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Ian Douglas Shugart PC (May 31, 1957 – October 25, 2023) was a Canadian politician, professor, and public servant who served as a senator from Ontario from September 2022 until his death in October 2023. Prior to his appointment to the Senate, Shugart held a number of senior roles within the Public Service of Canada, including as the 24th clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet from 2019 to 2021.

Education

Shugart graduated from Trinity College at the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Arts in political economy.

Career

Political staffer

Shugart began his career in Ottawa in 1980 as a political staffer, where he was a constitutional policy advisor to Progressive Conservative (PC) leader Joe Clark and later policy director under Brian Mulroney, when the PCs formed the Official Opposition. Mulroney formed government in 1984 and Shugart worked as a senior policy advisor to the minister of national health and welfare, Jake Epp. When Epp became minister of energy, mines and resources in 1989, Shugart became his chief of staff.

Public Service

In 1991, Shugart joined the Public Service of Canada, taking a job as the assistant secretary for the social policy and programs branch in the Federal-Provincial Relations Office. He would go on to serve in a number of roles in the federal government, including as the executive director of the Medical Research Council (1993–1997), as an assistant deputy minister with Health Canada (1997–2006), and as the associate deputy minister with Environment Canada (2006–2008).

Shugart was promoted to deputy minister for Environment Canada in 2006, where he supported international climate change negotiations and the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2010, he joined Employment and Social Development Canada as its deputy minister, where he worked on labour market and income security initiatives. He became deputy minister of foreign affairs at Global Affairs Canada in 2016, where he managed national security issues and bilateral relationships.

Clerk of the Privy Council

In 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Shugart would become the 24th clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to the Cabinet – the head of the Public Service – following the resignation of Michael Wernick.

In 2021, Shugart stepped aside in order to receive cancer treatment. Former clerk Janice Charette, Canada's high commissioner to the United Kingdom assumed the role on an interim basis.

Senate

Ian Shugart was appointed to the Senate on September 26, 2022, by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after a career in government spanning over 40 years.  Health issues delayed his maiden speech in the upper chamber until June 2023.

"Last week in this place, many honourable senators spoke about the risks to democracy in our country. Today, I would like to add what I hope might be a useful contribution to those observations," Shugart said. "I am going to speak about the idea of restraint — an idea, a discipline, that has proven essential in our constitutional and institutional development."

Retirement

In 2022 Shugart retired and Janice Charette assumed the role of clerk.

Shugart joined the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy in May 2022 as a part-time professor.

On September 26, 2022, Shugart was sworn in as a member of the King's Privy Council for Canada.

Death

Ian Shugart died on October 25, 2023, at the age of 66. His death was announced in the Senate that same day.

References

1. "Top bureaucrat Michael Wernick to step down April 19 after SNC-Lavalin controversy". Canadian Press. March 29, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2020 – via Global News.
2. "Ian Shugart". Munk School of Global Affairs. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
3. ^ "Ian Shugart". Office of the Prime Minister. March 18, 2019. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
4. ^ "Ian Shugart replaces Michael Wernick as the country's top public servant". Ottawa Citizen. March 19, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
5. ^ Forrest, Maura (March 18, 2019). "Who is Ian Shugart, the man who will replace Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick?". National Post. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
6. ^ "Ian Shugart, Canada's top public servant, appointed as Munk School professor". Munk School of Global Affairs. May 26, 2022. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
7. ^ "Ian Shugart". Office of the Prime Minister. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
8. "Ian Shugart, Canada's top civil servant, to take time off to seek cancer treatment". Canadian Press. February 8, 2021. Retrieved October 26, 2023 – via Global News.
9. "The Prime Minister announces the appointment of two Senators". Office of the Prime Minister. September 26, 2022. Archived from the original on April 9, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
10. "Ian Shugart appointed to Senate of Canada". Munk School of Global Affairs. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
11. "Senator Ian Shugart, P.C." Senate of Canada. Archived from the original on February 21, 2023. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
12. Wherry, Aaron (June 23, 2023). "Self-control in politics is a boring virtue — and an absolutely necessary one". CBC News. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
13. May, Kathryn (June 16, 2022). "Public service finally has a new boss, and she's the old boss". Policy Options. Archived from the original on June 29, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
14. "King's Privy Council for Canada". Government of Canada. October 25, 2023. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
15. "The passing of the Honourable Ian Shugart, P.C." Senate of Canada. October 25, 2023. Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.

External links

• Official biography

• 1957 births
• 2023 deaths
• Clerks of the Privy Council (Canada)
• Trinity College (Canada) alumni
• Canadian senators from Ontario
• Independent Canadian senators
• Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
• Politicians from Ottawa
• Canadian federal deputy ministers