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, sometimes called the prime minister, is Quebec's head of government, while the Queen 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) District | Term of office | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ) | Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (1820–1890) MLA for Québec-Comté | 15 July 1867 – 25 February 1873 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| Resigned to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada. | ||||||
| 2 | ) | Gédéon Ouimet (1823–1905) MLA for Deux-Montagnes | 27 February 1873 – 22 September 1874 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| Resigned over Tanneries scandal. | ||||||
| 3 | ) | Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) MLC for Montarville | 22 September 1873 – 8 March 1878 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de St-Just after Letellier refused to approve legislation. | ||||||
| 4 | ) | Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (1829–1908) MLA for Lotbinière | 8 March 1878 – 31 October 1879 |
| Liberal Party
| |
| 5 | ) | Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (1840–1898) MLA for Terrebonne | 31 October 1879 – 31 July 1882 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| 6 | ) | Joseph-Alfred Mousseau (1837–1886) MLA for Jacques-Cartier | 31 July 1882 – 23 January 1884 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| 7 | ) | John Jones Ross (1831–1901) MLC for Shawinigan | 23 January 1884 – 25 January 1887 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| 8 | ) | Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) MLA for Montcalm | 25 January 1887 – 29 January 1887 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| 9 | ) | Honoré Mercier (1840–1894) MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe (until 1890) MNA for Bonaventure (after 1890) | 29 January 1887 – 21 December 1891 |
| Parti National
| |
| Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor over charges of corruption. | ||||||
| (3) | | Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) MLC for Montarville | 21 December 1891 – 16 December 1892 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| (8) | | Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) MLA for Chambly | 16 December 1892 – 11 May 1896 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| 10 | ) | Edmund James Flynn (1847–1927) MLA for Gaspé | 12 May 1896 – 24 May 1897 |
| Conservative Party
| |
| Last Conservative premier. | ||||||
| 11 | ) | Félix-Gabriel Marchand (1832–1900) MLA for Saint-Jean | 24 May 1897 – 25 September 1900 |
| Liberal Party
| |
| Died in office. | ||||||
| 12 | ) | Simon-Napoléon Parent (1855–1920) MLA for Saint-Sauveur | 3 October 1900 – 23 March 1905 |
| Liberal Party
| |
| 13 | ) | Lomer Gouin (1861–1929) MLA for Montréal division no. 2 (until 1908) MNA for Portneuf (after 1908) | 23 March 1905 – 23 March 1920 |
| Liberal Party
| |
| 14 | ) | Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (1867–1952) MLA for Montmorency | 9 July 1920 – 11 June 1936 |
| Liberal Party
| |
| Established Quebec Liquor Commission; attempted to create a Jewish school board; Great Depression. | ||||||
| 15 | ) | Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) MLA for L'Islet | 11 June 1936 – 26 August 1936 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1938
| |
| 16 | ) | Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) MLA for Trois-Rivières | 26 August 1936 – 8 November 1939 |
| Union Nationale Named leader in 1936
| |
| Padlock Law. | ||||||
| (15) | | Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) MLA for L'Islet | 8 November 1939 – 30 August 1944 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1938
| |
| Women's suffrage; established province's first labour code; nationalized Montreal Light, Heat & Power. | ||||||
| (16) | | Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) MLA for Trois-Rivières | 30 August 1944 – 7 September 1959 |
| Union Nationale Named leader in 1936
| |
| "Grande Noirceur", Duplessis Orphans. Died in office. | ||||||
| 17 | ) | Paul Sauvé (1907–1960) MLA for Deux-Montagnes | 11 September 1959 – 2 January 1960 |
| Union Nationale Named leader in 1936
| |
| "100 Days of Change". Died in office.
| ||||||
| 18 | ) | Antonio Barrette (1899–1968) MLA for Joliette | 8 January 1960 – 5 July 1960 |
| Union Nationale Named leader in 1960
| |
| 19 | ) | Jean Lesage (1912–1980) MLA for Québec-Ouest | 5 July 1960 – 16 June 1966 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1958
| |
| Quiet Revolution; established Ministry of Education; establishment of Hydro-Québec; | ||||||
| 20 | ) | Daniel Johnson Sr. (1915–1968) MLA for Bagot | 16 June 1966 – 25 September 1968 |
| Union Nationale Named leader in 1961
| |
| CEGEP; died in office. | ||||||
| 21 | ) | Jean-Jacques Bertrand (1916–1973) MLA for Missisquoi (until 1968) MNA for Missisquoi (after 1968) | 2 October 1968 – 12 May 1970 |
| Union Nationale Named leader in 1969
| |
| Abolished the Legislative Council and renamed the Legislative Assembly to the National Assembly; Bill 63; last Union Nationale premier. | ||||||
| 22 | ) | Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) MNA for Mercier | 29 April 1970 – 25 November 1976 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1970
| |
| October Crisis; Official Languages Act (Bill 22); James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement; Cliche commission. | ||||||
| 23 | ) | René Lévesque (1922–1987) MNA for Taillon | 25 November 1976 – 3 October 1985 |
| Parti Québécois Named leader in 1968
| |
| Charter of the French Language (Bill 101); 1980 Quebec referendum; Patriation of the Canadian constitution discussions; beau risque. | ||||||
| 24 | ) | Pierre-Marc Johnson (b. 1946) MNA for Anjou | 3 October 1985 – 12 December 1985 |
| Parti Québécois Named leader in 1985
| |
| (22) | | Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) MNA for Saint-Laurent | 12 December 1985 – 11 January 1994 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1983
| |
| Meech Lake Accord; Charlottetown Accord. | ||||||
| 25 | ) | Daniel Johnson Jr. (b. 1944) MNA for Vaudreuil | 11 January 1994 – 26 September 1994 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1993
| |
| 26 | ) | Jacques Parizeau (1930–2015) MNA for L'Assomption | 26 September 1994 – 29 January 1996 |
| Parti Québécois Named leader in 1988
| |
| 1995 Quebec referendum; resigned after referendum loss. | ||||||
| 27 | ) | Lucien Bouchard (b. 1938) MNA for Jonquière | 29 January 1996 – 8 March 2001 |
| Parti Québécois Named leader in 1996
| |
| "Winning conditions"; implemented universal childcare and pharmacare. | ||||||
| 28 | ) | Bernard Landry (1937–2018) MNA for Verchères | 8 March 2001 – 29 April 2003 |
| Parti Québécois Named leader in 2001
| |
| 29 | .jpg')) | Jean Charest (b. 1958) MNA for Sherbrooke | 29 April 2003 – 19 September 2012 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 1998
| |
| 2012 Quebec student protests, lost his own seat in 2012. | ||||||
| 30 | ) | Pauline Marois (b. 1949) MNA for Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré | 19 September 2012 – 23 April 2014 |
| Parti Québécois Named leader in 2007
| |
| First female to hold the office. Quebec Charter of Values. Lost her own seat in 2014. | ||||||
| 31 | ) | Philippe Couillard (b. 1957) MNA for Roberval | 23 April 2014 – 18 October 2018 |
| Liberal Party Named leader in 2013
| |
| Ban on face coverings. | ||||||
| 32 | ) | François Legault (b. 1957) MNA for L'Assomption | 18 October 2018 – Incumbent |
| Coalition Avenir Québec Named leader in 2011
| |
| Ban on religious symbols; COVID-19 pandemic. | ||||||
| ||||||
Timeline
Living former premiers
As of February 2021, 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: 74
Daniel Johnson, Jr.
(1994)
Age: 76
Lucien Bouchard
(1996–2001)
Age: 82.jpg)
Jean Charest
(2003–2012)
Age: 62
Pauline Marois
(2012-2014)
Age: 71.jpg)
Philippe Couillard
(2014–2018)
Age: 63
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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.