The Leader of the Government in the Senate (French: Leader du gouvernement au Sénat) is a Senator who leads the Government side in the Canadian Senate and is chiefly responsible for promoting and defending the Government's program in the Upper House. The government leader's counterpart on the Opposition benches is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. The Leader of the Government in the Senate is selected by the Prime Minister, and comes from the party that forms the Government in the Canadian House of Commons regardless of whether or not that party commands a majority or plurality in the Senate. The position has almost always been held by a cabinet minister, except briefly in 1926, from 1958–63 and since 2013.

At present, due to current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's 2014 decision to remove senators from the Liberal Party of Canada caucus, leaving them all effectively sitting as independent senators, no Leader of the Government in the Senate has been named in the 42nd Canadian Parliament. The situation has created some uncertainty about how the Senate will function, and how government legislation will be brought to the Senate. It is currently expected that a government leader will be named by an internal decision of the Senate Liberal caucus in early 2016.

Liberal-Conservative Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald (Ministry 1) (July 1, 1867 to November 5, 1873)

• Alexander Campbell (1st time) (July 1, 1867 to November 5, 1873)

Liberal Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie (Ministry 2) (November 5, 1873 to October 7, 1878)

• Luc Letellier de St-Just (November 5, 1873 to December 14, 1876)
• Sir Richard William Scott (1st time) (December 14, 1876 to October 7, 1878)

Conservative Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald (Ministry 3) (October 18, 1878 to June 6, 1891)

• Alexander Campbell (2nd time) (October 18, 1878 to January 26, 1887)
• Sir John J. C. Abbott May 12, 1887 to June 6, 1891)

Prime Minister Sir John J. C. Abbott (Ministry 4) (June 16, 1891 to October 30, 1893)

• Sir John J. C. Abbott (June 16, 1891 to October 30, 1893)

Prime Minister Sir John S. D. Thompson (Ministry 5) (October 31, 1893 to December 12, 1894)

• Sir Mackenzie Bowell (October 31, 1893 to December 12, 1894)

Prime Minister Sir Mackenzie Bowell (Ministry 6) (December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896)

• Sir Mackenzie Bowell (December 21, 1894 to April 27, 1896)

Prime Minister Sir Charles Tupper (Ministry 7) (April 27, 1896 to August 19, 1896)

• Sir Mackenzie Bowell (April 27, 1896 to August 19, 1896)

Liberal Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier (Ministry 8) (August 19, 1896 to October 6, 1911)

• Sir Oliver Mowat (August 19, 1896 to November 18, 1897)
• David Mills (November 18, 1897 to February 7, 1902)
• Sir Richard William Scott (2nd time) (December 14, 1902 to 1908)
• Sir Richard John Cartwright (1909 to October 6, 1911)

Conservative Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden (Ministry 9) (October 10, 1911 to October 12, 1917)

• Sir James Alexander Lougheed (October 10, 1911 to October 12, 1917)

Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden's Unionist Government (Ministry 10) (October 12, 1917 to July 10, 1920)

• Sir James Alexander Lougheed (October 12, 1917 to July 10, 1920)

Prime Minister Arthur Meighen (Ministry 11) (July 10, 1920 to December 28, 1921)

• Sir James Alexander Lougheed (July 10, 1920 to December 28, 1921)

Liberal Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (Ministry 12) (December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926)

• Raoul Dandurand (1st time) (December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926)

Conservative Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Arthur Meighen (Ministry 13) (June 28, 1926 to September 24, 1926)

• William Benjamin Ross (June 28, 1926 to September 24, 1926)

Liberal Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (Ministry 14) (September 25, 1926 to August 6, 1930)

• Raoul Dandurand (2nd time) (September 25, 1926 to August 6, 1930)

Conservative Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Richard B. Bennett (Ministry 15) (August 7, 1930 to October 22, 1935)

• Wellington Bartley Willoughby (August 7, 1930 to February 3, 1932)
• Arthur Meighen (February 3, 1932 to October 22, 1935)

Liberal Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King (Ministry 16) (October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948)

• Raoul Dandurand (3rd time) (October 23, 1935 to March 11, 1942)
• James Horace King (May 26, 1942 to August 24, 1945)
• Wishart McLea Robertson (August 24, 1945 to November 15, 1948)

Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent (Ministry 17) (November 15, 1948 to June 20, 1957)

• Wishart McLea Robertson (November 15, 1948 to October 14, 1953)
• William Ross Macdonald (1st time) (October 14, 1953 to June 20, 1957)

Progressive Conservative Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister John G. Diefenbaker (Ministry 18) (October 9, 1957 to April 21, 1963)

• John Thomas Haig (October 9, 1957 to May 11, 1958)
• Walter Morley Aseltine (May 12, 1958 to August 31, 1962)
• Alfred Johnson Brooks (August 1, 1962 to April 21, 1963)

Liberal Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson (Ministry 19) (April 22, 1963 to April 20, 1968)

• William Ross Macdonald (2nd time) (April 22, 1963 to February 2, 1964)
• John Joseph Connolly (February 3, 1964 to April 20, 1968)

Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Ministry 20) (April 20, 1968 to June 3, 1979)

• Paul Martin, Sr. (April 20, 1968 to August 7, 1974)
• Ray Perrault (1st time) (August 8, 1974 to June 3, 1979)

Progressive Conservative Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Joe Clark (Ministry 21) (June 4, 1979 to March 2, 1980)

• Jacques Flynn (June 4, 1979 to March 2, 1980)

Liberal Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau (Ministry 22) (March 3, 1980 to June 29, 1984)

• Ray Perrault (2nd time) (March 3, 1980 to September 29, 1982)
• Bud Olson (September 30, 1982 to June 29, 1984)

Prime Minister John Tuner (Ministry 23) (June 30, 1984 to September 16, 1984)

• Allan MacEachen (June 30, 1984 to September 16, 1984)

Progressive Conservative Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney (Ministry 24) (September 17, 1984 to June 24, 1993)

• Dufferin Roblin (September 17, 1984 to June 29, 1986)
• Lowell Murray (June 30, 1986 to June 24, 1993)

Prime Minister Kim Campbell (Ministry 25) (June 24, 1993 to November 3, 1993)

• Lowell Murray (June 24, 1993 to November 3, 1993)

Liberal Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (Ministry 26) (November 4, 1993 to December 11, 2003)

• Joyce Fairbairn (November 4, 1993 to June 10, 1997)
• Alasdair Bernard Graham (June 11, 1997 to October 3, 1999)
• J. Bernard Boudreau (October 4, 1999 to January 8, 2001)
• Sharon Carstairs (January 9, 2001 to December 11, 2003)

Prime Minister Paul Martin (Ministry 27) (December 12, 2003 to February 6, 2006)

• Jack Austin (December 12, 2003 to February 6, 2006)

Conservative Leaders of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Ministry 28) (February 6, 2006 to November 3, 2015)

• Marjory LeBreton (February 6, 2006 to July 14, 2013)
• Claude Carignan (August 20, 2013 to November 3, 2015)

Liberal Leader of the Government in the Senate

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Ministry 29) (November 4, 2015 to Present)

• Vacant (November 4, 2015 to Present)