This series includes incoming and outgoing correspondence exchanged by Allan J. MacEachen and his office with various individuals, associations, federal departments, agencies, companies, etc. from as far back as 1957 through to 1984. The earlier material in this sub-series are inherited files from former Secretaries of State for External Affairs Mitchell Sharp and Paul Martin. These documents capture the administrative procedures in the Department of External Affairs and the Office of the Minister of Finance and other offices held by MacEachen dating back to as early as 1957. There are a few documents that highlight MacEachen's first ministry as Secretary of State for External Affairs, but the majority of the files highlight his tenure as Minister of Finance and continue into his second tenure as Secretary of State for External Affairs, during the 1982-1984 period. There is also Deputy Prime Minister, Government House Leader and Privy Council material scattered throughout the series. The documents in this series are dated and stamped according to the office that MacEachen held at that time. In the same file there may be documents stamped with the Deputy Prime Minister stamp, the Privy Council office stamp or the Secretary of State for External Affairs stamp.
File classification code 1 relates to administration within the Minister's Office. This material includes files relating to accommodation, accounting, personnel and the transition process from one Minister to another. There are also files on the duties of the special assistants and records management procedures in the Minister's Office.
File classification code 2 is related to the organization and administration of the department, appearing to focus on the relationship between the Department and the Minister's Office. Also included are files on briefings for new External Affairs job descriptions and records dealing with ministerial correspondence.
File classification code 5 deals with communications in the Minister's office. This includes files on incoming and outgoing telegrams for 1974-1976.
File classification code 10 relates to Information Services correspondence, including complaints, inquiries and representations originating from respondents outside of Nova Scotia. Included in this collection of records is correspondence from Jim Coutts, advisor to Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau and correspondence relating to MacEachen's resignation from the House of Commons in 1984.
File block 20 deals with Federal departments and agencies and includes files on Federal-Provincial relations from a federal departmental perspective, the Falkland Islands mediation, Canada/US relations, Department of Labour files from 1972-1983, correspondence on the construction of a National Philatelic Centre in Antigonish, correspondence with the Prime Minister and material on the Canada Pension Plan.
File block 30 is specifically concerned with Federal-Provincial Relations and includes multiple files detailing financial support for the province of Nova Scotia and for MacEachen's own constituency, files on bilingualism in Nova Scotia, private and personal files, and comments on the Cape Breton Canada Works Program.
The files in block 40 are titled, "Companies, Associations, Boards", and are heavily biased towards companies operating in Nova Scotia, many of them asking the Minister for financial aid or support. Included are files on the sale of gas to Japan, the supply of heavy water to Pakistan, Romania and India and interest in the heavy water plant in Nova Scotia.
File block 50 is concerned with House of Commons operations and issues such as committees, attendance and reporting, as well as House requests for employment in the Minister's office, filed alphabetically. There are also files that take notice of the remarks made by Brian Mulroney in the House, requests from the Prime Minister's Office seeking advice from Minister, files relating to secret borrowing authority and finally, material highlighting MacEachen's close relationship with Prime Minister Trudeau. File block 51 is another issues-based block that includes subjects such as the chief electoral officer and representation commissioner, Conflict of Interest, Indian Affairs and First Nation funding in Newfoundland and Labrador, Multilateral Trade Negotiations, the Northern Pipeline, the Public Service, and televising of proceedings in Parliament.
File block 60 contains personal files, including appointments with the Minister, Christmas and Easter messages and cards, invitations to the Minister, anonymous and crank letters, letters of condolence, congratulatory messages on his appointments as Minister of External Affairs and his appointment to the Senate, visits and speaking engagements, visits by the Minister to Nova Scotia and visits of his constituents to Ottawa.
File block 70 is devoted to the Minister's constituency and more broadly to the Province of Nova Scotia.
File block 80 is reserved for political matters, with files on the federal Liberal Party, conferences, conventions, the Nova Scotia Liberal Party, Nova Scotia constituencies generally and specifically the Minister's own riding of Cape Breton Highlands-Canso.
File block 90 relates to Elections and there are files on returning officers and the federal elections of 1972, 1979 and 1980.
