Secretary to the Governor General (French: secrétaire du gouverneur général) is the title used by the administrative head of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General (OSGG), the Canadian government office that supports the work of the Governor General of Canada.[1] The position is based at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario.
On November 20, 2023, Kenneth MacKillop was named to the position, effective November 27, 2023.[2] The previous office-holder was Ian McCowan, who was appointed in February 2021 and retired in November 2023.[3]
Overview
The position is one of the oldest public service appointments in Canada and holds the courtesy rank of deputy minister within the Public Service of Canada. Since Confederation, every office-holder has been appointed by order-in-council. The first post-Confederation incumbent, Dennis Godley, initially assumed his post in 1861 and continued into the post-Confederation period, departing in November 1868.[4]
^ Jackson, Michael, ed. (2014). "Chapter 13: Confidant and Chief of Staff: the Governor's Secretary". Canada and the Crown. McGill-Queen’s University Press. pp. 100–110. ISBN978-1-5533-9204-0.
^Cote, Joseph Olivier (1866). Political Appointments and Elections in the Province of Canada, from 1841 to 1865. G.E. Desbarats, p. 9.
Jackson, Michael, ed. (2014). "Chapter 13: Confidant and Chief of Staff: the Governor's Secretary". Canada and the Crown. McGill-Queen’s University Press. pp. 100–110. ISBN978-1-5533-9204-0.