This is a list of the premiers of the province of Quebec since Canadian 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 is Quebec's head of government, while the king 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 four 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

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Electoral mandates
(Assembly) 		Political party Parliamentary
seat


1 Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau
(1820–1890) 		15 July 1867
–
25 February 1873 		Title created (caretaker government)⁠

1867 election (1st Leg.)⁠

1871 election (2nd Leg.)

Conservative MLA for Québec-Comté
Resigned to accept appointment to the Senate of Canada.
2 Gédéon Ouimet
(1823–1905) 		27 February 1873
–
22 September 1874 		Appointment (2nd Leg.) Conservative MLA for Deux-Montagnes
Resigned over Tanneries scandal.
3
(1 of 2) 		Charles Boucher de Boucherville
(1822–1915) 		22 September 1874
–
8 March 1878 		Appointment (2nd Leg.)⁠

1875 election (3rd Leg.)

Conservative Councillor 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) 		8 March 1878
–
31 October 1879 		Appointment (3rd Leg.)⁠

1878 election (4th Leg.)

Liberal MLA for Lotbinière


5 Joseph-Adolphe Chapleau
(1840–1898) 		31 October 1879
–
31 July 1882 		Appointment (4th Leg.)⁠

1881 election (5th Leg.)

Conservative MLA for Terrebonne


6 Joseph-Alfred Mousseau
(1837–1886) 		31 July 1882
–
23 January 1884 		Appointment (5th Leg.) Conservative MLA for Jacques-Cartier


7 John Jones Ross
(1831–1901) 		23 January 1884
–
25 January 1887 		Appointment (5th Leg.)⁠

1886 election (6th Leg.)

Conservative Councillor for Shawinigan


8
(1 of 2) 		Louis-Olivier Taillon
(1840–1923) 		25 January 1887
–
29 January 1887 		Appointment (6th Leg.) Conservative MLA for Montcalm


9 Honoré Mercier
(1840–1894) 		29 January 1887
–
21 December 1891 		Appointment (6th Leg.)⁠

1890 election (7th Leg.)

Parti National MLA for Saint-Hyacinthe
(1887-1890)

MLA for Bonaventure
(1890-1891)

Dismissed by Lieutenant Governor over charges of corruption.
—
(2 of 2) 		Charles Boucher de Boucherville
(1822–1915) 		21 December 1891
–
16 December 1892 		Appointment (7th Leg.)⁠

1892 election (8th Leg.)

Conservative Councillor for Montarville


—
(2 of 2) 		Louis-Olivier Taillon
(1840–1923) 		16 December 1892
–
11 May 1896 		Appointment (8th Leg.) Conservative MLA for Chambly


10 Edmund James Flynn
(1847–1927) 		12 May 1896
–
24 May 1897 		Appointment (8th Leg.) Conservative MLA for Gaspé
Last Conservative premier.
11 Félix-Gabriel Marchand
(1832–1900) 		24 May 1897
–
25 September 1900 		1897 election (9th Leg.) Liberal MLA for Saint-Jean
Died in office.
12 Simon-Napoléon Parent
(1855–1920) 		3 October 1900
–
23 March 1905 		Appointment (9th Leg.)⁠

1900 election (10th Leg.)⁠

1904 election (11th Leg.)

Liberal MLA for Saint-Sauveur


13 Lomer Gouin
(1861–1929) 		23 March 1905
–
23 March 1920 		Appointment (11th Leg.)⁠

1908 election (12th Leg.)⁠

1912 election (13th Leg.)⁠

1916 election (14th Leg.)⁠

1919 election (15th Leg.)

Liberal MLA for Montréal division no. 2
(1905-1908)

MLA for Portneuf
(1908-1920)


14 Louis-Alexandre Taschereau
(1867–1952) 		9 July 1920
–
11 June 1936 		Appointment (15th Leg.)⁠

1923 election (16th Leg.)⁠

1927 election (17th Leg.)⁠

1931 election (18th Leg.)⁠

1935 election (19th Leg.)

Liberal MLA for Montmorency
Established Quebec Liquor Commission; attempted to create a Jewish school board; Great Depression.
15
(1 of 2) 		Adélard Godbout
(1892–1956) 		11 June 1936
–
26 August 1936 		Appointment (19th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1938) 		MLA for L'Islet


16
(1 of 2) 		Maurice Duplessis
(1890–1959) 		26 August 1936
–
8 November 1939 		1936 election (20th Leg.) Union Nationale
(Ldr. 1936) 		MLA for Trois-Rivières
Padlock Law.
—
(2 of 2) 		Adélard Godbout
(1892–1956) 		8 November 1939
–
30 August 1944 		1939 election (21st Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1938) 		MLA for L'Islet
Women's suffrage; established province's first labour code; nationalized Montreal Light, Heat & Power.
—
(2 of 2) 		Maurice Duplessis
(1890–1959) 		30 August 1944
–
7 September 1959 		1944 election (22nd Leg.)⁠

1948 election (23rd Leg.)⁠

1952 election (24th Leg.)⁠

1956 election (25th Leg.)

Union Nationale
(Ldr. 1936) 		MLA for Trois-Rivières
"Grande Noirceur", Duplessis Orphans. Died in office.
17 Paul Sauvé
(1907–1960) 		11 September 1959
–
2 January 1960 		Appointment (25th Leg.) Union Nationale
(Ldr. 1959) 		MLA for Deux-Montagnes
"100 Days of Change". Died in office.
18 Antonio Barrette
(1899–1968) 		8 January 1960
–
5 July 1960 		Appointment (25th Leg.) Union Nationale
(Ldr. 1960) 		MLA for Joliette


19 Jean Lesage
(1912–1980) 		5 July 1960
–
16 June 1966 		1960 election (26th Leg.)⁠

1962 election (27th Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1958) 		MLA for Québec-Ouest
Quiet Revolution; established Ministry of Education; heavy investment in Hydro-Québec;
20 Daniel Johnson Sr.
(1915–1968) 		16 June 1966
–
26 September 1968 		1966 election (28th Leg.) Union Nationale
(Ldr. 1961) 		MLA for Bagot
CEGEP; died in office.
21 Jean-Jacques Bertrand
(1916–1973) 		2 October 1968
–
12 May 1970 		Appointment (28th Leg.) Union Nationale
(Ldr. 1969) 		MLA for Missisquoi (MNA after 1968)
Abolished the Legislative Council and renamed the Legislative Assembly to the National Assembly; Bill 63; last Union Nationale premier.
22
(1 of 2) 		Robert Bourassa
(1933–1996) 		29 April 1970
–
25 November 1976 		1970 election (29th Leg.)⁠

1973 election (30th Leg.)

Liberal
(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) 		25 November 1976
–
3 October 1985 		1976 election (31st Leg.)⁠

1981 election (32nd 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) 		3 October 1985
–
12 December 1985 		Appointment (32nd Leg.) Parti Québécois
(Ldr. 1985) 		MNA for Anjou


—
(2 of 2) 		Robert Bourassa
(1933–1996) 		12 December 1985
–
11 January 1994 		1985 election (33rd Leg.)⁠

1989 election (34th Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1983) 		MNA for Saint-Laurent
Meech Lake Accord; Oka Crisis; Charlottetown Accord.
25 Daniel Johnson Jr.
(b. 1944) 		11 January 1994
–
26 September 1994 		Appointment (34th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1993) 		MNA for Vaudreuil
Privatisation of the Mont-Sainte-Anne
26 Jacques Parizeau
(1930–2015) 		26 September 1994
–
29 January 1996 		1994 election (35th Leg.) Parti Québécois
(Ldr. 1988) 		MNA for L'Assomption
Creation of the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec; Creation of the Carrefour jeunesse-emploi network; 1995 Quebec referendum; resigned after referendum loss.
27 Lucien Bouchard
(b. 1938) 		29 January 1996
–
8 March 2001 		Appointment (35th Leg.)⁠

1998 election (36th Leg.)

Parti Québécois
(Ldr. 1996) 		MNA for Jonquière
"Winning conditions"; implemented universal childcare and pharmacare; Establishment of the Public Prescription Drug Insurance Plan (RPAM); Saguenay flood; Creation of the Régie de l'énergie; Creation of the Épargne Placements Québec; Calgary Declaration; January 1998 North American ice storm; Clarity Act; 2000–2006 municipal reorganization.
28 Bernard Landry
(1937–2018) 		8 March 2001
–
29 April 2003 		Appointment (36th Leg.) Parti Québécois
(Ldr. 2001) 		MNA for Verchères
Paix des Braves; Kyoto Protocol.
29 Jean Charest
(b. 1958) 		29 April 2003
–
19 September 2012 		2003 election (37th Leg.)⁠

2007 election (38th Leg.)⁠

2008 election (39th Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1998) 		MNA for Sherbrooke
2004 Quebec municipal referendums; Council of the Federation; 2005 Quebec student protests; Bouchard-Taylor Commission; Implementation of the Ethics and Religious Culture program; Plan Nord; Charbonneau Commission; 2012 Quebec student protests, lost his own seat in 2012.
30 Pauline Marois
(b. 1949) 		19 September 2012
–
23 April 2014 		2012 election (40th Leg.) Parti Québécois
(Ldr. 2007) 		MNA for Charlevoix–Côte-de-Beaupré
First woman to hold the office; 2012 Quebec election shooting; Quebec Charter of Values (Bill 60); Decommissioning of the Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station; Lac-Mégantic rail disaster; Summit on Higher Education; Pastagate incident; Lost her own seat in 2014.
31 Philippe Couillard
(b. 1957) 		23 April 2014
–
18 October 2018 		2014 election (41st Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 2013) 		MNA for Roberval
Ban on face coverings (Bill 62); Healthcare Reforms (Barrette Reforms).
32 François Legault
(b. 1957) 		18 October 2018
–
incumbent 		2018 election (42nd Leg.)⁠

2022 election (43rd Leg.)

Coalition Avenir Québec
(Ldr. 2011) 		MNA for L'Assomption
Ban on religious symbols (Bill 21); Québec‑Lévis third link; Creation of a battery sector; COVID-19 pandemic; Implementing School service centre; Amendment to the Charter of the French Language (Bill 96); Cancelled electoral reform referendum; Implementation of the Culture and Citizenship in Québec (CCQ) program; Family reunification delays; Gallant Commission.

See also

For more lists of this type, see Lists of incumbents.

References