The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that Janice Charette, High Commissioner for Canada in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, will serve as Interim Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet, effective March 9, 2021, when Ian Shugart will take leave to undergo cancer treatment.
The Prime Minister took the opportunity to thank Mr. Shugart for his exceptional leadership over the past year in mobilizing the Public Service to quickly deliver support to Canadians during the global COVID-19 pandemic. We are all pulling for him as he faces these health challenges.
The Prime Minister also thanked Ms. Charette for agreeing to serve as the Interim Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet. Ms. Charette is well positioned to assume these responsibilities given her exceptional Public Service career and leadership experience, including as Clerk of the Privy Council from October 2014 to January 2016.