From 1867 until
World War II, prime ministers took upon themselves the responsibilities of being leader of the government in the House of Commons, organizing and coordinating House of Commons business with the other parties. The expansion of government responsibilities during the war led to Prime Minister
William Lyon Mackenzie King deciding to delegate the House leadership to one of his ministers. In 1946, the position of government
house leader was formally recognized. In 1968, Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau designated the government house leader as
president of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Under Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney, the roles of government house leader and president of the Privy Council were separated in 1989. Under Mulroney and his successors, the position of house leader would often be held by someone who was named a
minister of state without any portfolio responsibilities specified. Since 2003, this minister of state status has been obscured in all but the most official circumstances by the use of a "Leader of the Government in the House of Commons"
style in its place. Prime Minister
Paul Martin's first House Leader,
Jacques Saada was also the
minister responsible for democratic reform; however, with the election of a
minority government in the
2004 election, Martin appointed
Tony Valeri to the position of leader of the government in the House of Commons with no additional responsibilities. ==List of officeholders==