# Minister of Veterans Affairs (Canada)

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

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

Key:
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. | Name | Term of office | 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 | 16 (King) |
| 2 | Milton Gregg | November 15, 1948 | August 6, 1950 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| 3 | Hugues Lapointe | August 7, 1950 | June 20, 1957 | Liberal | 17 (St. Laurent) |
| 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 | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| 6 | Marcel Lambert | February 12, 1963 | April 21, 1963 | Progressive Conservative | 18 (Diefenbaker) |
| 7 | Roger Teillet | April 22, 1963 | April 19, 1968 | Liberal | 19 (Pearson) |
| 7 | Roger Teillet | April 20, 1968 | July 5, 1968 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 8 | Jean-Eudes Dubé | July 6, 1968 | January 27, 1972 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 9 | Arthur Laing | January 28, 1972 | November 26, 1972 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 10 | Daniel J. MacDonald | November 27, 1972 | June 3, 1979 | Liberal | 20 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 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 | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 12 | W. Bennett Campbell | September 22, 1981 | June 29, 1984 | Liberal | 22 (P. E. Trudeau) |
| 12 | W. Bennett Campbell | June 30, 1984 | September 16, 1984 | Liberal | 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 | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 15 | Kim Campbell | January 4, 1993 | June 24, 1993 | Progressive Conservative | 24 (Mulroney) |
| 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 | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 19 | Fred Mifflin | June 11, 1997 | August 2, 1999 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 20 | George Baker | August 3, 1999 | October 17, 2000 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 21 | Ron Duhamel | October 18, 2000 | January 14, 2002 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 22 | Rey Pagtakhan | January 15, 2002 | December 11, 2003 | Liberal | 26 (Chrétien) |
| 23 | John McCallum | December 12, 2003 | July 19, 2004 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| 24 | Albina Guarnieri | July 20, 2004 | February 5, 2006 | Liberal | 27 (Martin) |
| 25 | Greg Thompson | February 6, 2006 | January 16, 2010 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 26 | Jean-Pierre Blackburn | January 19, 2010 | May 18, 2011 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 27 | Steven Blaney | May 18, 2011 | July 15, 2013 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 28 | Julian Fantino | July 15, 2013 | January 5, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 29 | Erin O'Toole | January 5, 2015 | November 4, 2015 | Conservative | 28 (Harper) |
| 30 | Kent Hehr | November 4, 2015 | August 28, 2017 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 31 | Seamus O'Regan | August 28, 2017 | January 14, 2019 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 32 | Jody Wilson-Raybould | January 14, 2019 | February 12, 2019 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| – | Harjit Sajjan (acting) | February 12, 2019 | March 1, 2019 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 33 | Lawrence MacAulay | March 1, 2019 | July 26, 2023 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 34 | Ginette Petitpas Taylor | July 26, 2023 | December 20, 2024 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 35 | Darren Fisher | December 20, 2024 | March 14, 2025 | Liberal | 29 (J. Trudeau) |
| 36 | Élisabeth Brière | March 14, 2025 | Incumbent | Liberal |

## Military service

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 |