List of current Canadian premiers
Encyclopedia
Canada
is a country that occupies most of northern North America
, extending from the Atlantic Ocean
in the east to the Pacific Ocean
in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean
. A federation that comprises ten provinces and three territories
, Canada is a parliamentary democracy, with a Prime Minister as its head of government; and a constitutional monarchy
, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Each of the country's provinces and territories has a head of government, called the Premier to avoid confusion with the federal Prime Minister.
All but four of the Premiers are men. The longest-serving Premier is Jean Charest
of Quebec
, who has held the position since June 6, 2003; the newest Premier is Bob McLeod
of the Northwest Territories
, who assumed office on October 26, 2011. There are thirteen incumbent Premiers, of which four are from a Liberal Party, three are from a Conservative Party, two are from the New Democratic Party
, one is from the Saskatchewan Party
, one is from the Yukon Party
, and two are non-partisan
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
is a country that occupies most of northern North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, extending from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
in the east to the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. A federation that comprises ten provinces and three territories
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...
, Canada is a parliamentary democracy, with a Prime Minister as its head of government; and a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Each of the country's provinces and territories has a head of government, called the Premier to avoid confusion with the federal Prime Minister.
All but four of the Premiers are men. The longest-serving Premier is Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, who has held the position since June 6, 2003; the newest Premier is Bob McLeod
Bob McLeod (politician)
Bob McLeod is a Canadian politician. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, and currently the 12th Premier of the Northwest Territories having held that position since October 26, 2011.-Early life:...
of the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, who assumed office on October 26, 2011. There are thirteen incumbent Premiers, of which four are from a Liberal Party, three are from a Conservative Party, two are from the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
, one is from the Saskatchewan Party
Saskatchewan Party
The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic...
, one is from the Yukon Party
Yukon Party
The Yukon Party , is a conservative political party in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was previously known as the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.-Declining fortunes:...
, and two are non-partisan
Non-partisan democracy
Nonpartisan democracy is a system of representative government or organization such that universal and periodic elections take place without reference to political parties.-Overview:...
.
Current Canadian first ministers
First minister | Federation, province, or territory | Order | Party | Incumbency | First mandate began | Current mandate began | Parliament | Refer- ences |
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Federation | |||||||||
Stephen Harper Stephen Harper Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election... |
Canada | 22nd | Conservative Conservative Party of Canada The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum... |
2006 Election | 2011 Election | 41st 41st Canadian Parliament The 41st Canadian Parliament is the current Parliament of Canada, with the membership of its House of Commons having been determined by the results of the 2011 federal election held on May 2, 2011... |
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Provinces - Provincial Province A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to... Premiers |
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Dalton McGuinty Dalton McGuinty Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario.... |
Ontario Ontario Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.... |
24th | Ontario Liberal Party Ontario Liberal Party The Ontario Liberal Party is a provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. It has formed the Government of Ontario since the provincial election of 2003. The party is ideologically aligned with the Liberal Party of Canada but the two parties are organizationally independent and... |
2003 Election Ontario general election, 2003 The Ontario general election of 2003 was held on October 2, 2003, to elect the 103 members of the 38th Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.... |
2011 Election Ontario general election, 2011 The 40th Ontario general election was held on October 6, 2011 to elect members of the 40th Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Ontario Liberal Party will form a minority government, with the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario serving as the Official Opposition and the Ontario New... |
40th | |||
Jean Charest Jean Charest John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998.... |
Quebec Quebec Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level.... |
29th | Quebec Liberal Party | 2003 Election Quebec general election, 2003 The Quebec general election of 2003 was held on April 14, 2003, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec . The Parti libéral du Québec , led by Jean Charest, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Bernard Landry.-Unfolding:... |
2008 Election | 39th National Assembly of Quebec The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the... |
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Darrell Dexter Darrell Dexter Darrell Dexter is a Canadian lawyer, journalist and former naval officer who is serving as the 27th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. A member of the New Democratic Party, he has led the Nova Scotia NDP since 2001. He was elected Premier in 2009 after defeating... |
Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the... |
27th | New Democratic | 2009 Election | 2009 Election | 61st Nova Scotia House of Assembly The Nova Scotia Legislature, consisting of Her Majesty The Queen represented by the Lieutenant Governor and the House of Assembly, is the legislative branch of the provincial government of Nova Scotia, Canada... |
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David Alward David Alward David Nathan Alward is a Canadian politician, the 32nd and current Premier of New Brunswick.Alward has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick since 1999 and has been the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick since 2008... |
New Brunswick New Brunswick New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area... |
32nd | Progressive Conservative | 2010 Election | 2010 Election | 57th Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house... |
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Greg Selinger | Manitoba Manitoba Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other... |
21st | New Democratic New Democratic Party of Manitoba The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation... |
2009 Designation New Democratic Party of Manitoba leadership election, 2009 The New Democratic Party of Manitoba leadership election of 2009 was prompted by former leader Gary Doer's resignation. Doer announced on August 27, 2009 that he intended to resign as leader of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba and Premier of Manitoba and the next day he announced that he was to... |
2011 Election Manitoba general election, 2011 The 40th general election of Manitoba was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. It took place on October 4, 2011, due to the new fixed-date election laws... |
40th Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post... |
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Christy Clark Christy Clark Christina Joan "Christy" Clark, MLA is a Canadian politician, the 35th and current Premier of British Columbia, Canada... |
British Columbia British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858... |
35th | BC Liberal British Columbia Liberal Party The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election... |
2011 Designation British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election, 2011 The British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election of 2011 was prompted by Gordon Campbell's announcement on November 3, 2010 that he would be resigning as Premier of British Columbia and had asked the BC Liberal Party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date." The... |
2011 Designation British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election, 2011 The British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election of 2011 was prompted by Gordon Campbell's announcement on November 3, 2010 that he would be resigning as Premier of British Columbia and had asked the BC Liberal Party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date." The... |
39th Legislative Assembly of British Columbia The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament .... |
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Robert Ghiz Robert Ghiz Robert Watson Joseph Ghiz, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 31st Premier of Prince Edward Island since 2007... |
Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population... |
31st | Liberal Prince Edward Island Liberal Party The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party is a major political party in the province of Prince Edward Island, Canada. The PEI Liberals are aligned with the federal Liberal Party of Canada. The party is led by Robert Ghiz, a former member of the staff of the Prime Minister's Office under Prime Minister... |
2007 Election Prince Edward Island general election, 2007 The 63rd Prince Edward Island general election was held on May 28, 2007. It elected members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Prince Edward Island, Canada... |
2011 Election | 64th Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island The Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island, along with the Lieutenant-Governor, forms the parliament of the province. The General Assembly meets at Province House, which is located at the intersection of Richmond and Great George Streets in Charlottetown.... |
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Brad Wall Brad Wall Bradley John "Brad" Wall, MLA is a Canadian politician who has been the 14th Premier of Saskatchewan since November 21, 2007.... |
Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota.... |
14th | Saskatchewan Party Saskatchewan Party The Saskatchewan Party is a conservative liberal political party in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The party was established in 1997 by a coalition of former provincial Progressive Conservative and Liberal party members and supporters who sought to remove the Saskatchewan New Democratic... |
2007 Election Saskatchewan general election, 2007 The 26th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2007; the writ was dropped on October 10, 2007. The election determined the composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.... |
2011 Election Saskatchewan general election, 2011 The 27th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2011, to elect 58 members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan . The election was called on October 10 by the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, on the advice of Premier Brad Wall... |
27th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan The 25th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan was in power from 2003 until November 20, 2007. It was controlled by the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party under premier Lorne Calvert.-Members:-By-elections:... |
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Alison Redford Alison Redford Alison Merrilla Redford Q.C., MLA, is a Canadian politician, and the 14th and current Premier of Alberta, Canada. Upon winning the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta, in October 2011, she became the first female premier in Alberta... |
Alberta Alberta Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces... |
14th | Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta... |
2011 Designation Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election, 2011 The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election, 2011 was prompted by Ed Stelmach's announcement that he would not be seeking re-election in the 28th general election and therefore would be resigning as leader of the Progressive Conservatives... |
2011 Designation Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election, 2011 The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election, 2011 was prompted by Ed Stelmach's announcement that he would not be seeking re-election in the 28th general election and therefore would be resigning as leader of the Progressive Conservatives... |
27th Legislative Assembly of Alberta The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton... |
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Kathy Dunderdale Kathy Dunderdale Kathleen Mary Margaret "Kathy" Dunderdale MHA is a Canadian politician and the tenth and current Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, having served in this capacity since December 3, 2010... |
Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... |
10th | Progressive Conservative Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador For pre-1949 Conservative parties see Conservative parties in Newfoundland The Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador is a centre-right provincial political party in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Originally founded in 1949 the party has formed the Government of... |
2010 Designation Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leadership election, 2011 The 2011 Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leadership election was prompted by Danny Williams' announcement that he was resigning as premier and party leader on December 3, 2010. Premier Kathy Dunderdale, who was sworn in after Williams' resignation, was the only eligible... |
2011 Election Newfoundland and Labrador general election, 2011 The 48th Newfoundland and Labrador general election occurred on October 11, 2011, to elect members of the 47th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the 19th election for the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada... |
47th Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St... |
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Territories - Territorial Premiers | |||||||||
Bob McLeod Bob McLeod (politician) Bob McLeod is a Canadian politician. He is currently a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, and currently the 12th Premier of the Northwest Territories having held that position since October 26, 2011.-Early life:... |
Northwest Territories Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south... |
12th | N/A Consensus government Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.... |
2011 Election Northwest Territories general election, 2011 The 2011 Northwest Territories general election, the 22nd in its history, took place on October 3, 2011. Nineteen members were returned to the 17th Legislative Assembly from single member districts conducted under first-past-the-post voting system.... |
2011 Election Northwest Territories general election, 2011 The 2011 Northwest Territories general election, the 22nd in its history, took place on October 3, 2011. Nineteen members were returned to the 17th Legislative Assembly from single member districts conducted under first-past-the-post voting system.... |
17th | |||
Darrell Pasloski Darrell Pasloski Darrell Thomas Pasloski is a territorial politician from the Yukon, Canada, currently serving as leader of the Yukon Party and as Premier of Yukon.-Court case:... |
Yukon Yukon Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in.... |
8th | Yukon Party Yukon Party The Yukon Party , is a conservative political party in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was previously known as the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.-Declining fortunes:... |
2011 Designation | 2011 Election | 33rd Yukon Legislative Assembly -History:From 1900 to 1978, the elected legislative body in the Yukon was the Yukon Territorial Council, a ten-member body which did not act as the primary government, but was a non-partisan advisory body to the Commissioner of the Yukon... |
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Eva Aariak | Nunavut Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993... |
2nd | N/A Consensus government Consensus government is a form of consensus democracy government in Canada in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, as well as Nunatsiavut, an autonomous area in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.... |
2008 Election Nunavut general election, 2008 The Third Nunavut General Election took place on October 27, 2008 to return members to the 3rd Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. The election was contested across 15 of Nunavut's 19 electoral districts under the first past the post system of voting... |
2008 Election Nunavut general election, 2008 The Third Nunavut General Election took place on October 27, 2008 to return members to the 3rd Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. The election was contested across 15 of Nunavut's 19 electoral districts under the first past the post system of voting... |
3rd Legislative Assembly of Nunavut The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut, Canada, is located in Iqaluit, and is the territory's parliament.The Legislative Assembly of Nunavut was opened by Queen Elizabeth II, as Queen of Canada, on 7 October 2002, during her Golden Jubilee tour of Canada... |