In the Canadian system, the papers of Canadian Prime Ministers are deemed to
be personal, however, the majority of these papers are held by the National
Archives of Canada.  Prime Minsters are encouraged to donate their papers to
the National Archives, and may, if they wish, receive a tax deduction based
upon their appraised value.  Access to these documents are in accordance with
restrictions established through consultation with the donor.  I was recently
employed in helping to arrange the papers of three of our recent former Prime
Ministers.
 
Of course, the Prime Minister is actually our Head of Government.  The Head
of State is the Governor General, as representative of the Crown.  The papers
of the Office of the Governor General are deemed to be government records and
are held by the National Archives.
 
Daniel German
National Archives of Canada
 
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The above comments or opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily
reflect those of his employer.