List of current members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada


Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada use the title The Honourable if they are ordinary members. Prime Ministers, Governors General and Chief Justices automatically are given the title The Right Honourable. While Governors General have the right to the title Right Honourable upon being sworn into office they are not inducted into the Privy Council until the end of their term unless they were previously members of the council by virtue of another office. Other eminent individuals such as prominent former Cabinet ministers are sometimes also given the title Right Honourable. Leaders of opposition parties and provincial premiers are not automatically inducted into the Privy Council. Opposition leaders are brought in from time to time either to commemorate a special event such as the Canadian Centennial in 1967, the patriation of the Constitution or, in order to allow them to be advised on sensitive issues of national security under the Security of Information Act. Paul Martin inaugurated a practice of inducting parliamentary secretaries into the Privy Council but this has not been continued by his successors.

Current members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada (year sworn in)

Royalty

Louis St. Laurent

Former Speakers of the House of Commons

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act establishes the Security Intelligence Review Committee, and requires members to be named from current members of the Queen's Privy Council who are not members of the Senate or House of Commons. As such, appointees, if not already members of the Privy Council, are sworn in prior to being named to the Committee.

Other prominent Canadians

While traditionally appointment to the Order of Canada has been utilised to recognize prominent Canadians, Brian Mulroney appointed 18 Canadians to the Privy Council on Canada Day in 1992 in commemoration of Canada's 125th anniversary, and two more later that year. The appointments were somewhat controversial and have yet to be repeated. Conrad Black, who was one of the 18 appointed, was expelled from the Privy Council in 2014 on the recommendation of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

Longest-serving current Privy Counsellors

This is a list of the longest-serving current members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.
Privy CounsellorRoleAppointed
Paul Hellyerformer Minister of National Defence1957
The Duke of Edinburghconsort of the Queen1957
John Turnerformer Prime Minister1965
Jean Chrétienformer Prime Minister1967
Alexander Campbellformer Premier of Prince Edward Island1967
Otto Emil Langformer Minister of Justice1968
André Ouelletformer Minister of Foreign Affairs1972
Marc Lalondeformer Minister of Finance1972
Judd Buchananformer Minister of Public Works1974
Marcel Lessardformer Minister of Regional Economic Expansion1975
Anthony Abbottformer Minister of Consumer and Corporate Affairs1976
Monique Béginformer Minister of National Revenue1976
Jean-Jacques Blaisformer Postmaster General1976
Iona Campagnoloformer Minister of Amateur Sports1976
Francis Foxformer Solicitor General1976