QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Employment and Social Development
Secretaries of State
October 7, 2025
Secretary McLean, the Senate’s current sessional order states that it is to be ministers who are invited to Question Period, while the Office of the Prime Minister’s website plainly states that secretaries of state “. . . are not members of Cabinet . . . .” After all, this is ministerial Question Period and not secretarial Question Period.
I will ask you the questions that the Carney government Senate leader could not answer for me in June: Do you have your own department and departmental budget, what is your salary, what is your office budget and do you have a car and driver?
I believe these questions are not within my portfolio. I think these questions need to be directed to the Department of Finance Canada which is responsible for budgets, et cetera, or the Office of the Prime Minister which is responsible for appointments.
I’m pleased to have received an invite, even if your Rules say that I’m not to be invited. Thank you.
You are a secretary of state. I’m asking about your position. The Senate government leader could not answer questions about it, so that’s why I’m asking you about your own thing.
If you do have a department, I also want to know if your department’s deputy minister reports to you or to a minister.
Secretary McLean, your seniors portfolio used to be a full ministry, but it has now been downgraded by the Carney government to a secretary of state. That does not say much about the priority your government places on the seniors who built our country.
How many full cabinet meetings have you attended since you were appointed to this position in May?
Again, the determinations of how cabinet is arranged are within the portfolio of the Office of the Prime Minister, so I will direct you there.
With respect to the portfolio of seniors, I think that by having a secretary of state for seniors, the Prime Minister has shown leadership and dedication to ensuring that seniors have their perspectives represented throughout government decision making, particularly at a time where an agile, small cabinet is needed for really important economic decision making, given the times that we find ourselves in within the global economic context.
Thank you.
