Janice Charette

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Janice Charette
Photograph of Charette smiling.
Charette in London, 2019
Clerk of the Privy Council
Secretary to the Cabinet
In office
March 9, 2021 – June 24, 2023
Interim: March 9, 2021 – May 25, 2022
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byIan Shugart
Succeeded byJohn Hannaford
In office
October 6, 2014 – January 21, 2016
Prime Minister
Preceded byWayne Wouters
Succeeded byMichael Wernick
Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office
July 19, 2016 – March 9, 2021
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterJustin Trudeau
Preceded byGordon Campbell
Succeeded byRalph Goodale
Personal details
BornOttawa, Ontario, Canada
SpouseReg Charette
Children2
Alma materCarleton University (BCom)
Occupation
  • Civil servant
  • diplomat

Janice Charette is a Canadian public servant and diplomat who has served as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet from 2014 to 2016 and again from 2021 to 2023.[1] Charette was the Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2021.

Early and personal life

Born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario,[2] Charette attended Carleton University, where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Charette is married to Reg Charette. Together they have two adult children.[3]

Career

Charette joined the public service in 1984, working in the Department of Finance.[4]

  • 1988 – 1989— Policy Analyst, Office of Privatization and Regulatory Affair.[4]
  • 1989 – 1991— Senior Departmental Assistant, Office of the Minister of Finance.[4]
  • 1991 – 1992— Senior Policy Adviser, Federal-Provincial Relations Office.[4]
  • 1992 – 1993— Senior Departmental Assistant, Office of the Minister of Finance, then Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Office of the Prime Minister.[4]
  • 1994 – 1996— Co-ordinator, Base Closures Task Force, then Director of Operations, Program Review Secretariat, and Executive Director, Strategic Projects Unit, Privy Council Office.[4][5]

She served as the deputy minister for Citizenship and Immigration Canada from 2004 until 2006, and as the deputy minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada from 2006 until 2010.[4]

Charette was appointed as the clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet on August 20, 2014, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that she would replace Wayne Wouters, who served from 2009 to 2014.[6] She is the second woman to have held that post, which is the top civil service position in the federal government.

On January 22, 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Michael Wernick would replace Charette as clerk of the Privy Council.

On July 19, 2016, she was appointed as the Canadian high commissioner to the United Kingdom.[7][8][9] This was seen as a consolation prize after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abruptly removed Ms. Charette as the country's top bureaucrat shortly after taking power.[10][11]

On March 1, 2021, Prime Minister Trudeau announced that Charette would serve as interim clerk of the Privy Council Office starting on March 9, 2021 while current clerk Ian Shugart underwent cancer treatment.[12] She was subsequently permanently named to the position on May 25, 2022.[13][14]

Volunteer work

Charette is a member of the board of directors of Royal Ottawa Healthcare Group and on the advisory board of the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University.[15]

In 2008, she was national Chair for the United Way’s Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign, raising over CA$136 million for communities and national health charities across Canada.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Prime Minister announces the upcoming retirement of Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet Janice Charette". newswire.ca. Newswire. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Canada".
  3. ^ a b Government of Canada, Global Affairs Canada (2009-06-25). "Biography of HE Mrs. JANICE CHARETTE High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom for Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Permanent Representative of Canada to the International Maritime Organisation". canadainternational.gc.ca. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Background: Janice Charette, Canada's next Clerk of the Privy Council". Ottawa Citizen. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Mrs Janice Charette - Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada - OECD". oecd.org. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  6. ^ "PM announces appointment of Janice Charette as Clerk of the Privy Council". Prime Minister of Canada. 20 August 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Dion shakes up diplomatic ranks, replaces controversial Tory appointees". The Globe and Mail, July 19, 2016.
  8. ^ "Diplomatic appointments". Global Affairs Canada. 2016-07-19. Archived from the original on 2016-07-20.
  9. ^ "Diplomatic Life". Publishing Business. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
  10. ^ "Dion shuffles diplomatic ranks, replaces controversial Tory appointees". Retrieved 2020-09-01.
  11. ^ "Trudeau asks former top bureaucrat to assume interim job as Privy Council Clerk". Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  12. ^ "High commissioner to the U.K. will serve as interim Clerk of the Privy Council". ottawacitizen. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  13. ^ "The Prime Minister announces a change in the leadership of the Public Service". 25 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  14. ^ "Pardon my French". politico. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-27.
  15. ^ "Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada: Public Sector Leaders". Financial Post. Retrieved 2020-09-02.