List of prime ministers of Canada

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Canada's prime ministers during its first century

The prime minister of Canada is an official who serves as the primary minister of the Crown, chair of the Cabinet, and thus head of government of Canada. Twenty-three people (twenty-two men and one woman) have served as prime ministers. Officially, the prime minister is appointed by the governor general of Canada, but by constitutional convention, the prime minister must have the confidence of the elected House of Commons. Normally, this is the leader of the party caucus with the greatest number of seats in the house. But if that leader lacks the support of the majority, the governor general can appoint another leader who has that support or may dissolve parliament and call a new election. By constitutional convention, a prime minister holds a seat in parliament and, since the early 20th century, this has more specifically meant the House of Commons.[1]

The 23rd and current prime minister is Justin Trudeau, who assumed office on 4 November 2015. There are currently five living former prime ministers. The most recent former prime minister to die was Brian Mulroney, on 29 February 2024.

Model

The office is not outlined in any of the documents that constitute the written portion of the Constitution of Canada; executive authority is formally vested in the sovereign and exercised on the sovereign’s behalf by the governor general. The prime ministership is part of Canada's constitutional convention tradition. The office was modelled after that which existed in the United Kingdom at the time. John A. Macdonald was commissioned by the Viscount Monck on 24 May 1867, to form the first government of the Canadian Confederation. On 1 July 1867, the first ministry assumed office.[2]

Term

The prime minister begins their term has been determined by the date sworn into their portfolio, as an oath of office as prime minister is not required.[3] However, since 1957, the incoming prime minister has sworn an oath as prime minister.[3] Before 1920, prime ministers' resignations were accepted immediately by the governor general and the last day of the ministries were the date he died or the date of resignation.[3] Since 1920, the outgoing prime minister has only formally resigned when the new government is ready to be formed.[3] The Interpretation Act of 1967 states that "where an appointment is made effective or terminates on a specified day, that appointment is considered to be effective or to terminate after the end of the previous day".[3] Thus, although the outgoing prime minister formally resigns only hours before the incoming ministry swears their oaths, both during the day, the ministries are effectively changed at midnight the night before. Some sources, including the Parliament of Canada, apply this convention as far back as 1917.[4] Two prime ministers have died in office: John A. Macdonald (1867–1873, 1878–1891), and John Thompson (1892–1894), both of natural causes. All others have resigned, either after losing an election or upon retirement.

Prime ministers

Canadian custom is to count by the individuals who were prime minister, not by terms.[5] Since Confederation, 23 prime ministers have been "called upon" by the governor general to form 29 Canadian Ministries.[5]

Abbreviation key: No.: Incumbent number, Min.: Ministry, Refs: References
Colour key:
Provinces key: AB: Alberta, BC: British Columbia, MB: Manitoba, NS: Nova Scotia,
ON: Ontario, QC: Quebec, SK: Saskatchewan
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Electoral mandates (Assembly) Political party Riding Cabinet Ref.
1
(1 of 2)
John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)
1 July
1867
5 November
1873
Title created (caretaker government)⁠

1st Parl.
)⁠


2nd Parl.
)

Liberal–Conservative MP for Kingston, ON 1st
Manitoba Act; Red River Rebellion; British Columbia and Prince Edward Island join confederation; Creation of the North-West Mounted Police; Resigned over Pacific Scandal
2
Alexander Mackenzie
(1822–1892)
7 November
1873
8 October
1878
Appointment (
2nd Parl.
)⁠

3rd Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1873)
MP for Lambton, ON 2nd [7][8]
Pacific Scandal; Creation of the Supreme Court; Passage of the Indian Act; Establishment of the Royal Military College; Created the office of the Auditor General

(2 of 2)
John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)
17 October
1878
6 June
1891
4th Parl.
)⁠

5th Parl.
)⁠


6th Parl.
)⁠


7th Parl.
)

Liberal–Conservative MP for Victoria, BC
(1878–1882)

MP for Carleton, ON
(1882–1887)


MP for Kingston, ON
(1887–1891)

3rd [9][10]
National Policy; Railway to the Pacific; North-West Rebellion; Hanging of Louis Riel. Died in office (stroke).
3
John Abbott
(1821–1893)
16 June
1891
24 November
1892
Appointment (
7th Parl.
)
Liberal–Conservative Senator for Quebec 4th [11][12]
Minister without Portfolio; Succeeded on Macdonald's death due to objections to the Catholic John Thompson. In ill health; retired. First prime minister born in what would become Canada, and first of only two prime ministers to serve while in the Senate.
4
John Sparrow David Thompson
(1845–1894)
5 December
1892
12 December
1894
Appointment (
7th Parl.
)
Liberal–Conservative MP for Antigonish, NS 5th
Minister of Justice; first Catholic prime minister. Manitoba Schools Question
. Died in office (heart attack).
5
Mackenzie Bowell
(1823–1917)
21 December
1894
27 April
1896
Appointment (
7th Parl.
)
Conservative Senator for Ontario 6th
Minister of Militia and Defence; Manitoba Schools Question
. Last prime minister to serve while in the Senate and last prime minister not to be born in Canada or pre-Canada until Turner.
6
Charles Tupper
(1821–1915)
1 May
1896
8 July
1896
Appointment (None Parl.) Conservative MP for Cape Breton, NS 7th
Minister of Railways and Canals; Oldest Canadian PM to take office. Aimed to defeat Patrons of Industry, but dominated by Manitoba Schools Question
. Never sat in parliament as Prime Minister.
7
Wilfrid Laurier
(1841–1919)
11 July
1896
6 October
1911
8th Parl.
)⁠

9th Parl.
)⁠


10th Parl.
)⁠


11th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1887)
MP for Quebec East, QC 8th
Department of External Affairs
established; first French Canadian prime minister; Removed the right of status Indians to vote.
8
Robert Borden
(1854–1937)
10 October
1911
10 July
1920
12th Parl.
)⁠

13th Parl.
)

Government (Unionist)
(Ldr. 1901)
MP for Halifax, NS
(1911–1917)

MP for Kings, NS
(1917–1920)

9th
(1911–17)
10th
(1917–20)
Paris Peace Conference, signs the Treaty of Versailles and joins League of Nations
.
9
(1 of 2)
Arthur Meighen
(1874–1960)
10 July
1920
29 December
1921
Appointment (
13th Parl.
)
Conservative
(Ldr. 1920)
MP for Portage la Prairie, MB 11th
Canadian National Railways
.
10
(1 of 3)
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(1874–1950)
29 December
1921
28 June
1926
14th Parl.
)⁠

15th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1919)
MP for York North, ON
(1921–1925)

MP for Prince Albert, SK
(1925–1926)

12th
Lord Byng
.

(2 of 2)
Arthur Meighen
(1874–1960)
29 June
1926
25 September
1926
Appointment (
15th Parl.
)
Conservative MP for Portage la Prairie, MB 13th
King–Byng Affair
.

(2 of 3)
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(1874–1950)
25 September
1926
7 August
1930
16th Parl.
)
Liberal MP for Prince Albert, SK 14th [25][28]
Balfour Declaration; Introduction of old age pensions; first Canadian envoys with full diplomatic status sent to foreign countries (USA, France, Japan); Great Depression.
11
R. B. Bennett
(1870–1947)
7 August
1930
23 October
1935
17th Parl.
)
Conservative
(Ldr. 1927)
MP for Calgary West, AB 15th .

(3 of 3)
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(1874–1950)
23 October
1935
15 November
1948
18th Parl.
)⁠

19th Parl.
)⁠


20th Parl.
)

Liberal MP for Prince Albert, SK
(1935–1945)

MP for Glengarry, ON
(1945–1948)

16th
Japanese Canadian internment; Conscription Crisis of 1944; Canada's entry into the United Nations; Trans-Canada Airlines; Gouzenko Affair
. First and to date only prime minister to serve three non-consecutive terms.
12
Louis St. Laurent
(1882–1973)
15 November
1948
21 June
1957
Appointment (
20th Parl.
)⁠

21st Parl.
)⁠


22nd Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1948)
MP for Quebec East, QC 17th
Trans-Canada Pipeline; Pipeline Debate
.
13
John Diefenbaker
(1895–1979)
21 June
1957
22 April
1963
23rd Parl.
)⁠

24th Parl.
)⁠


25th Parl.
)

1956
)
MP for Prince Albert, SK 18th
Avro Arrow cancellation; Coyne Affair; Cuban Missile Crisis; NORAD; Establishment of Board of Broadcast Governors; Canadian Bill of Rights; Allowed status aboriginals to vote in federal elections 1960; Alouette 1
satellite programme.
14
Lester B. Pearson
(1897–1972)
22 April
1963
20 April
1968
26th Parl.
)⁠

27th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1958)
MP for Algoma East, ON 19th .
15
(1 of 2)
Pierre Trudeau
(1919–2000)
20 April
1968
4 June
1979
Appointment (
27th Parl.
)⁠

28th Parl.
)⁠


29th Parl.
)⁠


30th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1968)
MP for Mount Royal, QC 20th .
16
Joe Clark
(b. 1939)
4 June
1979
3 March
1980
31st Parl.
)
Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1976)
MP for Yellowhead, AB 21st [*][39]
Youngest Canadian PM; Freedom of Information Act; Canadian Caper; defeated in a motion of no confidence on first budget.

(2 of 2)
Pierre Trudeau
(1919–2000)
3 March
1980
30 June
1984
32nd Parl.
)
Liberal
(Ldr. 1968)
MP for Mount Royal, QC 22nd [*][38]
1980 Quebec referendum; Access to Information Act; Patriation of the Canadian Constitution; Montreal Protocol; Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; National Energy Program; Canada Health Act; Western alienation.
17
John Turner
(1929–2020)
30 June
1984
17 September
1984
Appointment (
32nd Parl.
)
Liberal
(Ldr. 1984)
Did not hold a seat in legislature 23rd . Never sat in parliament as Prime Minister. First prime minister since Bowell not to have been born in Canada.
18
Brian Mulroney
(1939–2024)
17 September
1984
25 June
1993
33rd Parl.
)⁠

34th Parl.
)

Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1983)
MP for Manicouagan, QC
(1984–1988)

MP for Charlevoix, QC
(1988–1993)

24th .
19
Kim Campbell
(b. 1947)
25 June
1993
4 November
1993
Appointment (
34th Parl.
)
Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1993)
MP for
Vancouver Centre, BC
25th
Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs; first female prime minister of Canada. Defeated and lost her seat in 1993 election
.
20
Jean Chrétien
(b. 1934)
4 November
1993
12 December
2003
35th Parl.
)⁠

36th Parl.
)⁠


37th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1990)
MP for Saint-Maurice, QC 26th
Gomery Inquiry
.
21
Paul Martin
(b. 1938)
12 December
2003
6 February
2006
Appointment (
37th Parl.
)⁠

38th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 2003)
MP for LaSalle—Émard, QC 27th
Gomery inquiry; G20; Atlantic Accord
22
Stephen Harper
(b. 1959)
6 February
2006
4 November
2015
39th Parl.
)⁠

40th Parl.
)⁠


41st Parl.
)

Conservative
(Ldr. 2004)
MP for Calgary Southwest, AB 28th .
23
Justin Trudeau
(b. 1971)
4 November
2015
incumbent
42nd Parl.
)⁠

43rd Parl.
)⁠


44th Parl.
)

Liberal
(Ldr. 2013)
MP for Papineau, QC 29th .
LSParty won the election, but prime minister lost own seat
*The Interpretation Act of 1967 states that "where an appointment is made effective or terminates on a specified day, that appointment is considered to be effective or to terminate after the end of the previous day." Under the Act, prime ministers' tenures are therefore credited as having concluded at the end of their last full day in office, although their resignation was received by the governor general on the following day. This provision applies to P. Trudeau in 1979[46] and 1984,[47] Clark,[48] Turner,[49] Mulroney,[50] Campbell,[51] Chrétien,[52] Martin,[52] and Harper.[52]

Living former prime ministers

See also

References

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Further reading

External links