Minister responsible for La Francophonie (Canada)

Minister responsible for La Francophonie
Incumbent Marie-Claude Bibeau since 4 November 2015
Department of Global Affairs
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Cabinet Privy Council
Appointer	Governor General of Canada
Term length	At Her Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Jean-Luc Pépin
Formation	1983
Website	international.gc.ca/franco/

The Minister responsible for La Francophonie is a member of the Canadian Cabinet who handles relations with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, an international community of francophone nations considered the French equivalent of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Role

The Minister responsible for the Francophonie is one of three ministers currently associated with the Department of Global Affairs. A similar position exists at the provincial level in the government of Quebec.

It is traditional that the minister be from Quebec or from a Francophone community outside Quebec. It is tacitly understood that the minister should speak French fluently.

List of ministers

• Jean-Luc Pépin (1983–1984)
• Jean Chrétien (1984)
• Monique Vézina (1984–1986)
• Monique Landry (1986–1993)
• Monique Vézina (1993) (second time)
• André Ouellet (1993–1996)
• Pierre Pettigrew (1996)
• Don Boudria (1996–1997)
• Diane Marleau (1997–1999)
• Ronald Duhamel* (1999–2002)
• Denis Paradis* (2002–2003)
• Denis Coderre (2003–2004)
• Jacques Saada (2004–2006)
• Josée Verner (2006–2007)
• Maxime Bernier (2007–2008)
• Josée Verner (2008-2011) (second time)
• Bernard Valcourt (2011-2013)
• Steven Blaney (2013)^[1]
• Christian Paradis^[2] (2013–2015)^[1]
• Marie-Claude Bibeau (2015-present)^[1]

(*)Secretary of State responsible for La Francophonie and not a member of Cabinet.

References

1. "Ministers Responsible for La Francophonie". Retrieved 2016-03-21.
2. "Harper joins Michaëlle Jean in final push for Francophonie post". iPolitics. Retrieved 2016-03-21.