Role of the Clerk

The Clerk of the Privy Council has three main roles:

• Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister
• Secretary to the Cabinet
• Head of the federal public service

The Clerk’s job is to advise the Prime Minister and elected Government officials in managing the country. The Clerk does so from an objective, non-partisan, public policy perspective. He also ensures Canada's federal public service is managed effectively and follows a code of value and ethics in its work to design and deliver high quality services and programs for Canadians and their families.

To do this, the Clerk and the team at the Privy Council Office:

• Work with departments and agencies to develop policy options and choices for the Government.
• Advise and support ministers in making policy decisions.
• Record Cabinet decisions, inform departments and agencies about them, and work with the public service to carry them out in a timely and effective way.