is supported by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, its administrative branch and a department within the government itself.

Treasury Board of Canada
Conseil du Trésor du Canada
AbbreviationTB
Formation1867
TypeCabinet committee
Membership
Appointment by Prime Minister of Canada
Anita Anand
Parent organization
Staff
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Websitewww.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/corporate/about-treasury-board.html

The committee is chaired by the president of the Treasury Board, currently Anita Anand, who is also the minister responsible for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Role

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The Canadian Cabinet is arranged into several committees with varying responsibilities, but all other ones are informal structures and frequently change. Currently organized under the Financial Administration Act,[2] the Treasury Board is the only one created by law and is officially a committee of the Privy Council.

Its role in government makes it far more powerful than most Cabinet committees as it is responsible for "accountability and ethics, financial, personnel and administrative management, comptrollership, approving regulations and most Orders-in-Council".[3] It is also unique in that its committee chair, the president of the Treasury Board, is a member of Cabinet by virtue of holding that office—other Cabinet committees are chaired by minister holding seats in Cabinet by virtue of some other office.

Expenditure management

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The Treasury Board oversees the expenditures of the federal government. Ministers submit funding proposals on behalf of their departments to seek financial approval for programs and policies approved in the federal budget or by Cabinet. The president of the Treasury Board is responsible for presenting the Estimates from these submissions to Parliament. The Estimates are prepared by the Secretariat in collaboration with the Department of Finance Canada.[1]

Management and performance policies and principal employer

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The Treasury Board, on advice of the Secretariat, sets policies regulating the authority of ministers and deputy ministers to administer and manage their departments, ensuring a government-wide approach to administration.

As the principal employer of the Government of Canada, it is responsible for labour relations, collective bargaining, and pension and benefits across the core public administration.

Secretariat

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The Treasury Board is supported by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, a federal department which acts as a central agency of the Government of Canada and is administered by members of the public service. The role of the Secretariat is to advise members the Treasury Board, develop policies for approval and administer certain programs on behalf of the Treasury Board.[1]

Membership

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The Treasury Board is composed of six Cabinet ministers, always including its president and the minister of finance. The current members, as of July 26, 2023, are as follows:[4]

Membership of the Treasury Board of Canada
Member Ministerial portfolio Notes
Anita Anand President of the Treasury Board Chair
Diane Lebouthillier Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Vice-chair
Chrystia Freeland Deputy Prime Minister; Minister of Finance Member
Kamal Khera Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Member
Seamus O'Regan, Jr. Minister of Labour and Seniors Member

There are also a number of alternate members, who may attend Treasury Board meetings in the event of conflicts of interest. The prime minister, through a Governor in Council appointment, may designate as many alternate members as the committee may need. As of April 19, 2023, the following are alternate members of the Treasury Board:

Alternate members of the Treasury Board of Canada
Alternate member Ministerial portfolio
Randy Boissonnault Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
Jean-Yves Duclos Minister of Public Services and Procurement
Sean Fraser Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
Gudie Hutchings Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Mary Ng Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development
Carla Qualtrough Minister of Sport and Physical Activity
Dan Vandal Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Jonathan Wilkinson Minister of Energy and Natural Resources

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Smith, Alex (23 April 2009). "The Roles and Responsibilities of Central Agencies" (Background paper). Library of Parliament.
  2. ^ "Financial Administration Act. Part I: Organization. Treasury Board". Department of Justice (Canada). 1985. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
  3. ^ "About the Treasury Board". Treasury Board Secretariat. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
  4. ^ "Cabinet Committee Mandate and Membership".

Bibliography

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45°25′08″N 75°41′49″W / 45.4189°N 75.6970°W / 45.4189; -75.6970