List of premiers of Manitoba

The Canadian province of Manitoba was created in 1870.[1] Manitoba has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The premier is Manitoba's head of government, and the King of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Manitoba, and then presides over that body.[2]

Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election, but the premier may ask for early dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. An election may also happen if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.[3]

Before 1888, Manitoba had no formal party system; premiers were officially non-partisan and were chosen by elected members of the Legislative Assembly from among themselves.[4]

Manitoba has had 24 individuals serve as premier since the province was formed, of which six were non-partisan, nine were Progressive Conservatives, four were Liberals, five were New Democrats and one was Progressive. However, during the early years of the province, the leading minister in the legislature was designated provincial secretary and the government was de facto led by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba; it was not until 1874 that responsible government was introduced and the title of "premier" used.[5] The early provincial secretaries, as the most prominent elected officials in the province, are retroactively counted as premiers in modern sources.

This article only covers the time since the province was created in 1870. Before that, the territory was part of the District of Assiniboia in Rupert's Land, and was loosely controlled by the Hudson's Bay Company.[6]

Wab Kinew is the incumbent premier, since October 2023.

On 7 December 2023, Louis Riel was granted the honorary title of "First Premier of Manitoba" after the Louis Riel Act received royal assent.[7][8] As it is an honorary title, however, Alfred Boyd remains the official first premier of the province.

Premiers of Manitoba

List of premiers by time in office

Rank Premier Incumbency Terms of office Mandates Party Ref.
1 John Bracken 20 years, 159 days August 8, 1922 January 14, 1943 5[a]  Progressive [9]
2 Rodmond Roblin 14 years, 195 days October 29, 1900 May 12, 1915 4  Conservative [9]
3 Thomas Greenway 11 years, 352 days January 19, 1888 January 6, 1900 3  Liberal [9]
4 Gary Filmon 11 years, 149 days May 9, 1988 October 5, 1999 3  Progressive Conservative [10]
5 Gary Doer 10 years, 14 days October 5, 1999 October 19, 2009 3  New Democratic [10]
6 Douglas Lloyd Campbell 9 years, 229 days November 13, 1948 June 30, 1958 2  Liberal–Progressive [9]
7 Dufferin Roblin 9 years, 150 days June 30, 1958 November 27, 1967 4  Progressive Conservative [9]
8 John Norquay 9 years, 69 days October 16, 1878 December 24, 1887 4  Independent [9]
9 Edward Schreyer 8 years, 132 days July 15, 1969 November 24, 1977 2  New Democratic [10]
10 Tobias Norris 7 years, 88 days May 12, 1915 August 8, 1922 2  Liberal [9]
11 Greg Selinger 6 years, 197 days October 19, 2009 May 3, 2016 1  New Democratic [10]
12 Howard Pawley 6 years, 161 days November 30, 1981 May 9, 1988 2  New Democratic [10]
13 Stuart Garson 5 years, 304 days January 14, 1943 November 13, 1948 1  Liberal–Progressive [9]
14 Brian Pallister 5 years, 121 days May 5, 2016 September 1, 2021 2  Conservative
15 Sterling Lyon 3 years, 358 days November 24, 1977 November 17, 1981 1  Conservative [9]
16 Robert Atkinson Davis 3 years, 317 days December 3, 1874 October 16, 1878 1  Independent [9]
17 Henry Joseph Clarke 2 years, 116 days March 14, 1872 July 8, 1874 0  Independent [9]
18 Wab Kinew (incumbent) 2 years, 67 days October 18, 2023 Incumbent 1  New Democratic
19 Heather Stefanson 1 year, 350 days November 2, 2021 October 18, 2023 0  Conservative
20 Walter Weir 1 year, 230 days November 27, 1967 July 15, 1969 0  Conservative [9]
21 Alfred Boyd 1 year, 89 days September 16, 1870 December 14, 1871 1  Independent [9]
22 Hugh John Macdonald 292 days January 10, 1900 October 29, 1900 1  Conservative [9]
23 Marc-Amable Girard 91 days December 14, 1871 March 14, 1872 0  Independent [9]
24 Kelvin Goertzen 62 days September 1, 2021 November 2, 2021 0  Progressive Conservative
25 David Howard Harrison 24 days December 26, 1887 January 19, 1888 0  Independent [9]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Includes the 1922 election won by the leaderless Progressives who asked Bracken to lead their government after the election.

References

General
  • "Dates of Manitoba General Elections". Elections Manitoba. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
  • "Provincial Premiers". Elections Manitoba. Retrieved September 6, 2013.
Specific
  1. ^ "Entered Confederation: 1870". Library and Archives Canada. May 10, 2001. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  2. ^ "Roles and Responsibilities". Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  3. ^ "Legislative Terminology" (PDF). Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Government of Manitoba. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  4. ^ "Friendly Rivalries: Manitoba Elections Since 1966". CBC. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  5. ^ Davd Burley, "The Emergence of the Premiership, 1870-1874," Manitoba Premiers of the 19th and 20th centuries, Barry Ferguson and Robert Wardhaugh, eds., Great Plains, 2010
  6. ^ "Territorial Evolution, 1870". Natural Resources Canada. April 6, 2004. Archived from the original on June 28, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
  7. ^ The Louis Riel Act, S.M. 2023, c. 48
  8. ^ Buffie, Nicole (19 February 2024). "Riel Formally Recognized as First Premier". Winnipeg Free Press.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "Biographies of Deceased Members". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. August 4, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Biographies of Living Members". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. November 4, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2013.