# Minister of Labour (Canada)

The minister of Labour (French: Ministre du Travail) was a minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who was responsible for the labour portfolio of Employment and Social Development Canada. The position has been discontinued since 2024; responsibility for the labour portfolio is currently held by the Minister of Jobs and Families.

## History

The Department of Labour was created in 1900 through the efforts of the then postmaster general, William Mulock, who already held the responsibility for labour affairs, and William Lyon Mackenzie King becoming, respectively, the first minister and deputy minister of the new department. Until June, 1909, the postmaster general acted as minister of labour.
The Ministry of Labour oversaw a variety of issues, including union riots against immigration in 1907, post-war promotion of the federal Labour-Management Cooperation Service, and legislation surrounding the formation of unions.
In 1996, the Department of Labour was abolished, but the ministerial position continued within Human Resources Development Canada from 1996 to 2003 and Human Resources and Social Development Canada from 2003 to date.
From 1993 to 1996, the Department of Labour was amalgamated with the Department of Employment and Immigration to create Human Resources Development Canada. Although the intent was to replace two Cabinet posts with a single minister of human resources development, the desire to appoint "star candidate" Lucienne Robillard's to Cabinet in 1995 gave the position a reprieve from amalgamation—Robillard was given the title and positioned as a second minister inside HRDC, responsible for the Labour Program.
A December, 2003, reorganization had seen HRDC dismantled and labour responsibilities passing to a successor department, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, again with two ministers: a minister of labour and a minister of human resources and skills development. The name change to Labour and Housing occurred seven months later. The Ministry of HRDC was reconstituted in February, 2006, as Human Resources and Social Development Canada, but still with two ministers.
In 2004, the portfolio was renamed from Labour to Labour and Housing.
From 2004 to 2006, the position was styled the minister of labour and housing (French: ministre du travail et du logement), a name change corresponding with responsibility for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation being transferred to the portfolio at that time. Minister of labour remains the title for legal purposes.
In 2015, the position was discontinued, with responsibility for labour being merged into the expanded role of Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour. The position was revived in 2019, following the 2019 Canadian federal election, with Filomena Tassi being appointed the new minister of Labour on November 20.
The position was discontinued in 2024, its responsibilities once again being combined with employment and workforce development under the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour; as of 2025, responsibility for labour is currently held by the Minister of Jobs and Families.

## List of ministers

Key:
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Political party | Ministry |
| Minister of Labour |||||||
| For ministers responsible for labour issues before 1909, see Postmaster General of Canada. |||||||
| 1 | William Lyon Mackenzie King | June 2, 1909 | October 6, 1911 | Liberal | 8 (Laurier) |
| 2 | Thomas Wilson Crothers | October 10, 1911 | October 12, 1917 | Conservative (historical) | 9 (Borden) |
| 2 | Thomas Wilson Crothers | October 12, 1917 | November 6, 1918 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| 3 | Gideon Robertson 1st time | November 8, 1918 | July 10, 1920 | Unionist | 10 (Borden) |
| 3 | Gideon Robertson 1st time | July 10, 1920 | December 29, 1921 | National Liberal and Conservative | 11 (Meighen) |
| 4 | James Murdock | December 29, 1921 | November 13, 1925 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| * | James Horace King Acting | November 13, 1925 | March 8, 1926 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| 5 | John Campbell Elliott | March 8, 1926 | June 29, 1926 | Liberal | 12 (King) |
| * | Robert James Manion Acting | June 29, 1926 | July 13, 1926 | Conservative (historical) | 13 (Meighen) |
| 6 | George Burpee Jones | July 13, 1926 | September 25, 1926 | Conservative (historical) | 13 (Meighen) |
| 7 | Peter Heenan | September 25, 1926 | August 7, 1930 | Liberal | 14 (King) |
| (3) | Gideon Robertson 2nd time | August 7, 1930 | February 3, 1932 | Conservative (historical) | 15 (Bennett) |
| 8 | Wesley Ashton Gordon | February 3, 1932 | October 23, 1935 | Conservative (historical) | 15 (Bennett) |
| 9 | Norman McLeod Rogers | October 23, 1935 | September 18, 1939 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 10 | Norman Alexander McLarty | September 18, 1939 | December 14, 1941 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 11 | Humphrey Mitchell | December 14, 1941 | November 15, 1948 | Liberal | 16 (King) |
| 11 | Humphrey Mitchell | November 15, 1948 | August 2, 1950 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| * | Paul Martin Sr. Acting | August 2, 1950 | August 6, 1950 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| 12 | Milton Fowler Gregg | August 6, 1950 | June 21, 1957 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| 13 | Michael Starr | June 21, 1957 | April 22, 1963 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| 14 | Allan MacEachen | April 22, 1963 | December 18, 1965 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| 15 | John Robert Nicholson | December 18, 1965 | April 20, 1968 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| 16 | Jean-Luc Pépin | April 20, 1968 | July 6, 1968 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 17 | Bryce Mackasey | July 6, 1968 | January 28, 1972 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 18 | Martin O'Connell | January 28, 1972 | November 27, 1972 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 19 | John Munro | November 27, 1972 | September 8, 1978 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| * | André Ouellet Acting | September 8, 1978 | November 24, 1978 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| (18) | Martin O'Connell 2nd time | November 24, 1978 | June 4, 1979 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 20 | Lincoln Alexander | June 4, 1979 | March 3, 1980 | Progressive Conservative | 21 (Clark) |
| 21 | Gerald Regan | March 3, 1980 | September 22, 1981 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 22 | Charles Caccia | September 22, 1981 | August 12, 1983 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 23 | André Ouellet | August 12, 1983 | June 30, 1984 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 23 | André Ouellet | June 30, 1984 | September 17, 1984 | Liberal | 23 (Turner) |
| 24 | Bill McKnight | September 17, 1984 | June 30, 1986 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 25 | Pierre Cadieux | June 30, 1986 | January 30, 1989 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 26 | Jean Corbeil | January 30, 1989 | April 21, 1991 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 27 | Marcel Danis | April 21, 1991 | June 25, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 28 | Bernard Valcourt | June 25, 1993 | November 4, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 25 (Campbell) |
| 29 | Lloyd Axworthy | November 4, 1993 | February 22, 1995 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 30 | Lucienne Robillard | February 22, 1995 | January 25, 1996 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 31 | Alfonso Gagliano | January 25, 1996 | June 11, 1997 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 32 | Lawrence MacAulay | June 11, 1997 | November 23, 1998 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 33 | Claudette Bradshaw | November 23, 1998 | December 12, 2003 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 33 | Claudette Bradshaw | December 12, 2003 | July 20, 2004 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| Minister of Labour and Housing |||||||
| 34 | Joe Fontana | July 20, 2004 | February 6, 2006 | Liberal | |
| Minister of Labour |||||||
| 35 | Jean-Pierre Blackburn | February 6, 2006 | October 30, 2008 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 36 | Rona Ambrose | October 30, 2008 | January 19, 2010 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 37 | Lisa Raitt | January 19, 2010 | July 15, 2013 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 38 | Kellie Leitch | July 15, 2013 | November 4, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour |||||||
| 39 | MaryAnn Mihychuk | November 4, 2015 | January 10, 2017 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 40 | Patty Hajdu | January 10, 2017 | November 20, 2019 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 29 (J. Trudeau) |||||||
| 41 | Filomena Tassi | November 20, 2019 | October 26, 2021 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 42 | Seamus O'Regan | October 26, 2021 | July 19, 2024 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 43 | Steven MacKinnon | July 19, 2024 | December 20, 2024 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| Position discontinued, replaced by the Minister of Jobs and Families |||||||