Premier of Quebec
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hon. Jean Charest | |
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29th Premier of Quebec
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office April 29, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Bernard Landry |
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| Born | June 24, 1958 Sherbrooke, Quebec |
| Political party | Quebec Liberal Party |
| Spouse | Michèle Dionne |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
The Premier of Quebec (in French Premier ministre du Québec, sometimes literally translated as Prime Minister of Quebec) is the first minister for the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and its title is Premier and President of the Executive Council.
The current Premier of Quebec is Jean Charest, re-elected on March 26, 2007.
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[edit] Selection and qualifications
The Premier of Quebec is nominally appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec, vice-regal representative of the Queen in Right of Quebec, as president of the Executive Council. He or she is most usually the head of the party winning the most seats in the National Assembly of Quebec, and is normally a sitting member of the National Assembly. An exception to this rule occurs when the winning party's leader fails to win the riding in which he is running. In that case, he would have to be elected in a by-election. This has happened, for example, to Robert Bourassa in 1985. The role of the Premier of Quebec is to announce the legislative priorities on the ouverture speech of the National Assembly. He represents the leading party and must be trusted by the Assembly.
Note that French Canadians do not make the distinction between 'Premier' and 'Prime Minister', which are both termed 'Premier Ministre' in French.
[edit] History
The Premiers of Quebec are elected since the application of the ministry responsibility principle. This principle exists from the convention, since the 'Loi Constitutionelle de 1867' (Constitutionnal Law of 1867) doesn't mention it.
- 1867-1873 Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (Conservative)
- 1873-1874 Gédéon Ouimet (Conservative)
- 1874-1878 Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville (Conservative)
- 1878-1879 Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (Liberal) - minority government
- 1879-1882 Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (Conservative)
- 1882-1884 Joseph-Alfred Mousseau (Conservative)
- 1884-1887 John Jones Ross (Conservative)
- 1887 Louis-Olivier Taillon (Conservative)
- 1887-1891 Honoré Mercier (Liberal)
- 1891-1892 Charles-Eugène Boucher de Boucherville (Conservative)
- 1892-1896 Louis-Olivier Taillon (Conservative)
- 1896-1897 Edmund James Flynn (Conservative)
- 1897-1900 Félix-Gabriel Marchand (Liberal)
- 1900-1905 Simon-Napoléon Parent (Liberal)
- 1905-1920 Lomer Gouin (Liberal)
- 1920-1936 Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (Liberal)
- 1936 Adélard Godbout (Liberal)
- 1936-1939 Maurice Duplessis (Union Nationale)
- 1939-1944 Adélard Godbout (Liberal)
- 1944-1959 Maurice Duplessis (Union Nationale)
- 1959-1960 Paul Sauvé (Union Nationale)
- 1960 Antonio Barrette (Union Nationale)
- 1960-1966 Jean Lesage (Liberal)
- 1966-1968 Daniel Johnson, Sr (Union Nationale)
- 1968-1970 Jean-Jacques Bertrand (Union Nationale)
- 1970-1976 Robert Bourassa (Liberal)
- 1976-1985 René Lévesque (Parti Québécois)
- 1985 Pierre-Marc Johnson (Parti Québecois)
- 1985-1994 Robert Bourassa (Liberal)
- 1994 Daniel Johnson, Jr (Liberal)
- 1994-1996 Jacques Parizeau (Parti Québecois)
- 1996-2001 Lucien Bouchard (Parti Québecois)
- 2001-2003 Bernard Landry (Parti Québecois)
- 2003-present Jean Charest (Liberal) - minority government 2007
