The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today welcomed the appointment of Patrick McDonell as the new Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons. This appointment is effective July 1, 2019.
Mr. McDonell was first appointed as Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and Director General of the House of Commons Protective Service in 2014, and has served as Acting Sergeant-at-Arms and Corporate Security Officer of the House of Commons since 2015. Prior to this, he served as Director of the Senate Protective Service, following a distinguished career of 31 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The Sergeant-at-Arms is appointed by the Governor in Council. As a senior official of the House of Commons, the Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for the effective and efficient operation of the Chamber of the House of Commons.
Under the direction of the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Sergeant-at-Arms performs a number of ceremonial functions and works together closely with the Director of the Parliamentary Protective Service to ensure security both inside and outside the Chamber.
Mr. McDonell was chosen as the nominee for the position of the Sergeant-at-Arms through the Government’s open, transparent, and merit-based appointment process.