Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)

Canadian cabinet minister

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Minister of Veterans Affairs

Ministre des Anciens Combattants

Incumbent
Jill McKnight

since May 13, 2025

Veterans Affairs Canada
Style| The Honourable
Member of|

* Parliament
* Privy Council
* Cabinet[1]

Reports to|

* Parliament
* Prime Minister[2]

Appointer| Monarch (represented by the governor general);[3]
on the advice of the prime minister[4]
Term length| At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder| Ian Alistair Mackenzie
Formation| 18 October 1944
Salary| CA$299,900 (2024)[5]
Website| www.veterans.gc.ca

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The minister of veterans affairs (French: ministre des anciens combattants) is a member of the Cabinet of Canada and the minister of the Crown responsible for Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC). Since 2015, the minister has concurrently been appointed the associate minister of national defence.

VAC is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for administering benefits for members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and their family members and caregivers.

## History

[edit]

The position was created in the Canadian Cabinet in 1944. The Department of Veterans Affairs was created out of the Department of Pensions and National Health, and was given the responsibility of administering benefits for war veterans. Its first responsibility was assisting in the reintegration of demobilized soldiers into civilian life and assisting them with health care, education, employment, income support, and pensions.

The department is largely responsible for medical care, rehabilitation, and disability pensions and awards for veterans. Appeals from departmental decisions on disability pensions and awards are presented by veterans to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board; Veterans Affairs Canada provides veterans appearing before the Board with the assistance of lawyers from the semi-autonomous Bureau of Pensions Advocates free of charge.

## List of ministers

[edit]

Key:

Liberal Party of Canada

Progressive Conservative Party of Canada

Conservative Party of Canada

Prior to 1944, the responsibilities of the current Veterans Affairs portfolio were part of the now-defunct post of Minister of Pensions and National Health.

No.  | Portrait  | Name  | Term of office  | Political party  | Ministry

|
|
|
|
|

1  |  | Ian Alistair Mackenzie | October 18, 1944 | January 18, 1948  | Liberal | 16 (King)
2  |  | Milton Gregg | January 19, 1948 | November 15, 1948  | Liberal
November 15, 1948 | August 6, 1950  | 17 (St. Laurent)
3  |  | Hugues Lapointe | August 7, 1950 | June 20, 1957  | Liberal
4  |  | Alfred Johnson Brooks | June 21, 1957 | October 10, 1960  | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker)
5  |  | Gordon Churchill | October 11, 1960 | February 11, 1963  | Progressive Conservative
6  |  | Marcel Lambert | February 12, 1963 | April 21, 1963  | Progressive Conservative
7  |  | Roger Teillet | April 22, 1963 | April 19, 1968  | Liberal | 19 (Pearson)
April 20, 1968 | July 5, 1968  | 20 (P. E. Trudeau)
8  |  | Jean-Eudes Dubé | July 6, 1968 | January 27, 1972  | Liberal
9  |  | Arthur Laing | January 28, 1972 | November 26, 1972  | Liberal
10  |  | Daniel J. MacDonald | November 27, 1972 | June 3, 1979  | Liberal
11  |  | Allan McKinnon | June 4, 1979 | March 2, 1980  | Progressive Conservative | 21 (Clark)
(10) |  | Daniel J. MacDonald (2nd time) | March 3, 1980 | September 30, 1980  | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau)
–  |  | Gilles Lamontagne (acting)  | October 1, 1980 | September 21, 1981  | Liberal
12  |  | W. Bennett Campbell | September 22, 1981 | June 29, 1984  | Liberal
June 30, 1984 | September 16, 1984  | 23 (Turner)
13  |  | George Hees | September 17, 1984 | September 14, 1988  | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney)
14  |  | Gerald Merrithew | September 18, 1988 | January 3, 1993  | Progressive Conservative
15  |  | Kim Campbell | January 4, 1993 | June 24, 1993  | Progressive Conservative
16  |  | Peter McCreath | June 25, 1993 | November 3, 1993  | Progressive Conservative  | 25 (Campbell)
17  |  | David Collenette | November 4, 1993 | October 4, 1996  | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien)
18  |  | Doug Young | October 5, 1996 | June 10, 1997  | Liberal
19  |  | Fred Mifflin | June 11, 1997 | August 2, 1999  | Liberal
20  |  | George Baker | August 3, 1999 | October 17, 2000  | Liberal
21  |  | Ron Duhamel | October 18, 2000 | January 14, 2002  | Liberal
22  |  | Rey Pagtakhan | January 15, 2002 | December 11, 2003  | Liberal
23  |  | John McCallum | December 12, 2003 | July 19, 2004  | Liberal  | 27 (Martin)
24  |  | Albina Guarnieri | July 20, 2004 | February 5, 2006  | Liberal
25  |  | Greg Thompson | February 6, 2006 | January 16, 2010  | Conservative | 28 (Harper)
26  |  | Jean-Pierre Blackburn | January 19, 2010 | May 18, 2011  | Conservative
27  |  | Steven Blaney | May 18, 2011 | July 15, 2013  | Conservative
28  |  | Julian Fantino | July 15, 2013 | January 5, 2015  | Conservative
29  |  | Erin O'Toole | January 5, 2015 | November 4, 2015  | Conservative
30  |  | Kent Hehr | November 4, 2015 | August 28, 2017  | Liberal  | 29 (J. Trudeau)
31  |  | Seamus O'Regan | August 28, 2017 | January 14, 2019  | Liberal
32  |  | Jody Wilson-Raybould | January 14, 2019 | February 12, 2019  | Liberal
–  |  | Harjit Sajjan (acting)  | February 12, 2019 | March 1, 2019  | Liberal
33  |  | Lawrence MacAulay | March 1, 2019 | July 26, 2023  | Liberal
34  |  | Ginette Petitpas Taylor | July 26, 2023 | December 20, 2024  | Liberal
35  |  | Darren Fisher | December 20, 2024 | March 14, 2025  | Liberal
36  |  | Élisabeth Brière | March 14, 2025 | May 13, 2025  | Liberal  | 30 (Carney)
37  |  | Jill McKnight | May 13, 2025 | present | Liberal

## Military service

[edit]

Many ministers, all of whom were officers, have had prior military experience. The posting does not, however, require prior military service.

Name  | Branch  | Notable units  | Rank  | Service period

|
|
|
|

Milton Fowler Gregg  | Canadian Army | Royal Canadian Regiment, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada | Brigadier | World War I, World War II
Hugues Lapointe  | Canadian Army  | Régiment de la Chaudière | Lieutenant colonel | World War II
Gordon Churchill  | Canadian Army  | 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment | Lieutenant colonel  | World War I, World War II
Marcel Lambert  | Canadian Army  | King's Own Calgary Regiment | Lieutenant colonel  | World War II
Roger Teillet  | Royal Canadian Air Force | No. 35 Squadron RAF | Flight lieutenant | World War II
Daniel J. MacDonald  | Canadian Army -  | The Prince Edward Island Highlanders, Cape Breton Highlanders | Lieutenant colonel  | World War II
Allan McKinnon  | Canadian Army  | Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry | Major | World War II
Gilles Lamontagne  | Royal Canadian Air Force  | 425 Bomber Squadron | Flight lieutenant  | World War II
George Hees  | Canadian Army  | 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade | Brigade major | World War II
Gerald Merrithew  | Canadian Army  | Royal New Brunswick Regiment | Lieutenant colonel  | Militia pre-1970s
Fred Mifflin  | Royal Canadian Navy | HMCS Saguenay, HMCS Skeena, deputy commander – Maritime Command  | Rear admiral | Cold War 1954–1987
Erin O'Toole  | Royal Canadian Air Force  | 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, 406 Maritime Operational Training Squadron | Captain | 1991–2000s
Harjit Sajjan (acting)  | Canadian Army  | The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) | Lieutenant-colonel | 1989–2015

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Canadian Parliamentary system - Our Procedure - House of Commons". ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
2. ^ "Review of the Responsibilities and Accountabilities of Ministers and Senior Officials" (PDF).
3. ^ "Constitutional Duties". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
4. ^ "House of Commons Procedure and Practice - 1. Parliamentary Institutions - Canadian Parliamentary Institutions". ourcommons.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
5. ^ "Indemnities, Salaries and Allowances". April 1, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2025.

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