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, four 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.
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | Riding | Ref. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chief Ministers of Manitoba | |||||||||
1 | Alfred Boyd (1835–1908) |
16 September 1870 |
14 December 1871 |
Title created (caretaker government)
|
Non-partisan | MLA for St. Andrews North | [9] | ||
Officially titled as the Provincial Secretary of Manitoba until January 1871 and Minister of Public Works and Agriculture until December. In practice, Lieutenant Governor Adams Archibald acted as head of the executive branch of government. | |||||||||
2 (1 of 2) |
Marc-Amable Girard (1822–1892) |
14 December 1871 |
14 March 1872 |
Appointment (1st Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for St. Boniface East | [9] | ||
Officially titled as the Provincial Treasurer during the time he is credited as being chief minister. In practice, Lieutenant Governor Adams Archibald acted as head of the executive branch of government. | |||||||||
3 | Henry Joseph Clarke (1833–1889) |
14 March 1872 |
8 July 1874 |
Appointment (1st Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for St. Charles | [9] | ||
Officially titled as Attorney-General during the time he is credited as being chief minister. In practice, Lieutenant Governor Adams Archibald acted as head of the executive branch of government. | |||||||||
Premiers of Manitoba | |||||||||
— (2 of 2) |
Marc-Amable Girard (1822–1892) |
8 July 1874 |
2 December 1874 |
Appointment (1st Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for St. Boniface East | [9] | ||
4 | Robert Atkinson Davis (1841–1903) |
3 December 1874 |
16 October 1878 |
Appointment (1st Leg.)
|
Non-partisan | MLA for Winnipeg and St. John (1874) MLA for Winnipeg |
[9] | ||
5 | John Norquay (1841–1889) |
16 October 1878 |
24 December 1887 |
Appointment (2nd Leg.)
|
Non-partisan | MLA for St. Andrews South (1878-1879) MLA for St. Andrews |
[9] | ||
6 | David Howard Harrison (1843–1905) |
26 December 1887 |
19 January 1888 |
Appointment (6th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Minnedosa West | [9] | ||
7 | Thomas Greenway (1838–1908) |
19 January 1888 |
6 January 1900 |
Appointment (6th Leg.)
|
Liberal | MLA for Mountain | [9] | ||
8 | Hugh John Macdonald (1850–1929) |
10 January 1900 |
29 October 1900 |
1899 election (10th Leg.) | Conservative | MLA for Winnipeg South | [9] | ||
9 | Rodmond Roblin (1853–1937) |
29 October 1900 |
12 May 1915 |
Appointment (10th Leg.)
|
Conservative | MLA for Woodlands (1900-1903) MLA for Dufferin |
[9] | ||
10 | Tobias Norris (1861–1936) |
12 May 1915 |
8 August 1922 |
Appointment (14th Leg.)
|
Liberal | MLA for Lansdowne | [9] | ||
11 | John Bracken (1883–1969) |
8 August 1922 |
14 January 1943 |
1922 election (17th Leg.)
|
Progressive | MLA for The Pas | [9] | ||
12 | Stuart Garson (1898–1977) |
14 January 1943 |
13 November 1948 |
Appointment (21st Leg.)
|
Liberal–Progressive | MLA for Fairford | [9] | ||
13 | Douglas Lloyd Campbell (1895–1995) |
13 November 1948 |
30 June 1958 |
Appointment (22nd Leg.)
|
Liberal–Progressive | MLA for Lakeside | [9] | ||
14 | Dufferin Roblin (1917–2010) |
30 June 1958 |
27 November 1967 |
1958 election (25th Leg.)
|
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1954) |
MLA for Wolseley | [9] | ||
15 | Walter Weir (1929–1985) |
27 November 1967 |
15 July 1969 |
Appointment (28th Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1967) |
MLA for Minnedosa | [9] | ||
16 | Edward Schreyer (b. 1935) |
15 July 1969 |
24 November 1977 |
1969 election (29th Leg.)
|
New Democratic (Ldr. 1969) |
MLA for Rossmere | [10] | ||
17 | Sterling Lyon (1927–2010) |
24 November 1977 |
30 November 1981 |
1977 election (31st Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1975) |
MLA for Charleswood | [9] | ||
18 | Howard Pawley (1934–2015) |
30 November 1981 |
9 May 1988 |
1981 election (32nd Leg.)
|
New Democratic (Ldr. 1979) |
MLA for Selkirk | [10] | ||
19 | Gary Filmon (b. 1942) |
9 May 1988 |
5 October 1999 |
1988 election (34th Leg.)
|
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1983) |
MLA for Tuxedo | [10] | ||
20 | Gary Doer (b. 1948) |
5 October 1999 |
19 October 2009 |
1999 election (37th Leg.)
|
New Democratic (Ldr. 1988) |
MLA for Concordia | [10] | ||
21 | Greg Selinger (b. 1951) |
19 October 2009 |
3 May 2016 |
Appointment (39th Leg.)
|
New Democratic (Ldr. 2009, 2015) |
MLA for St. Boniface | [10] | ||
22 | Brian Pallister (b. 1954) |
3 May 2016 |
1 September 2021 |
2016 election (41st Leg.)
|
Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2012 acclamation) |
MLA for Fort Whyte | [10] | ||
23 | Kelvin Goertzen (b. 1969) |
1 September 2021 |
2 November 2021 |
Appointment (42nd Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2021 interim appointment) |
MLA for Steinbach | [10] | ||
24 | Heather Stefanson (b. 1970) |
2 November 2021 |
18 October 2023 |
Appointment (42nd Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2021) |
MLA for Tuxedo | [10] | ||
25 | Wab Kinew (b. 1981) |
18 October 2023 |
incumbent | 2023 election (43rd Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 2017) |
MLA for Fort Rouge | [10] |