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, 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) |
Term of office | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | Riding
| |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
'1' | ![]() |
Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (1820–1890) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Title created (caretaker government)
|
Conservative Party | MLA for Québec-Comté | ||
Resigned to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada. | |||||||||
'2' | ![]() |
Gédéon Ouimet (1823–1905) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (2nd Leg.) | Conservative Party | MLA for Deux-Montagnes | ||
Resigned over Tanneries scandal. | |||||||||
'3' | ![]() |
Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (2nd Leg.)
|
Conservative Party | 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) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (3rd Leg.)
|
Liberal Party | MLA for Lotbinière | ||
'5' | ![]() |
Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (1840–1898) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (4th Leg.)
|
Conservative Party | MLA for Terrebonne | ||
'6' | ![]() |
Joseph-Alfred Mousseau (1837–1886) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (5th Leg.) | Conservative Party | MLA for Jacques-Cartier | ||
'7' | ![]() |
John Jones Ross (1831–1901) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (5th Leg.)
|
Conservative Party | MLC for Shawinigan | ||
'8' | ![]() |
Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (6th Leg.) | Conservative Party | MLA for Montcalm | ||
'9' | ![]() |
Honoré Mercier (1840–1894) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (6th Leg.)
|
Parti National | MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe (until 1890) MLA for Bonaventure (after 1890) |
||
Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor over charges of corruption. | |||||||||
'(3)' | ![]() |
Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (7th Leg.)
|
Conservative Party | MLC for Montarville | ||
'(8)' | ![]() |
Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (8th Leg.) | Conservative Party | MLA for Chambly | ||
'10' | ![]() |
Edmund James Flynn (1847–1927) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (8th Leg.) | Conservative Party | MLA for Gaspé | ||
Last Conservative premier. | |||||||||
'11' | ![]() |
Félix-Gabriel Marchand (1832–1900) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1897 election (9th Leg.) | Liberal Party | MLA for Saint-Jean | ||
Died in office. | |||||||||
'12' | ![]() |
Simon-Napoléon Parent (1855–1920) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (9th Leg.)
|
Liberal Party | MLA for Saint-Sauveur | ||
'13' | ![]() |
Lomer Gouin (1861–1929) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (11th Leg.)
|
Liberal Party | MLA for Montréal division no. 2 (until 1908) MLA for Portneuf (after 1908) |
||
'14' | ![]() |
Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (1867–1952) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (15th Leg.)
|
Liberal Party | MLA for Montmorency | ||
Established Quebec Liquor Commission; attempted to create a Jewish school board; Great Depression. | |||||||||
'15' | ![]() |
Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (19th Leg.) | Liberal Party (Ldr. 1938) |
MLA for L'Islet | ||
'16' | ![]() |
Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1936 election (20th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1936) |
MLA for Trois-Rivières | ||
Padlock Law. | |||||||||
'(15)' | ![]() |
Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1939 election (21st Leg.) | Liberal Party (Ldr. 1938) |
MLA for L'Islet | ||
Women's suffrage; established province's first labour code; nationalized Montreal Light, Heat & Power. | |||||||||
'(16)' | ![]() |
Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1944 election (22nd Leg.)
|
Union Nationale (Ldr. 1936) |
MLA for Trois-Rivières | ||
"Grande Noirceur", Duplessis Orphans. Died in office. | |||||||||
'17' | ![]() |
Paul Sauvé (1907–1960) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (25th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1936) |
MLA for Deux-Montagnes | ||
"100 Days of Change". Died in office. | |||||||||
'18' | ![]() |
Antonio Barrette (1899–1968) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (25th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1960) |
MLA for Joliette | ||
'19' | ![]() |
Jean Lesage (1912–1980) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1960 election (26th Leg.)
|
Liberal Party (Ldr. 1958) |
MLA for Québec-Ouest | ||
Quiet Revolution; established Ministry of Education; establishment of Hydro-Québec; | |||||||||
'20' | ![]() |
Daniel Johnson Sr. (1915–1968) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1966 election (28th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1961) |
MLA for Bagot | ||
CEGEP; died in office. | |||||||||
'21' | ![]() |
Jean-Jacques Bertrand (1916–1973) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (28th Leg.) | Union Nationale (Ldr. 1969) |
MLA for Missisquoi (until 1968) MLA for Missisquoi (after 1968) |
||
Abolished the Legislative Council and renamed the Legislative Assembly to the National Assembly; Bill 63; last Union Nationale premier. | |||||||||
'22' | ![]() |
Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1970 election (29th Leg.)
|
Liberal Party (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) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1976 election (31st Leg.)
|
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) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (32nd Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1985) |
MNA for Anjou | ||
'(22)' | ![]() |
Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1985 election (33rd Leg.)
|
Liberal Party (Ldr. 1983) |
MNA for Saint-Laurent | ||
Meech Lake Accord; Charlottetown Accord. | |||||||||
'25' | ![]() |
Daniel Johnson Jr. (b. 1944) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (34th Leg.) | Liberal Party (Ldr. 1993) |
MNA for Vaudreuil | ||
'26' | ![]() |
Jacques Parizeau (1930–2015) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 1994 election (35th Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1988) |
MNA for L'Assomption | ||
1995 Quebec referendum; resigned after referendum loss. | |||||||||
'27' | ![]() |
Lucien Bouchard (b. 1938) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (35th Leg.)
|
Parti Québécois (Ldr. 1996) |
MNA for Jonquière | ||
"Winning conditions"; implemented universal childcare and pharmacare. | |||||||||
'28' | ![]() |
Bernard Landry (1937–2018) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | Appointment (36th Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 2001) |
MNA for Verchères | ||
'29' | ![]() |
Jean Charest (b. 1958) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 2003 election (37th Leg.)
|
Liberal Party (Ldr. 1998) |
MNA for Sherbrooke | ||
2012 Quebec student protests, lost his own seat in 2012. | |||||||||
'30' | ![]() |
Pauline Marois (b. 1949) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 2012 election (40th Leg.) | Parti Québécois (Ldr. 2007) |
MNA for Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré | ||
First female to hold the office. Quebec Charter of Values. Lost her own seat in 2014. | |||||||||
'31' | ![]() |
Philippe Couillard (b. 1957) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 2014 election (41st Leg.) | Liberal Party (Ldr. 2013) |
MNA for Roberval | ||
Ban on face coverings. | |||||||||
'32' | ![]() |
François Legault (b. 1957) |
12 September 2024 |
incumbent | 2018 election (42nd Leg.) | Coalition Avenir Québec (Ldr. 2011) |
MNA for L'Assomption | ||
Ban on religious symbols; COVID-19 pandemic. | |||||||||
|
Timeline
Template:Timeline of QC Premiers
Living former premiers
As of March 2019[update], 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.
Name | Term | Date of birth |
---|---|---|
Pierre-Marc Johnson | July 5, 1946 | |
Daniel Johnson, Jr. | December 24, 1944 | |
Lucien Bouchard | 1996–2001 | December 22, 1938 |
Jean Charest | 2003–2012 | June 24, 1958 |
Pauline Marois | 2012–2014 | March 29, 1949 |
Philippe Couillard | 2014–2018 | June 26, 1957 |
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.