 Wernick attended the last meeting of the Chrétien Cabinet, the first and last meetings of the Martin Cabinet and the first meeting of the Harper Cabinet.In May 2006 Wernick appointed Deputy Minister at the then Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, where he remained for eight years, serving Ministers Jim Prentice, Chuck Strahl, John Duncan and Bernard Valcourt.On October 1, 2014, the Public Policy Forum held a reception to recognize Wernick's eight-year tenure at Aboriginal and Northern Affairs.