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) District	Term of office	Electoral mandates (Assembly)	Political party
1		Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau (1820–1890) MLA for Québec-Comté	15 July 1867 – 25 February 1873	Title created (caretaker government) 1867 election (1st Legislature) 1871 election (2nd Legislature)	Conservative Party
			Resigned to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada.
2		Gédéon Ouimet (1823–1905) MLA for Deux-Montagnes	27 February 1873 – 22 September 1874	Appointment (2nd Legislature)	Conservative Party
			Resigned over Tanneries scandal.
3		Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) MLC for Montarville	22 September 1873 – 8 March 1878	Appointment (2nd Legislature) 1875 election (3rd Legislature)	Conservative Party
			Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor Luc Letellier de St-Just after Letellier refused to approve legislation.
4		Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière (1829–1908) MLA for Lotbinière	8 March 1878 – 31 October 1879	Appointment (3rd Legislature) 1878 election (4th Legislature)	Liberal Party
5		Sir Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau (1840–1898) MLA for Terrebonne	31 October 1879 – 31 July 1882	Appointment (4th Legislature) 1881 election (5th Legislature)	Conservative Party
6		Joseph-Alfred Mousseau (1837–1886) MLA for Jacques-Cartier	31 July 1882 – 23 January 1884	Appointment (5th Legislature)	Conservative Party
7		John Jones Ross (1831–1901) MLC for Shawinigan	23 January 1884 – 25 January 1887	Appointment (5th Legislature) 1886 election (6th Legislature)	Conservative Party
8		Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) MLA for Montcalm	25 January 1887 – 29 January 1887	Appointment (6th Legislature)	Conservative Party
9		Honoré Mercier (1840–1894) MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe (until 1890) MNA for Bonaventure (after 1890)	29 January 1887 – 21 December 1891	Appointment (6th Legislature) 1890 election (7th Legislature)	Parti National
			Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor over charges of corruption.
(3)		Charles Boucher de Boucherville (1822–1915) MLC for Montarville	21 December 1891 – 16 December 1892	Appointment (7th Legislature) 1892 election (8th Legislature)	Conservative Party
(8)		Louis-Olivier Taillon (1840–1901) MLA for Chambly	16 December 1892 – 11 May 1896	Appointment (8th Legislature)	Conservative Party
10		Edmund James Flynn (1847–1927) MLA for Gaspé	12 May 1896 – 24 May 1897	Appointment (8th Legislature)	Conservative Party
			Last Conservative premier.
11		Félix-Gabriel Marchand (1832–1900) MLA for Saint-Jean	24 May 1897 – 25 September 1900	1897 election (9th Legislature)	Liberal Party
			Died in office.
12		Simon-Napoléon Parent (1855–1920) MLA for Saint-Sauveur	3 October 1900 – 23 March 1905	Appointment (9th Legislature) 1900 election (10th Legislature) 1904 election (11th Legislature)	Liberal Party
13		Lomer Gouin (1861–1929) MLA for Montréal division no. 2 (until 1908) MNA for Portneuf (after 1908)	23 March 1905 – 23 March 1920	Appointment (11th Legislature) 1908 election (12th Legislature) 1912 election (13th Legislature) 1916 election (14th Legislature) 1919 election (15th Legislature)	Liberal Party
			Resigned in 1920.
14		Louis-Alexandre Taschereau (1867–1952) MLA for Montmorency	9 July 1920 – 11 June 1936	Appointment (15th Legislature) 1923 election (16th Legislature) 1927 election (17th Legislature) 1931 election (18th Legislature) 1935 election (19th Legislature)	Liberal Party
			Established Quebec Liquor Commission; attempted to create a Jewish school board; Great Depression. Resigned in 1936.
15		Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) MLA for L'Islet	11 June 1936 – 26 August 1936	Appointment (19th Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1938
16		Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) MLA for Trois-Rivières	26 August 1936 – 8 November 1939	1936 election (20th Legislature)	Union Nationale Named leader in 1936
			Padlock Law.
(15)		Adélard Godbout (1892–1956) MLA for L'Islet	8 November 1939 – 30 August 1944	1939 election (21st Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1938
			Women's suffrage; established province's first labour code; nationalized Montreal Light, Heat & Power.
(16)		Maurice Duplessis (1890–1959) MLA for Trois-Rivières	30 August 1944 – 7 September 1959	1944 election (22nd Legislature) 1948 election (23rd Legislature) 1952 election (24th Legislature) 1956 election (25th Legislature)	Union Nationale Named leader in 1936
			"Grande Noirceur", Duplessis Orphans. Died in office.
17		Paul Sauvé (1907–1960) MLA for Deux-Montagnes	11 September 1959 – 2 January 1960	Appointment (25th Legislature)	Union Nationale Named leader in 1936
			"100 Days of Change". Died in office.
18		Antonio Barrette (1899–1968) MLA for Joliette	8 January 1960 – 5 July 1960	Appointment (25th Legislature)	Union Nationale Named leader in 1960
19		Jean Lesage (1912–1980) MLA for Québec-Ouest	5 July 1960 – 16 June 1966	1960 election (26th Legislature) 1962 election (27th Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1958
			Quiet Revolution; established Ministry of Education; establishment of Hydro-Québec;
20		Daniel Johnson Sr. (1915–1968) MLA for Bagot	16 June 1966 – 25 September 1968	1966 election (28th Legislature)	Union Nationale Named leader in 1961
			CEGEP; died in office.
21		Jean-Jacques Bertrand (1916–1973) MLA for Missisquoi (until 1968) MNA for Missisquoi (after 1968)	2 October 1968 – 12 May 1970	Appointment (28th Legislature)	Union Nationale Named leader in 1969
			Abolished the Legislative Council and renamed the Legislative Assembly to the National Assembly; Bill 63; last Union Nationale premier.
22		Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) MNA for Mercier	29 April 1970 – 25 November 1976	1970 election (29th Legislature) 1973 election (30th Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1970
			October Crisis; Official Languages Act (Bill 22); James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement; Cliche commission.
23		René Lévesque (1922–1987) MNA for Taillon	25 November 1976 – 3 October 1985	1976 election (31st Legislature) 1981 election (32nd Legislature)	Parti Québécois Named leader in 1968
			Charter of the French Language (Bill 101); 1980 Quebec referendum; Patriation of the Canadian constitution discussions; beau risque.
24		Pierre-Marc Johnson (b. 1946) MNA for Anjou	3 October 1985 – 12 December 1985	Appointment (32nd Legislature)	Parti Québécois Named leader in 1985
(22)		Robert Bourassa (1933–1996) MNA for Saint-Laurent	12 December 1985 – 11 January 1994	1985 election (33rd Legislature) 1989 election (34th Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1983
			Meech Lake Accord; Charlottetown Accord.
25		Daniel Johnson Jr. (b. 1944) MNA for Vaudreuil	11 January 1994 – 26 September 1994	Appointment (34th Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1993
26		Jacques Parizeau (1930–2015) MNA for L'Assomption	26 September 1994 – 29 January 1996	1994 election (35th Legislature)	Parti Québécois Named leader in 1988
			1995 Quebec referendum; resigned after referendum loss.
27		Lucien Bouchard (b. 1938) MNA for Jonquière	29 January 1996 – 8 March 2001	Appointment (35th Legislature) 1998 election (36th Legislature)	Parti Québécois Named leader in 1996
			"Winning conditions"; implemented universal childcare and pharmacare.
28		Bernard Landry (1937–2018) MNA for Verchères	8 March 2001 – 29 April 2003	Appointment (36th Legislature)	Parti Québécois Named leader in 2001
29		Jean Charest (b. 1958) MNA for Sherbrooke	29 April 2003 – 19 September 2012	2003 election (37th Legislature) 2007 election (38th Legislature) 2008 election (39th Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1998
			2012 Quebec student protests, lost his own seat in 2012.
30		Pauline Marois (b. 1949) MNA for Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré	19 September 2012 – 23 April 2014	2012 election (40th Legislature)	Parti Québécois Named leader in 2007
			First female to hold the office. Quebec Charter of Values. Lost her own seat in 2014.
31		Philippe Couillard (b. 1957) MNA for Roberval	23 April 2014 – 18 October 2018	2014 election (41st Legislature)	Liberal Party Named leader in 2013
			Ban on face coverings.
32		François Legault (b. 1957) MNA for L'Assomption	18 October 2018 – Incumbent	2018 election (42nd Legislature)	Coalition Avenir Québec Named leader in 2011
			Ban on religious symbols; COVID-19 pandemic.
Min. Minority government LS Party won the election, but premier lost own seat

Timeline[]

Living former premiers[]

As of February 2021, 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.

• 

  Pierre-Marc Johnson
  (1985)
  Age: 75

• 

  Daniel Johnson, Jr.
  (1994)
  Age: 76

• 

  Lucien Bouchard
  (1996–2001)
  Age: 82

• 

  Jean Charest
  (2003–2012)
  Age: 63

• 

  Pauline Marois
  (2012-2014)
  Age: 72

• 

  Philippe Couillard
  (2014–2018)
  Age: 64

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.