Gordon S. Smith
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Smith was born in Montr‚al on July 19, 1941. He was educated
at McGill University and at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (Ph.D., Political Science, 1966).
Upon joining the Public Service of Canada, Mr. Smith worked first
in the Department of National Defence before moving to the
Department of External Affairs. In 1968 Mr. Smith was posted to
the Canadian Delegation to NATO where he was responsible for
nuclear and force planning affairs. In 1970 Mr. Smith came back
to Ottawa as he was named Senior Adviser to the Minister of
National Defence with responsibility for preparing the 1971 White
Paper.
In 1972 Mr. Smith was appointed to the Privy Council (Cabinet)
Office. There he was responsible for Machinery of Government,
Senior Personnel and, in his last few years, planning and
priority setting for the Government's policy and resource
allocation process. He became Deputy Secretary (Plans), the
second-ranking position in the Privy Council Office.
Mr. Smith was named Deputy Under-Secretary of State for External
Affairs, responsible for management and planning, in 1979. In
1980 Mr. Smith returned to the Privy Council Office as Associate
Secretary to the Cabinet responsible for a new policy and
expenditure management system and for security and intelligence.
In 1981 Mr. Smith became Secretary of the Ministry of State for
Social Development, a coordinating super-ministry for both policy
and resource allocation.
In 1985 Mr. Smith was appointed Deputy Minister, Political
Affairs, in the Department of External Affairs and International
Trade. Later that year he was named Permanent Representative and
Ambassador to NATO, a position he held until 1990.
In September of 1990 the Prime Minister appointed Mr. Smith
Secretary to the Cabinet for Federal-Provincial Relations. He was
the Government's senior adviser on unity and constitutional
questions.
Mr. Smith was appointed Ambassador to the European Communities in
September 1991. The Prime Minister appointed Mr. Smith Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs in August 1994. Mr. Smith is also the
Prime Minister's personal representative (Sherpa) for economic
summits.
