 Although he was only 58 at the time of joining government , his health was suffering . He was short of energy and required a car to transport him even the several hundred metres from his Ottawa residence to the Canadian House of Commons . Because of this , he was given relatively undemanding portfolios : Minister of Customs and Inland Revenue , Minister of Public Works , and Secretary of State . Hall has called him among the least visible of Borden 's ministers . Because of his health and his short tenure in each position , he made very little impact . Despite this , Sifton was highly regarded by his colleagues . Borden himself later stated " there was no one in whose judgment I placed firmer reliance " . Sifton was appointed to the Imperial Privy Council in the 1920 New Year Honours , entitling him to the style " The Right Honourable " . 
