This is a list of the premiers of the province of Quebec since Canadian Confederation in 1867. Quebec uses a unicameral (originally bicameral) Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the National Assembly (previously called the Legislative Assembly). The premier is Quebec's head of government, while the king of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the lieutenant governor of Quebec. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Quebec, and presides over that body.
Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every five 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.
This article only covers the time since the Canadian Confederation was created in 1867. For the premiers of the Canada East from 1840 to 1867, see List of joint premiers of the Province of Canada. The governments of Lower Canada from 1792 to 1840 were mostly controlled by representatives of the Crown.
Premiers of Quebec since 1867
edit| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | Riding | Ref. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (1820–1890) |
15 July 1867 |
25 February 1873 |
Title created (caretaker government)
|
Conservative | MLA for Québec-Comté | |||
| Resigned to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada. | ||||||||||
| 2 |  |
Gédéon Ouimet (1823–1905) |
27 February 1873 |
22 September 1874 |
Appointment (2nd Leg.) | Conservative | MLA for Deux-Montagnes | |||
| Resigned over Tanneries scandal. | ||||||||||
| 3 (1 of 2) |
 |
Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) |
22 September 1874 |
8 March 1878 |
Appointment (2nd Leg.)
|
Conservative | Councillor for Montarville | |||
| Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de St-Just after Letellier refused to approve legislation. | ||||||||||
| 4 |  |
Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (1829–1908) |
8 March 1878 |
31 October 1879 |
Appointment (3rd Leg.)
|
Liberal | MLA for Lotbinière | |||
| 5 |  |
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (1840–1898) |
31 October 1879 |
31 July 1882 |
Appointment (4th Leg.)
|
Conservative | MLA for Terrebonne | |||
| 6 |  |
Joseph-Alfred Mousseau (1837–1886) |
31 July 1882 |
23 January 1884 |
Appointment (5th Leg.) | Conservative | MLA for Jacques-Cartier | |||
| 7 |  |
John Jones Ross (1831–1901) |
23 January 1884 |
25 January 1887 |
Appointment (5th Leg.)
|
Conservative | Councillor for Shawinigan | |||
| 8 (1 of 2) |
 |
Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) |
25 January 1887 |
29 January 1887 |
Appointment (6th Leg.) | Conservative | MLA for Montcalm | |||
| 9 |  |
Honoré Mercier (1840–1894) |
29 January 1887 |
21 December 1891 |
Appointment (6th Leg.)
|
Parti National | MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe (1887-1890) MLA for Bonaventure |
|||
| Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor over charges of corruption. | ||||||||||
| — (2 of 2) |
|
Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) |
21 December 1891 |
16 December 1892 |
Appointment (7th Leg.)
|
Conservative | Councillor for Montarville | |||
| — (2 of 2) |
|
Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) |
16 December 1892 |
11 May 1896 |
Appointment (8th Leg.) | Conservative | MLA for Chambly | |||
| 10 |  |
Edmund James Flynn (1847–1927) |
12 May 1896 |
24 May 1897 |
Appointment (8th Leg.) | Conservative | MLA for Gaspé | |||
| Last Conservative premier. | ||||||||||
| 11 |  |
Félix-Gabriel Marchand (1832–1900) |
24 May 1897 |
25 September 1900 |
1897 election (9th Leg.) | Liberal | MLA for Saint-Jean | |||
| Died in office. | ||||||||||
| 12 |  |
Simon-Napoléon Parent (1855–1920) |
3 October 1900 |
23 March 1905 |
Appointment (9th Leg.)
|
Liberal | MLA for Saint-Sauveur | |||
| 13 |  |
Lomer Gouin (1861–1929) |
23 March 1905 |
23 March 1920 |
Appointment (11th Leg.)
|
Liberal | MLA for Montréal division no. 2 (1905-1908) MLA for Portneuf |
|||
| 14 |  |
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (1867–1952) |
9 July 1920 |
11 June 1936 |
Appointment (15th Leg.)
|
Liberal | MLA for Montmorency | |||
| Established Quebec Liquor Commission; attempted to create a Jewish school board; Great Depression. | ||||||||||
| 15 (1 of 2) |
 |
Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) |
11 June 1936 |
26 August 1936 |
Appointment (19th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1938) |
MLA for L'Islet | |||
| 16 (1 of 2) |
 |
Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) |
26 August 1936 |
8 November 1939 |
1936 election (20th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1936) |
MLA for Trois-Rivières | |||
| Padlock Law. | ||||||||||
| — (2 of 2) |
 |
Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) |
8 November 1939 |
30 August 1944 |
1939 election (21st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1938) |
MLA for L'Islet | |||
| Women's suffrage; established province's first labour code; nationalized Montreal Light, Heat & Power. | ||||||||||
| — (2 of 2) |
 |
Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) |
30 August 1944 |
7 September 1959 |
1944 election (22nd Leg.)
|
Union Nationale (Ldr. 1936) |
MLA for Trois-Rivières | |||
| "Grande Noirceur", Duplessis Orphans. Died in office. | ||||||||||
| 17 |  |
Paul Sauvé (1907–1960) |
11 September 1959 |
2 January 1960 |
Appointment (25th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1959) |
MLA for Deux-Montagnes | |||
| "100 Days of Change". Died in office. | ||||||||||
| 18 |  |
Antonio Barrette (1899–1968) |
8 January 1960 |
5 July 1960 |
Appointment (25th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1960) |
MLA for Joliette | |||
| 19 |  |
Jean Lesage (1912–1980) |
5 July 1960 |
16 June 1966 |
1960 election (26th Leg.)
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1958) |
MLA for Québec-Ouest | |||
| Quiet Revolution; established Ministry of Education; establishment of Hydro-Québec; | ||||||||||
| 20 |  |
Daniel Johnson Sr. (1915–1968) |
16 June 1966 |
26 September 1968 |
1966 election (28th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1961) |
MLA for Bagot | |||
| CEGEP; died in office. | ||||||||||
| 21 |  |
Jean-Jacques Bertrand (1916–1973) |
2 October 1968 |
12 May 1970 |
Appointment (28th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1969) |
MLA for Missisquoi (MNA after 1968) | |||
| Abolished the Legislative Council and renamed the Legislative Assembly to the National Assembly; Bill 63; last Union Nationale premier. | ||||||||||
| 22 (1 of 2) |
 |
Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) |
29 April 1970 |
25 November 1976 |
1970 election (29th Leg.)
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1970) |
MNA for Mercier | |||
| October Crisis; Official Languages Act (Bill 22); James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement; Cliche commission. | ||||||||||
| 23 |  |
René Lévesque (1922–1987) |
25 November 1976 |
3 October 1985 |
1976 election (31st Leg.)
|
Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1968) |
MNA for Taillon | |||
| Charter of the French Language (Bill 101); 1980 Quebec referendum; Patriation of the Canadian constitution discussions; beau risque. | ||||||||||
| 24 |  |
Pierre Marc Johnson (b. 1946) |
3 October 1985 |
12 December 1985 |
Appointment (32nd Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1985) |
MNA for Anjou | |||
| — (2 of 2) |
|
Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) |
12 December 1985 |
11 January 1994 |
1985 election (33rd Leg.)
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1983) |
MNA for Saint-Laurent | |||
| Meech Lake Accord; Charlottetown Accord. | ||||||||||
| 25 |  |
Daniel Johnson Jr. (b. 1944) |
11 January 1994 |
26 September 1994 |
Appointment (34th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1993) |
MNA for Vaudreuil | |||
| 26 |  |
Jacques Parizeau (1930–2015) |
26 September 1994 |
29 January 1996 |
1994 election (35th Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1988) |
MNA for L'Assomption | |||
| 1995 Quebec referendum; resigned after referendum loss. | ||||||||||
| 27 |  |
Lucien Bouchard (b. 1938) |
29 January 1996 |
8 March 2001 |
Appointment (35th Leg.)
|
Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1996) |
MNA for Jonquière | |||
| "Winning conditions"; implemented universal childcare and pharmacare. | ||||||||||
| 28 |  |
Bernard Landry (1937–2018) |
8 March 2001 |
29 April 2003 |
Appointment (36th Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 2001) |
MNA for Verchères | |||
| Paix des Braves. | ||||||||||
| 29 | .png) |
Jean Charest (b. 1958) |
29 April 2003 |
19 September 2012 |
2003 election (37th Leg.)
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1998) |
MNA for Sherbrooke | |||
| 2012 Quebec student protests, lost his own seat in 2012. | ||||||||||
| 30 |  |
Pauline Marois (b. 1949) |
19 September 2012 |
23 April 2014 |
2012 election (40th Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 2007) |
MNA for Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré | |||
| First woman to hold the office. Quebec Charter of Values. Lost her own seat in 2014. | ||||||||||
| 31 |  |
Philippe Couillard (b. 1957) |
23 April 2014 |
18 October 2018 |
2014 election (41st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 2013) |
MNA for Roberval | |||
| Ban on face coverings (Bill 62). | ||||||||||
| 32 | .jpg) |
François Legault (b. 1957) |
18 October 2018 |
incumbent | 2018 election (42nd Leg.)
|
Coalition Avenir Québec (Ldr. 2011) |
MNA for L'Assomption | |||
| Ban on religious symbols; COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||||||
See also
edit- Timeline of Quebec history
- List of deputy premiers of Quebec
- List of leaders of the Official Opposition of Quebec
- List of third party leaders (Quebec)
- List of premiers of Quebec by time in office
For more lists of this type, see Lists of incumbents.
References
edit- Government of Québec. "Nombre de premiers ministres et de gouvernements depuis 1867". Informations historiques (in French). National Assembly of Quebec. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
- Quebec Politique. "Élections English". QuébecPolitique.com. Retrieved December 16, 2006.