What is the caretaker convention in Canada?

The caretaker convention is the constitutional convention that the government acts in a restrained way during a federal election period, avoiding major policy decisions, significant appointments, and important policy announcements unless absolutely necessary. The convention applies from the moment Parliament is dissolved for an election until a new government has been formed (or the same government has been reconfirmed) after the election.

The caretaker convention recognises that during an election period, the government technically remains in office but lacks a current democratic mandate. The incumbent Prime Minister and Cabinet continue to operate the government for essential and routine matters, but they are expected to defer major decisions to the new government that will take office after the election. The convention is fundamentally about respect for the democratic process and the voters' role in choosing the next government.

The Privy Council Office issues caretaker guidelines at the start of each election period, describing the convention's application in current circumstances. The 2021 Privy Council Office Caretaker Convention guidelines (still broadly applicable) instructed federal departments to avoid: making major policy decisions, executing major contracts, making significant appointments, taking government-wide policy positions on contested issues, announcing new programmes, and signing major international agreements. Routine government business (paying bills, processing applications, responding to constituent concerns, administering existing programmes) continues normally.

The caretaker convention has been tested occasionally. The 2025 federal election period (from dissolution March 23 to Election Day April 28) included Mark Carney's Cabinet making significant decisions including the federal carbon-tax consumer-fuel-charge removal (announced before Parliament was dissolved but implemented April 1, 2025 during the election period). Critics argued that the timing violated the spirit of the caretaker convention; supporters argued that the policy had been previously announced and was a response to Canada-US trade tensions that required prompt action. Other notable caretaker controversies include the David Emerson floor-crossing (February 6, 2006, immediately after the January 23, 2006 federal election) and various appointments made shortly before or after election periods. The caretaker convention applies similarly at the provincial level during provincial elections.