Subseries II - Cabinet Defence Committee

In October 1945, the Cabinet approved the establishing of the Cabinet Defence Committee to consider defence questions and to report to Cabinet upon matters of major policy relating to the maintenance and employment of the three services. The members were the Minister of National Defence, the Secretary of State for External Affairs and the Ministers of Air, Finance and Fisheries. In December 1946 the Prime Minister assumed the Chairmanship and the Minister of National Defence became its vice Chairman. In February 1953, the Minister of Defence Production, the Minister of Justice and the Associate minister of National Defence were appointed to the Cabinet Defence Committee while the Minister of Fisheries was removed. A number of officials often attended meetings where they could be asked to present a case or express their views. These included the Chairman Chiefs of Staff, the Chiefs of each service, the Chairman Defence Research Board, the deputy ministers of the member ministeries, and the Secretary to the Cabinet. In 1957, with the advent of the Diefenbaker administration, the Cabinet Defence Committee fell into some disuse. Meetings were eventually held when briefings to Ministers on complex subjects were necessary. When the committee continued in the Liberal administration under Mr. Pearson, it reflected the diminishing importance of defence in the national priorities of the government.