List of premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador
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The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the First Minister for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, which was at certain points in its history a colony, dominion, and province. The province had a system of responsible government from 1855 to 1934, and again since 1949. Newfoundland became a British crown colony in 1855, in 1907 it became a dominion, and in 1949, it became a province and joined Canadian Confederation. Since then, the province has been a part of the Canadian federation and has kept its own legislature to deal with provincial matters. The province was named Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001.[1]
The province has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the Premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the House of Assembly. The Premier is Newfoundland and Labrador's head of government, and the Queen of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, and presides over that body. Members are first elected to the House during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election. An election may also take place if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.[2]
From 1855 to 1908, the position of First Minister was known as Prime Minister and later Premier. After the colony was granted dominion status, the position became known as Prime Minister.[3] Democratic government was suspended in 1934 and replaced by an appointed Commission of Government, until 1949 Newfoundland became a province of Canada. Since the reinstitution of democratic government in 1949, the position of First Minister has been known as Premier.[4]
Since 1855, Newfoundland and Labrador has been led by ten Colonial Premiers, nine Dominion Prime Ministers, three Chairmen of Commission of Government, and ten Provincial Premiers. Of the Provincial Premiers five are from the Liberal Party, and five are from the Progressive Conservative Party.
Premiers of the Newfoundland Colony (1855-1907) [edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) District |
Term of office | Electoral mandates (Parliament) | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Philip Francis Little (1824–1897) MHA for St. John's |
7 May[5] 1855 |
16 July[6] 1858 |
Liberal Party | |
| First premier as colony achieves responsible government. | ||||||
| 2 |
.jpg) |
John Kent (1805–1872) MHA for St. John's East |
1858 | March[7] 1861 |
|
Liberal Party |
| Largely supported by Catholics, Kent was dismissed by the governor after accusing him of conspiring against the government. The subsequent election was fought on sectarian lines; rioting broke out when the governor cancelled voting in the Catholic town of Harbour Grace thus denying Kent two seats needed to prevent a Conservative majority. | ||||||
| 3 |
 |
Sir Hugh Hoyles (1814–1888) |
March 1861 |
1865 | Conservative Party | |
| Appointed by the governor after his predecessor's dismissal, Hoyle narrowly won the subsequent election. Government tried to reduce sectarian tensions by inviting Catholics into his cabinet and including them in patronage appointments. | ||||||
| 4 (1 of 2) |
 |
Sir Frederick Carter (1819–1900) |
1865 | 1870 | Conservative Party | |
| Proposed confederation with Canada but was defeated by Anti-Confederate opposition in 1869. | ||||||
| 5 |
 |
Charles Fox Bennett (1793–1883) MHA for Placentia—St. Mary's |
14 February[8] 1870 |
30 January[8] 1874 |
Anti-Confederation Party | |
| 4 (2 of 2) |
|
Sir Frederick Carter (1819–1900) MHA for Twillingate—Fogo |
30 January[9] 1874 |
April[10] 1878 |
|
Conservative Party |
| 6 (1 of 3) |
 |
Sir William Whiteway (1828–1908) MHA for Trinity Bay |
April[10] 1878 |
October[10] 1885 |
|
Conservative Party |
| 7 |
 |
Sir Robert Thorburn (1836–1906) MHA for Trinity Bay |
12 October[11] 1885 |
1889 | Reform Party | |
| 6 (2 of 3) |
|
Sir William Whiteway (1828–1908) |
1889 | 1894 | Liberal Party | |
| 8 |
 |
Augustus F. Goodridge (1839–1920) |
1894 | 1894 |
|
Tory Party |
| 9 |
|
Daniel Joseph Greene (1850–1911) |
1894 | 1895 |
|
Liberal Party |
| 6 (3 of 3) |
|
Sir William Whiteway (1828–1908) |
1895 | 1897 |
|
Liberal Party |
| 10 |
|
Sir James Spearman Winter (1845–1911) |
1897 | 1900 | Tory Party | |
| 11 |
 |
Sir Robert Bond (1857–1927) |
1900 | 1907 |
|
Liberal Party |
Prime Ministers of the Dominion of Newfoundland (1907-1934) [edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) District |
Term of office | Electoral mandates (Parliament) | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Sir Robert Bond (1857–1927) |
1907 | 1909 |
|
Liberal Party |
| Colony achieves dominion status as a result of the 1907 Imperial Conference. Bond continues as the island's leader with the new title of prime minister. | ||||||
| 2 |
|
Sir Edward Patrick Morris (1859–1935) |
1909 | 1917 |
|
People's Party |
| 3 |
|
Sir William F. Lloyd (1864–1937) |
1918 | 1919 |
|
Liberal Party (national government) |
| 4 |
|
Sir Michael Patrick Cashin (1864–1926) |
1919 | 1919 |
|
People's Party |
| 5 (1 of 2) |
 |
Sir Richard Squires (1880–1940) |
1919 | 1923 |
|
Liberal Reform Party |
| 6 |
|
William Warren (1879–1927) |
July[12] 1923 |
April[12] 1924 |
|
Liberal Reform Party |
| 7 |
|
Albert Hickman (1875–1943) |
1924 | 1924 |
|
none (caretaker) |
| 8 |
 |
Walter Stanley Monroe (1871–1952) |
1924 | August 15,[13] 1928 |
Liberal-Conservative Party | |
| 9 (1 of 2) |
|
Frederick C. Alderdice (1872–1936) |
15 August[13] 1928 |
1928 |
|
Liberal-Conservative Party |
| 5 (2 of 2) |
|
Sir Richard Squires (1880–1940) |
1928 | 11 June[13] 1932 |
Liberal Party | |
| 9 (2 of 2) |
|
Frederick C. Alderdice (1872–1936) |
11 June[13] 1932 |
16 February[13] 1934 |
United Newfoundland Party | |
| Alderdice's United Newfoundland Party wins election on the promise that it will examine the possibility of suspending the constitution and having a commission administer the country until the financial crisis improves. UK and Canada agree to give the dominion financial aid in exchange for a Royal Commission on the Newfoundland's future. Alderdice accepts the Commission's recommendation to suspend responsible government and replace it with a Commission of Government appointed by London. | ||||||
Chairmen of the Commission of Government (1934-1949) [edit]
With the suspension of responsible government and Newfoundland's dominion status, the colony was administered by the Commission of Government, from 1934 to 1949. It was a body of seven appointed by the British government, made up of three British officials, three Newfoundlanders, and chaired by the Governor of Newfoundland.[14]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Admiral Sir David Murray Anderson (1874–1936) |
16 February 1934[13] | 1935 |
| 2 |
 |
Vice-Admiral Sir Humphrey T. Walwyn (1879–1957) |
1936 | 1946 |
| 3 |
|
Gordon MacDonald (1888–1966) |
1946 | 1949 |
Premiers of the Province of Newfoundland (1949-2001) [edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) District |
Term of office[15] | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 |
Joey Smallwood (1900–1991) |
1949 | 1972 |
|
Liberal Party Named leader in 1949 |
| 2 |
|
Frank Moores (1933–2005) MHA for Humber West |
1972 | 1979 | Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1970 |
|
| 3 |
|
Brian Peckford (b. 1942) MHA for Green Bay |
1979 | 1989 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1979 |
| 4 |
|
Tom Rideout (b. 1948) MHA for Baie Verte-Springdale |
1989 | 1989 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1989 |
| 5 |
|
Clyde Wells (b. 1937) MHA for Bay of Islands |
1989 | 1996 | Liberal Party Named leader in 1987 |
|
| 6 |
 |
Brian Tobin (b. 1954) |
1996 | 2000 |
|
Liberal Party Named leader in 1996 |
| 7 |
|
Beaton Tulk (b. 1944) MHA for Bonavista North |
2000 | 2001 |
|
Liberal Party Named leader in interim |
| 8 |
 |
Roger Grimes (b. 1950) MHA for Exploits |
2001 | 6 December[1] 2001 |
|
Liberal Party Named leader in 2001 |
Premiers of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (2001-present) [edit]
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) District |
Term of office[15] | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 |
|
Roger Grimes (b. 1950) MHA for Exploits |
6 December[1] 2001 |
2003 |
|
Liberal Party Named leader in 2001 |
| 9 |
 |
Danny Williams (b. 1949) MHA for Humber West |
2003 | 3 December[16] 2010 |
Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 2001 |
|
| 10 |
 |
Kathy Dunderdale (b. 1952) MHA for Virginia Waters |
3 December[17] 2010 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 2011[1] |
|
| First female premier. | ||||||
Living former premiers [edit]
As of May 2013[update], seven former premiers are alive, the oldest being Clyde Wells (1989–1996, born 1937). The most recent former premier to die was Frank Moores (1972–1979), on 10 July 2005.
| Name | Term | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Brian Peckford | 1979–1989 | 27 August 1942 |
| Tom Rideout | 1989 | 25 June 1948 |
| Clyde Wells | 1989–1996 | 9 November 1937 |
| Brian Tobin | 1996–2000 | 21 October 1954 |
| Beaton Tulk | 2000–2001 | 22 May 1944 |
| Roger Grimes | 2001–2003 | 2 May 1950 |
| Danny Williams | 2003–2010 | 4 August 1949 |
See also [edit]
- Leader of the Opposition (Newfoundland and Labrador)
- List of Newfoundland and Labrador lieutenant-governors
References [edit]
- General
- "General Election Statistics". Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2008.
- "Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland". Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 9, 2008.
- Specific
- ^ a b c "Newfoundland". Library and Archives Canada. 2 May 2005. Archived from the original on 8 June 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ "History of the House of Assembly". Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
- ^ "Colonial Governors, 1855-1933". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
- ^ "Lieutenant-Governors, 1949-Present". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved November 12, 2008.
- ^ Tapin, Glen W. (1970). Canadian Chronology. Scarecrow Press. p. 149.
- ^ "Little, Philip Francis". Public Archives of Canada. 1956. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ University of Toronto/Université Laval (2000). "Kent, John". Dictionary of Canada Biography Online. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ a b University of Toronto/Université Laval (2000). "Bennett, Charles James Fox". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ University of Toronto/Université Laval (2000). "Carter, Sir Frederic Bowker Terrington". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ a b c University of Toronto/Université Laval (2000). "Whiteway, Sir William Vallance". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ University of Toronto/Université Laval (2000). "Thorburn, Sir Robert". Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ a b Pitt, Robert. "William Robertson Warren". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion. Retrieved May 21, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "Hon. F.C. Alderdice dead in St. John's". The Gazette. February 27, 1936. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
- ^ "Commission Governors, 1934-1948". Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
- ^ a b "Former Premiers". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
- ^ a b "N.L. Premier Danny Williams to leave Dec. 3". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 26, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ^ "Kathy Dunderdale sworn in as N.L. Premier". CTV News. December 3, 2010. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- ^ "Dunderdale takes risk with Harper pledge". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. April 4, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
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