Provincial secretary

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The provincial secretary was a senior position in the

Canadian provincial governments for at least a century after Canadian Confederation was proclaimed in 1867. The position has been abolished in almost all provinces in recent decades (Quebec in 1970, Ontario 1985, most recently by British Columbia in 2000); the exceptions are Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia,[1] where it still exists but is no longer a standalone senior portfolio (in Nova Scotia it is held by Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Nova Scotia
since 1993, but co-held with Government Services and Consumer Affairs from 1980 to 1993; held by the Premier 1848 to 1878 and Provincial Treasurer 1878 to 1946).

History

The position existed prior to Confederation in the

lieutenant-governors of British North America
. Frequently, provincial secretaries during these periods were the most powerful elected representatives in their jurisdictions.

The provincial secretary was the equivalent of the former

lieutenant-governor and commemorative events particularly in relation to the monarchy
.

Generally, the provincial secretary acted as a province's registrar-general and was responsible for formal documents and records such as licences, birth and death certificates, land registries and surveys, business registrations and writs. As well, the position was generally responsible for the administration of the civil service and of elections. Provincial secretaries were usually the most senior member of the provincial cabinet outside of the premier, and the office holder was often designated as acting premier when the premier was out of province, ill or otherwise unavailable.

The position of provincial secretary was particularly important in

lieutenant-governors acted as the de facto leaders of government. The early provincial secretaries (including Alfred Boyd and Henry Joseph Clarke
) were the most prominent elected officials in the province, and are retroactively regarded as premiers in many modern sources.

The provincial secretary continued to oversee miscellaneous government activities into the twentieth-century (Nova Scotia's Public Service Act conferred on the position responsibility for all matters not specifically assigned to any other minister). Frequently, twentieth-century provincial secretaries would concurrently hold other cabinet portfolios.

Non-governmental

In many organizations in Canada the provincial secretary is also the name of a senior officer at the provincial level. The Monarchist League of Canada, for instance, has provincial secretaries in various parts of the country who are primarily responsible for the organizing the league's activities in a specific province.

In the provincial sections of the

New Democratic Party, the provincial secretary is the senior administrative officer, and may be by title or function chief executive officer
, of the non-parliamentary wing of the party and is responsible for organizing provincial conventions, provincial councils and other meetings, membership drives, fundraising and other day-to-day operations. As well, the provincial secretary usually has a senior role in administering the party's electoral campaigns.

See also

References

  1. ^ Nova Scotia Legislature Page listing the various Cabinet portfolios assigned in Nova Scotia.

External links

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