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 his or her behalf by the Governor General. The prime ministership is part of Canada's constitutional convention tradition. The office was initially modelled after the job as it existed in Britain at the time. Sir John A. Macdonald was formally commissioned by Lord Monck on May 24, 1867 to form the first Canadian Government under Confederation. On July 1, 1867 the First Ministry assumed office.[2]
The date for which a Prime Minister begins his or her term has been determined by the date that he or she is sworn into his or her portfolio, as an oath of office as Prime Minister is not required.[3] However, starting in 1957 the incoming Prime Minister has sworn an oath as Prime Minister; as of 2006, this tradition has continued.[3] Before 1920, the 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] Although, traditionally, 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]
No. |
Portrait |
Name
(Birth–Death)
District |
Min. |
Term of office |
Electoral mandates (Parliaments) |
Political party |
Refs |
1
(1 of 2) |
|
Sir John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)
MP for Kingston, ON |
1st |
1 July
1867 |
5 November
1873 |
|
Liberal-Conservative Party |
[2] [5] |
Minister of Justice; Integration of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory into Canada; Manitoba Act; Red River Rebellion; Confederation of British Columbia; Creation of the North-West Mounted Police; Resigned over Pacific Scandal |
2 |
|
Sir Alexander Mackenzie
(1822–1892)
MP for Lambton, ON |
2nd |
7 November
1873 |
8 October
1878 |
|
Liberal Party |
[6] [7] |
Pacific Scandal; Creation of the Supreme Court; Establishment of the Royal Military College; Created the office of the Auditor General |
1
(2 of 2) |
|
Sir John A. Macdonald
(1815–1891)
MP for Victoria, BC until 1882
MP for Carleton, ON until 1887
MP for Kingston, ON |
3rd |
17 October
1878 |
6 June
1891 |
|
Liberal-Conservative Party |
[8] [9] |
National Policy; North-West Rebellion; Hanging of Louis Riel. Died in office (stroke). |
3 |
|
Sir John Abbott
(1821–1893)
Senator for Quebec |
4th |
16 June
1891 |
24 November
1892 |
|
Liberal-Conservative Party |
[10] [11] |
Succeeded on Macdonald's death due to objections to the Catholic John Thompson. In ill health; retired. |
4 |
|
Sir John Thompson
(1845–1894)
MP for Antigonish, NS |
5th |
5 December
1892 |
12 December
1894 |
|
Liberal-Conservative Party |
[12] [13] |
Minister of Justice; First Catholic Prime Minister. Manitoba Schools Question. Died in office (heart attack). |
5 |
|
Sir Mackenzie Bowell
(1823–1917)
Senator for Ontario |
6th |
21 December
1894 |
27 April
1896 |
|
Conservative Party (historical) |
[14] [15] |
Manitoba Schools Question. |
6 |
|
Sir Charles Tupper
(1821–1915)
Did not serve in Parliament while Prime Minister |
7th |
1 May
1896 |
8 July
1896 |
- Inter-election appt. (none)
|
Conservative Party (historical) |
[16] [17] |
Aimed to defeat Patrons of Industry, but dominated by Manitoba Schools Question. Never sat in parliament as Prime Minister. |
7 |
|
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
(1841–1919)
MP for Quebec East, QC |
8th |
11 July
1896 |
6 October
1911 |
|
Liberal Party |
[18] [19] |
Manitoba Schools Question; Boer War; Confederation of Alberta and Saskatchewan; Creation of the Royal Canadian Navy; Reciprocity with the US; First French Canadian Prime Minister, removed the right for status Indians to vote. |
8 |
|
Sir Robert Borden
(1854–1937)
MP for Halifax, NS until 1917
MP for Kings, NS |
9th |
10 October
1911 |
11 October
1917 |
|
Conservative Party (historical) |
[20] [19] [21] |
10th |
12 October
1917 |
10 July
1920 |
|
Unionist Party |
First World War; Military Service Act; Conscription Crisis of 1917; Unionist Party (Canada); Creation of the National Research Council; Introduction of income tax; Winnipeg General Strike; Nickle Resolution. |
9
(1 of 2) |
|
Arthur Meighen
(1874–1960)
MP for Portage la Prairie, MB |
11th |
10 July
1920 |
29 December
1921 |
|
National Liberal and Conservative Party |
[22] [23] |
— |
10
(1 of 3) |
|
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(1874–1950)
MP for York North, ON until 1925
MP for Prince Albert, SK |
12th |
29 December
1921 |
28 June
1926 |
|
Liberal Party |
[24] [25] |
Meighen had won a plurality of seats in the 1925 election, but King continued in office with the unofficial support of the third party Progressives until the King-Byng Affair caused him to resign and Meighen to be invited to form a government. |
9
(2 of 2) |
|
Arthur Meighen
(1874–1960)
MP for Portage la Prairie, MB |
13th |
29 June
1926 |
25 September
1926 |
|
Conservative Party (historical) |
[22] [26] |
Appointed as a result of the King–Byng Affair. |
10
(2 of 3) |
|
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(1874–1950)
MP for Prince Albert, SK |
14th |
25 September
1926 |
7 August
1930 |
|
Liberal Party |
[24] [27] |
Introduction of old age pensions; Great Depression. |
11 |
|
R. B. Bennett
(1870–1947)
MP for Calgary West, AB |
15th |
7 August
1930 |
23 October
1935 |
|
Conservative Party (historical) |
[28] [29] |
Great Depression; Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission; Canadian Wheat Board; Creation of the Bank of Canada. |
10
(3 of 3) |
|
William Lyon Mackenzie King
(1874–1950)
MP for Prince Albert, SK until 1945
MP for Glengarry, ON |
16th |
23 October
1935 |
15 November
1948 |
|
Liberal Party |
[24] [30] |
Creation of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; National Film Board of Canada; Nationalization of the Bank of Canada; Second World War; Conscription Crisis of 1944; Trans-Canada Airlines; Gouzenko Affair. |
12 |
|
Louis St. Laurent
(1882–1973)
MP for Quebec East, QC |
17th |
15 November
1948 |
21 June
1957 |
(20th Parl't)
|
Liberal Party |
[31] [32] |
Canada's entrance into NATO and the UN; Suez Crisis; Creation of the United Nations Emergency Force; London Declaration; Newfoundland Act; Equalization; Trans-Canada Highway; St. Lawrence Seaway; Trans-Canada Pipeline; Pipeline Debate. |
13 |
|
John Diefenbaker
(1895–1979)
MP for Prince Albert, SK |
18th |
21 June
1957 |
22 April
1963 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party |
[33] [34] |
Avro Arrow cancellation; Coyne Affair; Cuban Missile Crisis; NORAD; Canadian Bill of Rights, allowed status aboriginals to vote in federal elections 1960. |
14 |
|
Lester B. Pearson
(1897–1972)
MP for Algoma East, ON |
19th |
22 April
1963 |
20 April
1968 |
|
Liberal Party |
[35] [36] |
Bomarc missile program; Introduction of Canadian universal healthcare; Canada Pension Plan; Canada Student Loans; Creation of a new Canadian flag; Auto Pact; Rejection of troop deployment to Vietnam; Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism; Creation of the Canadian Forces; 1967 Canadian Centennial celebrations. |
15
(1 of 2) |
|
Pierre Trudeau
(1919–2000)
MP for Mount Royal, QC |
20th |
20 April
1968 |
3/4 June[*]
1979 |
|
Liberal Party |
[37] |
Minister of Justice; "Trudeaumania"; "Just Society"; October Crisis; Use of the War Measures Act; Official Languages Act; Establishment of relations with China; Creation of Petro-Canada; Membership in the G7; Metric Commission. |
16 |
|
Joe Clark
(1939–)
MP for Yellowhead, AB |
21st |
4 June
1979 |
2/3 March[*]
1980 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party |
[38] |
Youngest Canadian PM. Defeated in a motion of no confidence on tax proposals. |
15
(2 of 2) |
|
Pierre Trudeau
(1919–2000)
MP for Mount Royal, QC |
22nd |
3 March
1980 |
29/30 June[*]
1984 |
|
Liberal Party |
[37] |
Introduction of the NEP; 1980 Referendum; Access to Information Act; Repatriation of the Canadian Constitution; Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Canada Health Act; Western alienation. |
17 |
|
John Turner
(1929–)
Did not serve in Parliament while Prime Minister |
23rd |
30 June
1984 |
16/17 September[*]
1984 |
|
Liberal Party |
[39] |
Trudeau Patronage Appointments. Never sat in parliament as Prime Minister. |
18 |
|
Brian Mulroney
(1939–)
MP for Manicouagan, QC until 1988
MP for Charlevoix, QC |
24th |
17 September
1984 |
24/25 June[*]
1993 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party |
[40] |
Cancellation of the NEP; Meech Lake Accord; Air India bombing; Canada-US Free Trade Agreement; Introduction of the GST; Charlottetown Accord; Good relations with Ronald Reagan; Petro-Canada privatization; Gulf War; École Polytechnique massacre; Oka Crisis; Environmental Protection Act; NAFTA; Airbus affair. |
19 |
|
Kim Campbell
(1947–)
MP for Vancouver Centre, BC |
25th |
25 June
1993 |
3/4 November[*]
1993 |
|
Progressive Conservative Party |
[41] |
First female Prime Minister of Canada. Defeated and lost her seat in 1993 election. |
20 |
|
Jean Chrétien
(1934–)
MP for Saint-Maurice, QC |
26th |
4 November
1993 |
11/12 December[*]
2003 |
|
Liberal Party |
[42] |
Red Book; HST; 1995 Referendum; Clarity Act; Assassination attempt; Kosovo War; 1997 Red River Flood; Social Union Framework Agreement; Creation of Nunavut Territory; Youth Criminal Justice Act; Shawinigan Handshake; Invasion of Afghanistan; Opposition to the Invasion of Iraq; Sponsorship scandal; Kyoto Protocol; Gomery Inquiry. |
21 |
|
Paul Martin
(1938–)
MP for LaSalle—Émard, QC |
27th |
12 December
2003 |
5/6 February[*]
2006 |
|
Liberal Party |
[40] |
Minority government. Sponsorship scandal; Gomery inquiry; Civil Marriage Act; Kelowna Accord; Rejection of US Anti-Missile Treaty; G20; Atlantic Accord. |
22 |
|
Stephen Harper
(1959–)
MP for Calgary Southwest, AB |
28th |
6 February
2006 |
Incumbent |
|
Conservative Party of Canada |
[43] |
Federal Accountability Act; GST Reduction; Afghan Mission Extension; Chuck Cadman Affair; Québécois nation motion; Apology for Chinese Head Tax; Israel-Lebanon Conflict; Veterans' Bill of Rights; Residential Schools Apology; Financial crisis of 2007-2010; 2008–2009 Canadian parliamentary dispute; 2009 Budget; Abousfian Abdelrazik; 2009 flu pandemic; Canadian Afghan detainee issue; CF-35 procurement deal; Parliamentary contempt. |
- Min. Minority government
- LS Party won the election, but premier 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 (the earlier date given), although their resignation was received by the Governor General on the following day. This provision applies to Trudeau in 1979[44] and 1984,[45] Clark,[46] Turner,[47] Mulroney,[48] Campbell,[49] Chrétien[50] and Martin.[50]
|