From 1993 to 2003 and again from 2007 to 2008, the title of Secretary of State has been given to officials in the Government of Canada. Secretaries of State are members of the Ministry and the Queen's Privy Council for Canada, and are legally Ministers of State styled as secretaries. Just as ministers of state, they are assigned to assist Cabinet ministers, but unlike ministers of state are not themselves members of Cabinet.

For instance, the Secretary of State (Training and Youth) would assist the Minister for Human Resources and Development.

This usage is opposite to that in the United Kingdom, where junior Ministers generally report to more senior Secretaries of State.

These positions were first used by Jean Chrétien as a way to decrease the size of the cabinet without substantially decreasing the size of the ministry. When Paul Martin became Prime Minister in 2003, this usage ended, and he instead appointed Ministers of State and increased the powers of Parliamentary Secretaries to act in junior policy positions.

Martin's successor Stephen Harper resumed the use of secretaries of state in a cabinet shuffle on January 4, 2007, but went back to Ministers of State in his October 2008 cabinet.

This generic usage should not be confused with the former cabinet positions of Secretary of State for Canada (1867-1996) and Secretary of State for External Affairs (1909-1995).

[edit] 2007-2008 secretaries of state

• Helena Guergis, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport)
• Jay Hill, Secretary of State and Chief Government Whip
• Jason Kenney, Secretary of State (Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity)
• Marjory LeBreton, Secretary of State (Seniors). She is also the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
• Christian Paradis, Secretary of State (Agriculture) and Minister of Public Works and Government Services
• Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)
• James Moore Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific Gateway) (2010 Winter Olympics) (Official Languages)

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