| 1. | Allan MacEachen | under Trudeau | September 16 1977 - June 3 1979 |
| vacant | under Clark | June 4 1979 - March 2 1980 | |
| Allan MacEachen (2nd time) | under Trudeau | March 3 1980 - June 29 1984 | |
| 2. | Jean Chrétien | under Turner | June 30 1984 - September 16 1984 |
| 3. | Erik Nielsen | under Mulroney | September 17 1984 - June 29 1986 |
| 4. | Don Mazankowski | under Mulroney | June 30 1986 - June 24 1993 |
| 5. | Jean Charest | under Campbell | June 25 1993 - November 3 1993 | 6. | Sheila Copps | under Chrétien | November 4 1993 - April 30 1996 |
| vacant | under Chrétien | May 1 1996 - June 18 1996 | |
| Sheila Copps (2nd time) | under Chrétien | June 19 1996 - June 10 1997 | |
| 7. | Herb Gray | under Chrétien | June 11 1997 - January 14 2002 |
| 8. | John Manley | under Chrétien | January 15 2002 - December 11 2003 |
| 9. | Anne McLellan | under Martin | December 12 2003 - |
See other lists of incumbents