The Canadian province of New Brunswick was a British crown colony before it joined Canada in 1867.[1] It had a system of responsible government beginning in 1854, and has kept its own legislature to deal with provincial matters.[2] New Brunswick has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that has the confidence of the Legislative Assembly to form a government. The premier is New Brunswick's head of government, and the king of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the lieutenant governor of New Brunswick. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of New Brunswick, and presides over that body.[3]
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 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.[3]
New Brunswick has had 37 individuals serve as first minister. The province had five individuals as leaders while a colony, and 32 individuals after Canadian Confederation, of which two were from the Confederation Party, 11 from the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick, 16 from the New Brunswick Liberal Association, one from the Anti-Confederation Party, and seven with unofficial party affiliations.
Premiers of New Brunswick
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | Parliamentary seat | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leader of the Government of the Colony of New Brunswick (1854–1867) | |||||||||
| 1 (1 of 2) | Charles Fisher (1808–1880) | 1 November 1854 – May 1856 | 1854 election (16th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for York | [4] | |||
| 2 | John Hamilton Gray (1814–1889) | 21 June 1856 – June 1857 | 1856 election (17th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Saint John County | [5] | |||
| 3 (2 of 2) | Charles Fisher (1808–1880) | 1 June 1857 – 19 March 1861 | 1857 election (18th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for York | [4] | |||
| 4 | Samuel Leonard Tilley (1818–1896) | 19 March 1861 – March 1865 | Appointment (18th Leg.)
1861 election (19th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Saint John City
| ||||
| 5 | Albert James Smith (1822–1883) | 21 September 1865 – 14 April 1866 | 1865 election (20th Leg.) | Anti-Confederation | MLA for Westmorland | [6] | |||
| 6 | Peter Mitchell (1824–1899) | 14 April 1866 – August 1867 | Appointment (20th Leg.)
1866 election (21st Leg.) | Confederation (Ldr. 1866) | Legislative Councillor for colony at-large | [7] | |||
| Premiers of the province of New Brunswick since Confederation (1867–present) | |||||||||
| 1 | Andrew R. Wetmore (1820–1892) | 16 August 1867 – 25 May 1870 | Appointment (21st Leg.) | Confederation (Ldr. 1867) | MLA for Saint John City | [8] | |||
| 2* (1 of 2) | George E. King (1839–1901) | 9 June 1870 – 21 February 1871 | Appointment (21st Leg.)
1870 election (22nd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1870) | MLA for Saint John County | [9] | |||
| 3 | George L. Hathaway (1813–1872) | 21 February 1871 – 5 July 1872 | Appointment (22nd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1871) | MLA for York
| ||||
| 4* (2 of 2) | George E. King (1839–1901) | 5 July 1872 – 3 May 1878 | Appointment (22nd Leg.)
1874 election (23rd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1872) | MLA for Saint John County | [9] | |||
| 5 | John James Fraser (1829–1896) | June 1878 – 25 May 1882 | 1878 election (24th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1878) | MLA for York | [10] | |||
| 6 | Daniel L. Hanington (1835–1909) | 25 May 1882 – February 1883 | Appointment (24th Leg.)
1882 election (25th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1882) | MLA for Westmorland | [11] | |||
| 7 | Andrew G. Blair (1844–1907) | 3 March 1883 – 17 July 1896 | Appointment (25th Leg.)
1886 election (26th Leg.) 1890 election (27th Leg.) 1892 election (28th Leg.) 1895 election (29th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1879) | MLA for York (1876-1892) MLA for Queens | [12] | |||
| 8 | James Mitchell (1843–1897) | 17 July 1896 – 29 October 1897 | Appointment (29th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1896) | MLA for Charlotte
| ||||
| 9 | Henry Emmerson (1853–1914) | 29 October 1897 – 31 August 1900 | Appointment (29th Leg.)
1899 election (30th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1897) | MLA for Albert | [13] | |||
| 10 | Lemuel J. Tweedie (1849–1917) | 1 September 1900 – 2 March 1907 | Appointment (30th Leg.)
1903 election (31st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1900) | MLA for Northumberland
| ||||
| 11 | William Pugsley (1850–1925) | 6 March 1907 – 31 May 1907 | Appointment (31st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1907) | MLA for Kings
| ||||
| 12 | Clifford W. Robinson (1866–1947) | 31 May 1907 – 24 March 1908 | Appointment (31st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1907) | MLA for Westmorland
| ||||
| 13 | John Douglas Hazen (1860–1937) | 24 March 1908 – 10 October 1911 | 1908 election (32nd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1899) | MLA for Sunbury
| ||||
| 14 | James Kidd Flemming (1868–1927) | 16 October 1911 – 6 December 1914 | Appointment (32nd Leg.)
1912 election (33rd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1911) | MLA for Carleton | [14] | |||
| 15 | George Clarke (1857–1917) | 6 December 1914 – 1 February 1917 | Appointment (33rd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1914) | MLA for Charlotte | [15] | |||
| 16 | James A. Murray (1864–1960) | 1 February 1917 – 4 April 1917 | Appointment (33rd Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1917) | MLA for Kings | [16] | |||
| 17 | Walter E. Foster (1873–1947) | 4 April 1917 – 1 February 1923 | 1917 election (34th Leg.)
1920 election (35th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1916) | MLA for Victoria (1917-1920) MLA for Saint John City | [17] | |||
| 18 | Peter J. Veniot (1863–1936) | 28 February 1923 – 10 September 1925 | Appointment (35th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1923) | MLA for Gloucester | [18] | |||
| 19 | John B. M. Baxter (1868–1946) | 14 September 1925 – 19 May 1931 | 1925 election (36th Leg.)
1930 election (37th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1925) | MLA for Saint John County | [19] | |||
| 20 | Charles D. Richards (1879–1956) | 18 May 1931 – 2 June 1933 | Appointment (37th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1931) | MLA for York | [20] | |||
| 21 | Leonard P. D. Tilley (1870–1947) | 1 June 1933 – 12 July 1935 | Appointment (37th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1933) | MLA for Saint John City | [21] | |||
| 22 | Allison A. Dysart (1880–1962) | 16 July 1935 – 13 March 1940 | 1935 election (38th Leg.)
1939 election (39th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1926) | MLA for Kent | [22] | |||
| 23 | John B. McNair (1889–1968) | 13 March 1940 – 7 October 1952 | Appointment (39th Leg.)
1944 election (40th Leg.) 1948 election (41st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1940) | MLA for Victoria (1940-1944) MLA for York
| ||||
| 24 | Hugh John Flemming (1899–1982) | 8 October 1952 – 11 July 1960 | 1952 election (42nd Leg.)
1956 election (43rd Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1951) | MLA for Carleton
| ||||
| 25 | Louis Joseph Robichaud (1925–2005) | 12 July 1960 – 11 November 1970 | 1960 election (44th Leg.)
1963 election (45th Leg.) 1967 election (46th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1958) | MLA for Kent
| ||||
| 26 | Richard Bennett Hatfield (1931–1991) | 11 November 1970 – 27 October 1987 | 1970 election (47th Leg.)
1974 election (48th Leg.) 1978 election (49th Leg.) 1982 election (50th Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1967) | MLA for Carleton (1961-1974) MLA for Carleton Centre
| ||||
| 27 | Frank McKenna (b. 1948) | 27 October 1987 – 14 October 1997 | 1987 election (51st Leg.)
1991 election (52nd Leg.) 1995 election (53rd Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1985) | MLA for Chatham (1982-1995) MLA for Miramichi-Bay du Vin | [23] | |||
| 28 | Ray Frenette (1935–2018) | 14 October 1997 – 14 May 1998 | Appointment (53rd Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1997) | MLA for Moncton East
| ||||
| 29 | Camille Thériault (b. 1955) | 14 May 1998 – 21 June 1999 | Appointment (53rd Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1998) | MLA for Kent South
| ||||
| 30 | Bernard Lord (b. 1965) | 21 June 1999 – 3 October 2006 | 1999 election (54th Leg.)
2003 election (55th Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 1997) | MLA for Moncton East
| ||||
| 31 | Shawn Graham (b. 1968) | 3 October 2006 – 12 October 2010 | 2006 election (56th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 2002) | MLA for Kent
| ||||
| 32 | David Alward (b. 1959) | 12 October 2010 – 7 October 2014 | 2010 election (57th Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2008) | MLA for Woodstock
| ||||
| 33 | Brian Gallant (b. 1982) | 7 October 2014 – 9 November 2018 | 2014 election (58th Leg.)
2018 election (59th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 2012) | MLA for Shediac Bay-Dieppe
| ||||
| 34 | Blaine Higgs (b. 1954) | 9 November 2018 – 2 November 2024 | Appointment (59th Leg.)
2020 election (60th Leg.) | Progressive Conservative (Ldr. 2016) | MLA for Quispamsis
| ||||
| 35 | Susan Holt (b. 1977) | 2 November 2024 – incumbent | 2024 election (61st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 2022) | MLA for Fredericton South-Silverwood
| ||||
| * The New Brunswick practice is to count George E. King as the 2nd and 4th premier.[24] | |||||||||
See also
- Leader of the Opposition (New Brunswick)
References
- General
- "New Brunswick by the numbers". CBC. August 25, 2006.
- "Premiers of New Brunswick". The Legislative Library of New Brunswick. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011.
- Doyle, Arthur T. (1984). Elections in New Brunswick, 1784-1984. Fredericton: Brunswick Press. ISBN 0-88838-391-6.
- Specific
- "Canadian Confederation". Library and Archives Canada. May 2, 2005. Archived from the original on June 22, 2008.
- "Responsible Government". Library and Archives Canada. May 2, 2005. Archived from the original on June 21, 2008.
- "The Legislative Process". Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick.
- "Fisher, Charles (Hon.)" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "John Hamilton Gray" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Albert J. Smith" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Peter Mitchell" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Andrew R. Wetmore" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "King, George Edwin (Hon.)" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "John James Fraser" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Daniel L. Hanington" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Andrew G. Blair" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 19, 2012.
- "Henry R. Emmerson" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "James Kidd Flemming" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "George J. Clarke" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "James A. Murray" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Walter E. Foster" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Peter J. Veniot" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Baxter, John Babington Macaulay Sr" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2007.
- "Richards, Charles Dow" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Tilley, Leonard Percy DeWolfe" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Dysart, Albert Allison" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "McKenna, Francis Joseph (Frank)" (PDF). Government of New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 19, 2008.
- "Shawn Graham Bios". Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick. August 26, 2010. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011.