Canadian Ministers of National Defence

1. George Perry Graham under King January 1 1923 - April 27 1923
* Edward Mortimer Macdonald (Acting) under King April 28 1923 - August 16 1923
2. Edward Mortimer Macdonald under King August 17 1923 - June 28 1926
* Hugh Guthrie (Acting) under Meighen June 29 1926 - July 12 1926
3. Hugh Guthrie under Meighen July 13 1926 - September 25 1926
vacant under King September 25 1926 - September 30 1926
* James Robb (Acting) under King October 1 1926 - October 7 1926
4. James Ralston under King October 8 1929 - August 7 1930
5. Donald Matheson Sutherland under Bennett August 7 1930 - November 16 1934
6. Grote Stirling under Bennett November 17 1934 - October 23 1935
7. Ian Alistair Mackenzie under King October 24 1935 - September 18 1939
8. Norman McLeod Rogers under King September 19 1939 - June 10 1940
* Charles Power (Acting) under King June 11 1940 - July 4 1940
James Ralston (2nd time) under King July 5 1940 - November 1 1944
9. Andrew McNaughton under King November 2 1944 - August 20 1945
10. Douglas Abbott under King August 21 1945 - December 9 1946
11. Brooke Claxton under King December 10 1946 - November 15 1948
Brooke Claxton (cont'd) under St-Laurent November 15 1948 - June 30 1954
12. Ralph Campney under St-Laurent July 1 1954 - June 20 1957
13. George Pearkes under Diefenbaker June 21 1957 - October 10 1960
14. Doug Harkness under Diefenbaker October 11 1960 - February 3 1963
vacant under Diefenbaker February 4 1963 - February 11 1963
15. Gordon Churchill under Diefenbaker February 12 1963 - April 21 1963
16. Paul Hellyer under Pearson April 22 1963 - September 18 1967
17. Léo Cadieux under Pearson September 1967 - April 19 1968
Léo Cadieux (cont'd) under Trudeau April 20 1968 - September 16 1970
* Bud Drury (Acting) under Trudeau September 17 1970 - September 23 1970
18. Donald Macdonald under Trudeau September 24 1970 - January 27 1972
19. Edgar Benson under Trudeau January 28 1972 - August 31 1972
* Jean-Eudes Dubé (Acting) under Trudeau September 1 1972 - September 6 1972
* Bud Drury (Acting) (2nd time) under Trudeau September 7 1972 - November 26 1972
20. James Richardson under Trudeau November 27 1972 - October 12 1976
* Barnett Danson (Acting) under Trudeau October 13 1976 - November 2 1976
21. Barnett Danson under Trudeau November 3 1976 - June 3 1979
22. Allan McKinnon under Clark June 4 1979 - March 2 1980
23. Gilles Lamontagne under Trudeau March 3 1980 - August 11 1983
24. Jean-Jacques Blais under Trudeau August 12 1983 - June 29 1984
Jean-Jacques Blais (cont'd) under Turner June 30 1984 - September 16 1984
25. Robert Coates under Mulroney September 17 1984 - February 11 1985
* Erik Nielsen (Acting) under Mulroney February 12 1985 - February 25 1985
26. Erik Nielsen under Mulroney February 26 1985 - June 29 1986
27. Perrin Beatty under Mulroney June 30 1986 - January 29 1989
28. Bill McKnight under Mulroney January 30 1989 - April 20 1991
29. Marcel Masse under Mulroney April 21 1991 - January 3 1993
30. Kim Campbell under Mulroney January 4 1993 - June 24 1993
31. Tom Siddon under Campbell June 25 1993 - November 3 1993
32. David Collenette under Chrétien November 4 1993 - October 4 1996
33. Doug Young under Chrétien October 5 1996 - June 10 1997
34. Art Eggleton under Chrétien June 11 1997 - June 25 2002
35. John McCallum under Chrétien June 26 2002 - December 11 2003
36. David Pratt under Martin December 12 2003 -

Before 1923, the responsibilities of the current National Defence portfolio were divided between the now-defunct posts of Minister of Militia and Defence (List) and Minister of the Naval Service (List).

See other lists of incumbents