List of premiers of Quebec
This is a list of the premiers of the province of Quebec, Canada, since 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
Conservative Party Quebec Liberal Party Union Nationale Parti Québécois Coalition Avenir Québec
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Conservative | MLC 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 |
|
Liberal | MLA for Lotbinière | |||
5 | Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (1840–1898) |
31 October 1879 |
31 July 1882 |
|
Conservative | MLA for Terrebonne | |||
6 | Joseph-Alfred Mousseau (1837–1886) |
31 July 1882 |
23 January 1884 |
|
Conservative | MLA for Jacques-Cartier | |||
7 | John Jones Ross (1831–1901) |
23 January 1884 |
25 January 1887 |
|
Conservative | MLC for Shawinigan | |||
8 (1 of 2) |
Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) |
25 January 1887 |
29 January 1887 |
|
Conservative | MLA for Montcalm | |||
9 | Honoré Mercier (1840–1894) |
29 January 1887 |
21 December 1891 |
|
Parti National | MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe (1887-1890) MLA for Bonaventure (1890-1891) |
|||
Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor over charges of corruption. | |||||||||
— (2 of 2) |
Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) |
21 December 1891 |
16 December 1892 |
|
Conservative | MLC for Montarville | |||
— (2 of 2) |
Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) |
16 December 1892 |
11 May 1896 |
|
Conservative | MLA for Chambly | |||
10 | Edmund James Flynn (1847–1927) |
12 May 1896 |
24 May 1897 |
|
Conservative | MLA for Gaspé | |||
Last Conservative premier. | |||||||||
11 | Félix-Gabriel Marchand (1832–1900) |
24 May 1897 |
25 September 1900 |
|
Liberal | MLA for Saint-Jean | |||
Died in office. | |||||||||
12 | Simon-Napoléon Parent (1855–1920) |
3 October 1900 |
23 March 1905 |
|
Liberal | MLA for Saint-Sauveur | |||
13 | Lomer Gouin (1861–1929) |
23 March 1905 |
23 March 1920 |
|
Liberal | MLA for Montréal division no. 2 (1905-1908) MLA for Portneuf (1908-1920) |
|||
14 | Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (1867–1952) |
9 July 1920 |
11 June 1936 |
|
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 |
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1938) |
MLA for L'Islet | |||
16 (1 of 2) |
Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) |
26 August 1936 |
8 November 1939 |
|
Union Nationale (Ldr. 1936) |
MLA for Trois-Rivières | |||
Padlock Law. | |||||||||
— (2 of 2) |
Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) |
8 November 1939 |
30 August 1944 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Union Nationale (Ldr. 1960) |
MLA for Joliette | |||
19 | Jean Lesage (1912–1980) |
5 July 1960 |
16 June 1966 |
|
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 |
25 September 1968 |
|
Union Nationale (Ldr. 1961) |
MLA for Bagot | |||
CEGEP; died in office. | |||||||||
21 | Jean-Jacques Bertrand (1916–1973) |
2 October 1968 |
12 May 1970 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1985) |
MNA for Anjou | |||
— (2 of 2) |
Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) |
12 December 1985 |
11 January 1994 |
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1983) |
MNA for Saint-Laurent | |||
Meech Lake Accord; Charlottetown Accord. | |||||||||
25 | Daniel Johnson Jr. (b. 1944) |
11 January 1994 |
26 September 1994 |
|
Liberal (Ldr. 1993) |
MNA for Vaudreuil | |||
26 | Jacques Parizeau (1930–2015) |
26 September 1994 |
29 January 1996 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Parti Québécois (Ldr. 2001) |
MNA for Verchères | |||
29 | Jean Charest (b. 1958) |
29 April 2003 |
19 September 2012 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
Liberal (Ldr. 2013) |
MNA for Roberval | |||
Ban on face coverings (Bill 62). | |||||||||
32 | François Legault (b. 1957) |
18 October 2018 |
incumbent |
|
Coalition Avenir Québec (Ldr. 2011) |
MNA for L'Assomption | |||
Ban on religious symbols; COVID-19 pandemic. |
Timeline
Living former premiers
As of August 2022, six former premiers are alive, the oldest being Lucien Bouchard (1996–2001, born 1938). The most recent former premier to die was Bernard Landry (2001–2003), on November 6, 2018.
- Pierre-Marc Johnson
(1985)
Age: 76 - Daniel Johnson, Jr.
(1994)
Age: 77 - Lucien Bouchard
(1996–2001)
Age: 83 - Pauline Marois
(2012–2014)
Age: 73 - Philippe Couillard
(2014–2018)
Age: 65
See also
- 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
- 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.