The receiver general for Canada () is responsible for making payments to the
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...
each
fiscal year
A fiscal year (also known as a financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. La ...
, accepting payments from
financial institution
A financial institution, sometimes called a banking institution, is a business entity that provides service as an intermediary for different types of financial monetary transactions. Broadly speaking, there are three major types of financial ins ...
s and preparing the Public Accounts of Canada, containing annual
audit
An audit is an "independent examination of financial information of any entity, whether profit oriented or not, irrespective of its size or legal form when such an examination is conducted with a view to express an opinion thereon." Auditing al ...
ed
financial statements
Financial statements (or financial reports) are formal records of the financial activities and position of a business, person, or other entity.
Relevant financial information is presented in a structured manner and in a form which is easy to un ...
of the Government of Canada. The receiver general deposits and withdraws funds from the
Consolidated Revenue Fund of Canada.
The
minister of public services and procurement
The minister of government transformation, public services and procurement () is the minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the Government of Canada's "common service organization" (Pub ...
is the receiver general for Canada. The ''Department of Public Works and Government Services Act, 1996'' states: "In the Minister's capacity as Receiver General, the Minister shall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties and functions assigned to the receiver general by law."
Receivers General
The first holder was Walter Murray, who was related to then Governor of Quebec
James Murray from 1764. Murray was succeeded by Sir Thomas Mills from 1765 to 1777. Mills was often absent thus his office was held in acting by subordinates: Hector Theophilus Cramahe from 1766 to 1770 and Thomas Dunn from 1770 to 1777). Mills was returned to the post from 1777 until he was forced out in 1789
The office was replaced by the division of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada in 1791.
Pre-Confederation colonies of
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...
,
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...
,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
,
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...
,
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...
and the
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...
each had this post.
From 1867 to 1879 it was a standalone position with minister of finance as ''ex officio''. R.B. Bennett (1926, 1930–32) and Mackenzie Bowell (1896) are the only Prime Ministers to hold the title (Tupper held post before becoming a Prime Minister as Minister of Finance). From 1879 to 1968 it was held mainly by the minister of finance. Reverting as standalone in 1968 and transferred to the minister of supply and services in 1979. From 1980 to 1984 there was no cabinet title but under the authority of the minister of supply and services before reappearing in 1984. In 1996 the role was merged into the minister of public works with new title as minister of public works and government services and then as minister of public services and procurement since 2015.
List of receivers general since 1867:
*
Edward Kenny 1867–1869, as Senator
*
Jean-Charles Chapais 1869–1873, as Senator
*
Théodore Robitaille 1873, as Senator
*
Thomas Coffin 1873-1878
*
John Mortimer Courtney 1878, as acting (Deputy RG and non MP)
*
Alexander Campbell 1878–1879, as Senator
*
Samuel Leonard Tilley
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley (May 8, 1818June 25, 1896) was a Canadian politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation. Tilley was descended from United Empire Loyalists on both sides of his family. As a pharmacist, he went into business as ...
1879-1885
** John Mortimer Courtney 1885 as acting (Deputy RG and non MP)
**
Archibald McLelan 1885-1887
**
Charles Tupper
Sir Charles Tupper, 1st Baronet (July 2, 1821 – October 30, 1915) was a Canadian Father of Confederation who served as the sixth prime minister of Canada from May 1 to July 8, 1896. As the premier of Nova Scotia from 1864 to 1867, he led ...
1887-1888
**
George Eulas Foster
Sir George Eulas Foster (September 3, 1847 – December 30, 1931) was a Canadian politician and academic.
Foster was a Member of Parliament (MP) and a Senator in the Canadian Parliament for a total of 45 years, 5 months and 24 days. He en ...
1888–1891, 1891-1896
*
Mackenzie Bowell 1896
* John Mortimer Courtney 1896 as acting
*
William Stevens Fielding 1896-1911
*
William Thomas White
Sir William Thomas White (13 November 186611 February 1955), was a Canadian politician and Cabinet minister. He served as minister of finance from 1911 to 1919 under Prime Minister Robert Borden. As finance minister, White introduced the inc ...
1911-1919
*
Henry Lumley Drayton 1919-1920
* William Stevens Fielding 1921-1925
*
James Robb 1925-1926
* Henry Lumley Drayton 1926 as acting
*
Richard Bedford Bennett 1926
* James Robb 1926-1929
* John C. Saunders 1929
*
Charles Avery Dunning 1929-1930
* Richard Bedford Bennett 1930-1932
*
Edgar Nelson Rhodes 1932-1935
* Charles Avery Dunning 1935-1939
*
James Ralston 1939-1940
*
James Lorimer Ilsley 1940-1946
*
Douglas Abbott 1946-1954
*
Walter Edward Harris 1954-1957
*
Donald Fleming 1957-1962
*
George Nowlan 1962-1963
*
Walter L. Gordon 1963-1965
*
Mitchell Sharp 1965-1968
*
Edgar Benson 1968-1969
*
Don Jamieson 1969
*
James Armstrong Richardson 1969-1972
*
Jean-Pierre Goyer 1972-1978
*
Pierre de Bané 1978-1979
*
Roch La Salle 1979
*
Charles Lapointe 1984
*
Harvie Andre 1984-1985
*
Stewart McInnes 1985-1986
*
Monique Vézina 1986-1987
*
Michel Côté 1987-1988
* Stewart McInnes 1988 as acting
*
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard (; born December 22, 1938) is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat and retired politician.
A minister for two years in the 24th Canadian Ministry, Mulroney cabinet, Bouchard then founded and led the Bloc Québécois and became Leader ...
1988-1989
*
Paul Dick 1989-1993
*
David Dingwall 1993-1996
*
Diane Marleau 1996-1997
*
Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano (; 25 January 1942 – 12 December 2020) was a Canadian accountant and politician.
Early life and family
Born in Siculiana, Italy, Gagliano immigrated to Montreal in 1958. His political career began in 1977 when he ran for a ...
1997-2002
*
Don Boudria
Don Boudria (born August 30, 1949) is a former Canadian politician and current senior associate at Sandstone Group, an Ottawa-based executive advisory firm. He served in the House of Commons of Canada from 1984 to 2006 as a member of the Libera ...
2002
*
Ralph Goodale
Ralph Edward Goodale (born October 5, 1949) is a Canadian diplomat and retired politician who has served as the Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom since April 19, 2021.
Goodale was first elected in 1974 as the member of Parliam ...
2002-2003
*
Stephen Owen 2003-2004
*
Scott Brison 2004-2006
*
Michael Fortier 2006-2008
*
Christian Paradis 2008-2010
*
Rona Ambrose
Ronalee Ambrose Veitch ( , Name at birth, née Chapchuk; born March 15, 1969) is a former Canadian politician who served as Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada), leader of the Official Opposition and Interim leader (Canada), interim Leade ...
2010-2013
*
Diane Finley 2013-2015
*
Judy Foote 2015-2017
*
Carla Qualtrough 2017-2019
*
Anita Anand 2019-2021
*
Filomena Tassi
Filomena Tassi is a Canadian politician who served as the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario from 2022 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Party, Tassi represented the riding of Hamilton West� ...
2021-2022
*
Helena Jaczek 2022-2023
*
Jean-Yves Duclos
Jean-Yves Duclos (; born 1965) is a Canadian economist and politician. A member of the Liberal Party, he has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Québec since 2015. He previously served as Minister of Families, Children and Social Develop ...
2023-2025
*
Ali Ehsassi 2025-2025
*
Joël Lightbound
Joël Lightbound (born February 8, 1988) is a Canadian politician who has served as the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Services and Procurement, minister of government transformation, public services and procurement since 2025. A ...
2025-
See also
The position of
receiver general existed in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and in various
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...
countries, and still exists in
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
and provincially within Canada.
External links
Receiver General for Canada Official Website
References
{{authority control
Federal departments and agencies of Canada
Ministerial offices in Canada