Cabinet Secretariat supports the work of the Premier and Cabinet. As the central decision-making body of the executive branch of government, Cabinet is the forum in which Ministers reach agreement on goals, policies, and programs. In practice, all significant decisions or actions taken by the executive branch are first discussed and collectively agreed upon by Cabinet. The Premier is the Chair of Cabinet and manages the Cabinet process, through which overall government policy is established and initiatives brought forward by ministers are coordinated. Cabinet and its committees are composed solely of ministers, who serve at pleasure and are appointed, re-assigned, or removed based on the Premier’s advice to the Lieutenant Governor. There are currently five standing committees of Cabinet:
- Planning and Priorities Committee;
- Committee on Routine Matters and Appointments;
- Treasury Board;
- Economic Policy Committee; and,
- Social Policy Committee.
Cabinet Secretariat is the branch of the Office of the Executive Council that provides non-partisan policy advice and support directly to the Premier and Cabinet. Cabinet Secretariat supports the Premier and Cabinet by:
- Coordinating and facilitating meetings of Cabinet and its committees;
- Providing objective, non-partisan analysis, advice, and information to Cabinet and its committees to enable informed decisions;
- Providing policy support and coordination to ensure departmental initiatives align with government priorities;
- Recording and clearly communicating decisions made by Cabinet and its committees to the public service for implementation;
- Providing objective advice and support on the governance of, and appointments to, agencies, boards and commissions in accordance with the Public Service Commission Act and the Independent Appointments Commission Act; and,
- Providing general operational and administrative services to the Office of the Premier.
The Clerk of the Executive Council and Secretary to Cabinet is the most senior civil servant in the province. Responsible to the Premier, the Clerk serves as secretary to the Cabinet, permanent head of the Office of the Executive Council, and head of the public service.
Other executive members of the Secretariat include the Deputy Clerk and Associate Secretary to Cabinet, Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Economic Policy), Assistant Secretary to Cabinet (Social Policy), and Assistant Deputy Clerk. Cabinet Secretariat also employs Cabinet Officers (individuals on secondment for professional development from elsewhere in the public service who provide policy support to Cabinet and its committees) and officials with responsibility for information management, access to information and protection of privacy matters, and administrative support.
Lines of Business
In fulfilling its mandate, Cabinet Secretariat provides the following lines of business:
1) Support to the Premier and Cabinet
Cabinet Secretariat provides support to the Premier’s role of setting overall government policy by coordinating initiatives brought forward by ministers and developing responses to government-level issues. The Secretariat provides executive leadership to ensure effective and efficient operation of the Cabinet decision-making processes through liaison with ministers and departmental executives; generation of objective policy analysis; preparation of briefing materials; coordination and facilitation of meetings of Cabinet and its committees (except the Treasury Board); accurate recording of Cabinet decisions; and, communication of Cabinet decisions for successful implementation by departments.
Cabinet Secretariat also coordinates the legislative agenda by supporting the Government House Leader and working with the Office of the Legislative Counsel to ensure that bills for consideration in the House of Assembly are prepared in accordance with the decisions of Cabinet and ready for introduction into the House of Assembly, when required; and monitoring the progress of bills and Royal Assent, as well as ensuring proclamation procedures are followed.
2) Support to the Lieutenant Governor and Other Dignitaries
Cabinet Secretariat supports the Lieutenant Governor in fulfilling both official and ceremonial functions, as well as the operations of the Lieutenant Governor’s Establishment. Cabinet Secretariat ensures effective flow of information on matters that involve the Lieutenant Governor and the Premier, such as the installation of the Lieutenant Governor; the delivery of the Speech from the Throne by the Lieutenant Governor; the opening or prorogation of the House of Assembly by the Lieutenant Governor; and swearing-in ceremonies for ministers in the Cabinet. In addition, any statutory reference to a decision, regulation, or order of the “Lieutenant-Governor in Council” requires a decision of Cabinet and subsequent approval of the Lieutenant Governor, formally recorded through the issuance of Orders in Council (OCs).
The Provincial Protocol Office in Cabinet Secretariat provides consultative and operational assistance in the organization and management of VIP visits, government ceremonial events, conferences, public events and hospitality functions. Cabinet Secretariat also assists in ceremonial duties related to the selection and presentation of honorary awards such as the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Newfoundland and Labrador Award for Bravery.
3) Financial, Operational and Administrative Services
The Financial Administration Division provides financial management and advisory services to various departments/divisions within the corporate structure (the Office of the Executive Council, the Department of Finance, the Public Service Commission and the Consolidated Fund Services). Responsibilities include the provision of financial, accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, and general operations services to the designated departments/divisions. The division also ensures that all employees are informed of departmental and general government guidelines and procedures relating to the above services.
4) Information Management, Protection and Disclosure
Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for adherence to the Management of Information Act as it applies to Cabinet records and information protection and privacy requirements, as prescribed under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 (ATIPPA). Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the Office of the Executive Council has proper information management policies and processes and arranges for appropriate access to highly-classified information systems to facilitate the exchange of confidential documents to support the Premier and Cabinet. Cabinet Secretariat also assesses requests for confidential Cabinet records under ATIPPA, gathers responsive records, and prepares information for release in compliance with ATIPPA.
5) Recognition of Public Service Excellence
The Public Service Award of Excellence is a peer-nominated award and is presented annually by the Premier and the Clerk of the Executive Council to employees of any department or central agency of government. It recognizes individuals and teams who have made outstanding contributions to the public service and is the highest honour an employee can receive from the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Recipients of the Public Service Award of Excellence are selected by a committee made up of persons who are familiar with, but outside of, the public service.
6) Building Executive Capacity
Cabinet Secretariat partners with the Public Service Commission to develop executive capacity through executive recruitment; on-boarding for new appointees to executive positions; and ongoing learning and development to support leadership advancement and effectiveness in the public service. Learning and development includes, but is not limited to: learning plans; speaker series; opportunities for executive collaboration and engagement across departments; and other learning and development activities and secondment opportunities in a variety of areas such as governance, planning and reporting, evaluation, and policy analysis.
More information about specific topics can be found at the links below (some feature links may take you away from this site: