Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister (Canada) hold the formal title chief of staff. Bernard Roy, Brian Mulroney's principal secretary from 1984 to 1988, was the last principal secretary to act as head of the PMO before the creation of the chief of staff position. Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister (Canada) The Chief of Staff of Canada's Prime Minister's Office is the top official of the office. The position was created in 1987 to head the PMO. Prior to the creation of the chief of staff position, the office was headed by the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary, a position which is now secondary to the
Prime Minister of Australia time to time Prime Ministers are required to leave the country on government business and a deputy acts in their place during that time. In the days before jet aircraft, such absences could be for extended periods. For example, William Watt was acting Prime Minister for 16 months, from April 1918 until August 1919, when Prime Minister Billy Hughes was away at the Paris Peace Conference, and Senator George Pearce was acting Prime Minister for more than seven months in 1916. An acting Prime Minister is also appointed when the prime minister takes leave. The Deputy Prime Minister most commonly