In Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an appointed minister of the Crown. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget, and program development lie with the deputy minister. The deputy minister is the functional head of the department in question, while the minister is the department's political master. Deputy ministers serve at the pleasure of the Governor General-in-Council and can sometimes lose their positions as a result of a change of the party in power, particularly if they are seen as too closely identified with the policies of the previous government. This should not be confused with the position of Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, who is not a deputy minister at all, but a politician and senior member of the Cabinet.