# President of the King's Privy Council for Canada

In the Canadian cabinet, the president of the King's Privy Council for Canada (French: président du Conseil privé du Roi pour le Canada) is nominally in charge of the Privy Council Office. The president of the Privy Council also has the largely ceremonial duty of presiding over meetings of the Privy Council, a body which only convenes in full for affairs of state such as the accession of a new Sovereign or the marriage of the Prince of Wales or heir presumptive to the Throne. Accordingly, the last time the president of the Privy Council had to preside over a meeting of the Privy Council was in 2022 for the proclamation of the accession of King Charles III. It is the equivalent of the office of lord president of the council in the United Kingdom.
Under Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau and Joe Clark the position was synonymous with that of government house leader. In 1989, the government house leader became a separate position and the president of the Privy Council became a largely honorary title (not unlike that of deputy prime minister of Canada) given to a senior minister in addition to other portfolios. From 1993 it has regularly been held by whoever holds the portfolio of minister of intergovernmental affairs. In the past decade the position has generally been seen to be the closest thing to a sinecure posting within the Cabinet.
The current president of the Privy Council is Dominic LeBlanc.

## List of presidents of the Privy Council

| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Term of office | Party | Party | Prime Minister Party Term of office Cabinet | Prime Minister Party Term of office Cabinet | Monarch Reign |
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Party | Party | Prime Minister Party Term of office Cabinet | Prime Minister Party Term of office Cabinet | Monarch Reign |
| 1 | | Adam Johnston Fergusson Blair Senator for Ontario from October 1867 (1815–1867) | 1 July 1867 | 30 December 1867 | | Liberal | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John A. Macdonald MP for Kingston (1815–1891) Acting President of the Privy Council | 30 December 1867 | 30 January 1869 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 2 | | Joseph Howe MP for Hants (1804–1873) | 30 January 1869 | 16 November 1869 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 3 | | Edward Kenny Senator for Nova Scotia (1800–1891) | 16 November 1869 | 21 June 1870 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 4 | | Charles Tupper MP for Cumberland (1821–1915) | 21 June 1870 | 2 July 1872 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 5 | | John O'Connor MP for Essex (1824–1887) | 2 July 1872 | 4 March 1873 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John A. Macdonald MP for Kingston (1815–1891) Acting President of the Privy Council | 4 March 1873 | 14 June 1873 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 6 | | Hugh McDonald MP for Antigonish (1827–1899) | 14 June 1873 | 1 July 1873 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John A. Macdonald MP for Kingston (1815–1891) Acting President of the Privy Council | 1 July 1873 | 7 November 1873 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1867–1873) 1st | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | Alexander Mackenzie MP for Lambton (1822–1892) Acting President of the Privy Council | 7 November 1873 | 20 January 1874 | | Liberal | | Mackenzie Liberal (1873–1878) 2nd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 7 | | Lucius Seth Huntington MP for Shefford (1827–1886) | 20 January 1874 | 9 October 1875 | | Liberal | | Mackenzie Liberal (1873–1878) 2nd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | Alexander Mackenzie MP for Lambton (1822–1892) Acting President of the Privy Council | 9 October 1875 | 7 December 1875 | | Liberal | | Mackenzie Liberal (1873–1878) 2nd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 8 | | Joseph-Édouard Cauchon MP for Quebec-Centre (1816–1885) | 7 December 1875 | 8 June 1877 | | Conservative | | Mackenzie Liberal (1873–1878) 2nd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 9 | | Edward Blake (1833–1912) | 8 June 1877 | 17 January 1878 | | Liberal | | Mackenzie Liberal (1873–1878) 2nd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | Alexander Mackenzie MP for Lambton (1822–1892) Acting President of the Privy Council | 18 January 1878 | 17 October 1878 | | Liberal | | Mackenzie Liberal (1873–1878) 2nd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| (5) | | John O'Connor MP for Russell (1824–1887) | 17 October 1878 | 16 January 1880 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 10 | | Louis-Rodrigue Masson MP for Terrebonne (1833–1903) | 16 January 1880 | 1 August 1880 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John A. Macdonald MP for Victoria (1815–1891) Acting President of the Privy Council | 1 August 1880 | 8 November 1880 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 11 | | Joseph-Alfred Mousseau MP for Bagot (1837–1886) | 8 November 1880 | 20 May 1881 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 12 | | Archibald McLelan MP for Colchester (1824–1890) | 20 May 1881 | 10 July 1882 | | Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John A. Macdonald MP for Carleton (1815–1891) Acting President of the Privy Council | 10 July 1882 | 17 October 1883 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 13 | | John A. Macdonald MP for Carleton until 1887 MP for Kingston from 1887 (1815–1891) | 17 October 1883 | 28 November 1889 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 14 | | Charles Carroll Colby MP for Stanstead until 1891 (1827–1907) | 28 November 1889 | 1 May 1891 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John A. Macdonald MP for Kingston (1815–1891) Acting President of the Privy Council | 1 May 1891 | 16 June 1891 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Macdonald Liberal- Conservative (1878–1891) 3rd | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 15 | | John Abbott Senator for Inkerman, Quebec (1821–1893) | 16 June 1891 | 5 December 1892 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Abbott Liberal- Conservative (1891–1892) 4th | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| – | | John Sparrow David Thompson MP for Antigonish (1845–1894) Acting President of the Privy Council | 5 December 1892 | 7 December 1892 | | Liberal- Conservative | | Thompson Liberal- Conservative (1892–1894) 5th | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 16 | | William Bullock Ives MP for Town of Sherbrooke (1841–1899) | 7 December 1892 | 12 December 1894 | | Conservative | | Thompson Liberal- Conservative (1892–1894) 5th | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 17 | | Mackenzie Bowell Senator for Hastings, Ontario (1823–1917) | 21 December 1894 | 1 May 1896 | | Conservative | | Bowell Conservative (1894–1896) 6th | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 18 | | Auguste-Réal Angers Senator for De la Vallière, Quebec until June 1896 (1837–1919) | 1 May 1896 | 8 July 1896 | | Conservative | | Tupper Conservative (1896) 7th | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 19 | | Wilfrid Laurier MP for Quebec East (1841–1919) | 11 July 1896 | 10 October 1911 | | Liberal | | Laurier Liberal (1896–1911) 8th | Victoria (1837–1901) |
| 19 | | Wilfrid Laurier MP for Quebec East (1841–1919) | 11 July 1896 | 10 October 1911 | | Liberal | | Laurier Liberal (1896–1911) 8th | Edward VII (1901–1910) |
| 19 | | Wilfrid Laurier MP for Quebec East (1841–1919) | 11 July 1896 | 10 October 1911 | | Liberal | | Laurier Liberal (1896–1911) 8th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 20 | | Robert Borden MP for Halifax until 1917 MP for Kings from 1917 (1854–1937) | 10 October 1911 | 12 October 1917 | | Conservative | | Borden Conservative (1911–1920) 9th, 10th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 21 | | Newton Rowell MP for Durham (1867–1941) | 12 October 1917 | 10 July 1920 | | Unionist | | Borden Conservative (1911–1920) 9th, 10th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 22 | | James Alexander Calder MP for Moose Jaw (1868–1956) | 10 July 1920 | 21 September 1921 | | Unionist | | Meighen Conservative (1920–1921) 11th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 23 | | Louis-Philippe Normand (1863–1928) | 21 September 1921 | 29 December 1921 | | Conservative | | Meighen Conservative (1920–1921) 11th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 24 | | William Lyon Mackenzie King MP for York North until 1925 MP for Prince Albert from 1926 (1874–1950) | 29 December 1921 | 29 June 1926 | | Liberal | | King Liberal (1921–1926) 12th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 25 | | Arthur Meighen MP for Portage la Prairie until September 1926 (1874–1960) | 29 June 1926 | 25 September 1926 | | Conservative | | Meighen Conservative (1926) 13th | George V (1910–1936) |
| (24) | | William Lyon Mackenzie King MP for Prince Albert (1874–1950) | 25 September 1926 | 7 August 1930 | | Liberal | | King Liberal (1926–1930) 14th | George V (1910–1936) |
| 26 | | R. B. Bennett MP for Calgary West (1870–1947) | 7 August 1930 | 23 October 1935 | | Conservative | | Bennett Conservative (1930–1935) 15th | George V (1910–1936) |
| (24) | | William Lyon Mackenzie King MP for Prince Albert until 1945 MP for Glengarry from 1945 (1874–1950) | 23 October 1935 | 15 November 1948 | | Liberal | | King Liberal (1935–1948) 16th | George V (1910–1936) |
| (24) | | William Lyon Mackenzie King MP for Prince Albert until 1945 MP for Glengarry from 1945 (1874–1950) | 23 October 1935 | 15 November 1948 | | Liberal | | King Liberal (1935–1948) 16th | Edward VIII (1936) |
| (24) | | William Lyon Mackenzie King MP for Prince Albert until 1945 MP for Glengarry from 1945 (1874–1950) | 23 October 1935 | 15 November 1948 | | Liberal | | King Liberal (1935–1948) 16th | George VI (1936–1952) |
| 27 | | Louis St. Laurent MP for Quebec East (1882–1973) | 15 November 1948 | 25 April 1957 | | Liberal | | St. Laurent Liberal (1948–1957) 17th | George VI (1936–1952) |
| 27 | | Louis St. Laurent MP for Quebec East (1882–1973) | 15 November 1948 | 25 April 1957 | | Liberal | | St. Laurent Liberal (1948–1957) 17th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 28 | | Lionel Chevrier MP for Laurier (1903–1987) | 25 April 1957 | 21 June 1957 | | Liberal | | St. Laurent Liberal (1948–1957) 17th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 29 | | John Diefenbaker MP for Prince Albert (1895–1979) | 21 June 1957 | 28 December 1961 | | Progressive Conservative | | Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative (1957–1963) 18th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 30 | | Noël Dorion MP for Bellechasse (1904–1980) | 28 December 1961 | 5 July 1962 | | Progressive Conservative | | Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative (1957–1963) 18th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| – | | John Diefenbaker MP for Prince Albert (1895–1979) Acting President of the Privy Council | 5 July 1962 | 21 December 1962 | | Progressive Conservative | | Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative (1957–1963) 18th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| (29) | | John Diefenbaker MP for Prince Albert (1895–1979) | 21 December 1962 | 22 April 1963 | | Progressive Conservative | | Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative (1957–1963) 18th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 31 | | Maurice Lamontagne MP for Outremont–Saint-Jean (1917–1983) | 22 April 1963 | 3 February 1964 | | Liberal | | Pearson Liberal (1963–1968) 19th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 32 | | George McIlraith MP for Outremont–Saint-Jean (1908–1992) | 3 February 1964 | 7 July 1965 | | Liberal | | Pearson Liberal (1963–1968) 19th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 33 | | Guy Favreau MP for Papineau (1917–1967) | 7 July 1965 | 4 April 1967 | | Liberal | | Pearson Liberal (1963–1968) 19th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 34 | | Walter L. Gordon MP for Davenport (1906–1987) | 4 April 1967 | 11 March 1968 | | Liberal | | Pearson Liberal (1963–1968) 19th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| – | | Pierre Trudeau MP for Mount Royal (1919–2000) Acting President of the Privy Council | 11 March 1968 | 2 May 1968 | | Liberal | | Pearson Liberal (1963–1968) 19th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| – | | Pierre Trudeau MP for Mount Royal (1919–2000) Acting President of the Privy Council | 11 March 1968 | 2 May 1968 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1968–1979) 20th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| – | | Allan MacEachen MP for Inverness—Richmond until 1968 MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso from 1968 (1921–2017) Acting President of the Privy Council | 2 May 1968 | 6 July 1968 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1968–1979) 20th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 35 | | Donald Stovel Macdonald MP for Rosedale (1932–2018) | 6 July 1968 | 24 September 1970 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1968–1979) 20th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 36 | | Allan MacEachen MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso (1921–2017) | 24 September 1970 | 8 August 1974 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1968–1979) 20th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 37 | | Mitchell Sharp MP for Eglinton (1911–2004) | 8 August 1974 | 14 September 1976 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1968–1979) 20th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| (36) | | Allan MacEachen MP for Cape Breton Highlands—Canso (1921–2017) | 14 September 1976 | 4 June 1979 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1968–1979) 20th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 38 | | Walter Baker MP for Nepean—Carleton (1930–1983) | 4 June 1979 | 3 March 1980 | | Progressive Conservative | | Clark Progressive Conservative (1979–1980) 21st | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 39 | | Yvon Pinard MP for Drummond (born 1940) | 3 March 1980 | 30 June 1984 | | Liberal | | P. Trudeau Liberal (1980–1984) 22nd | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 40 | | André Ouellet MP for Papineau (born 1939) | 30 June 1984 | 17 September 1984 | | Liberal | | Turner Liberal (1984) 23rd | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 41 | | Erik Nielsen MP for Yukon (1924–2008) | 17 September 1984 | 27 February 1985 | | Progressive Conservative | | Mulroney Progressive Conservative (1984–1993) 24th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 42 | | Ray Hnatyshyn MP for Saskatoon West (1934–2002) | 27 February 1985 | 30 June 1986 | | Progressive Conservative | | Mulroney Progressive Conservative (1984–1993) 24th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 43 | | Don Mazankowski MP for Vegreville (1935–2020) | 30 June 1986 | 21 April 1991 | | Progressive Conservative | | Mulroney Progressive Conservative (1984–1993) 24th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 44 | | Joe Clark MP for Yellowhead (born 1939) | 21 April 1991 | 25 June 1993 | | Progressive Conservative | | Mulroney Progressive Conservative (1984–1993) 24th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 45 | | Pierre Blais MP for Bellechasse (born 1948) | 25 June 1993 | 4 November 1993 | | Progressive Conservative | | Campbell Progressive Conservative (1993) 25th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 46 | | Marcel Massé MP for Hull—Aylmer (born 1940) | 4 November 1993 | 25 January 1996 | | Liberal | | Chrétien Liberal (1993–2003) 26th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 47 | | Stéphane Dion MP for Saint-Laurent—Cartierville (born 1955) | 25 January 1996 | 12 December 2003 | | Liberal | | Chrétien Liberal (1993–2003) 26th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 48 | | Denis Coderre MP for Bourassa (born 1963) | 12 December 2003 | 20 July 2004 | | Liberal | | Martin Liberal (2003–2006) 27th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 49 | | Lucienne Robillard MP for Westmount—Ville-Marie (born 1945) | 20 July 2004 | 7 February 2006 | | Liberal | | Martin Liberal (2003–2006) 27th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 50 | | Michael Chong MP for Wellington—Halton Hills (born 1971) | 7 February 2006 | 27 November 2006 | | Conservative | | Harper Conservative (2006–2015) 28th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 51 | | Peter Van Loan MP for York—Simcoe (born 1963) | 27 November 2006 | 4 January 2007 | | Conservative | | Harper Conservative (2006–2015) 28th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 52 | | Rona Ambrose MP for Edmonton—Spruce Grove (born 1969) | 4 January 2007 | 30 October 2008 | | Conservative | | Harper Conservative (2006–2015) 28th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 53 | | Josée Verner MP for Louis-Saint-Laurent until 2011 (born 1959) | 30 October 2008 | 18 May 2011 | | Conservative | | Harper Conservative (2006–2015) 28th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 54 | | Peter Penashue MP for Labrador (born 1964) | 18 May 2011 | 14 March 2013 | | Conservative | | Harper Conservative (2006–2015) 28th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 55 | | Denis Lebel MP for Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean (born 1954) | 15 March 2013 | 4 November 2015 | | Conservative | | Harper Conservative (2006–2015) 28th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 56 | | Maryam Monsef MP for Peterborough—Kawartha (born 1984) | 4 November 2015 | 10 January 2017 | | Liberal | | J. Trudeau Liberal (2015–2025) 29th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 57 | | Karina Gould MP for Burlington (born 1987) | 10 January 2017 | 18 July 2018 | | Liberal | | J. Trudeau Liberal (2015–2025) 29th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 58 | | Dominic LeBlanc MP for Beauséjour (born 1967) | 18 July 2018 | 26 October 2021 | | Liberal | | J. Trudeau Liberal (2015–2025) 29th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 59 | | Bill Blair MP for Scarborough Southwest (born 1954) | 26 October 2021 | 26 July 2023 | | Liberal | | J. Trudeau Liberal (2015–2025) 29th | Elizabeth II (1952–2022) |
| 59 | | Bill Blair MP for Scarborough Southwest (born 1954) | 26 October 2021 | 26 July 2023 | | Liberal | | J. Trudeau Liberal (2015–2025) 29th | Charles III (since 2022) |
| 60 | | Harjit Sajjan MP for Vancouver South (born 1970) | 26 July 2023 | 14 March 2025 | | Liberal | | J. Trudeau Liberal (2015–2025) 29th | Charles III (since 2022) |
| (58) | | Dominic LeBlanc MP for Beauséjour (born 1967) | 14 March 2025 | Incumbent | | Liberal | | Carney Liberal (since 2025) 30th | Charles III (since 2022) |