List of Premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador

List Of Premiers Of Newfoundland And Labrador

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the First Minister for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, which was at certain points in its history a colony, dominion, and province. The province has had a system of responsible government since 1855, when it became a British crown colony. In 1907, it became a dominion, and in 1949, it became a province and joined Canadian Confederation. Since then, the province has been a part of the Canadian federation and has kept its own legislature to deal with provincial matters. The province was named Newfoundland and Labrador in 2001.

The province has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the Premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the House of Assembly. The Premier is Newfoundland and Labrador's head of government, and the Queen of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, and presides over that body. Members are first elected to the House during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election. 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.

From 1855 to 1908, the position of First Minister was known as Prime Minister and later Premier. After the colony was granted dominion status, the position became known as Prime Minister starting in 1908. Democratic government was suspended in 1934 and replaced by an appointed Commission of Government, a six-member commission appointed by the United Kingdom and had three British and three Newfoundland appointees, which ended in 1949 when Newfoundland became a province of Canada. Since the reinstitution of democratic government in 1949, the position of First Minister has again been known as Premier.

Since 1855, Newfoundland and Labrador has been led by ten Colonial Prime Ministers, eleven Dominion Prime Ministers, three Chairmen of Commission of Government, and nine Premiers, of which four were part of a coalition government, fifteen were from the Liberal Party, thirteen were from the Progressive Conservative Party, and one was from the Anti-Confederation Party.