He held many cabinet positions in Sir Robert Borden's Cabinet, including Postmaster General, Minister of Mines, Secretary of State of Canada, and Minister of Inland Revenue. As well, he was Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees of the Whole of the House of Commons.
In March 1917, he resigned his position as Postmaster General of Canada to become a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Army. He then went on a recruitment tour in a bid to get more French Canadians to join the war effort.
1The office of Postmaster General was abolished when the Post Office Department became a Crown Corporation known as the Canada Post Corporation on October 16, 1981.
1The department was eliminated in 1993 when the government was reorganized. The position of Secretary of State for Canada was not legally eliminated until 1996 when its remaining responsibilities were assigned to other cabinet positions and departments, particularly the newly created position of Minister of Canadian Heritage.
