House of Commons Procedure and Practice
Edited by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit
2000 EditionMore information …
 Search 
Previous PageNext Page

Government Ministries and Prime Ministers of Canada Since 1867

The selection of a Ministry is the Prime Minister’s responsibility, and the Governor General follows the Prime Minister’s advice in formalizing the appointments.  The formal initiative in selecting a new Prime Minister rests with the Governor General. The duration of a Ministry is measured by the tenure of its Prime Minister.  It is calculated from the day the Prime Minister takes the oath of office to the day the Prime Minister resigns.   The resignation of a Prime Minister brings about the resignation of the Ministry as a whole.  A Prime Minister who resigns but later returns to form another Ministry is said to be forming a new Ministry. Since Confederation, there have been 28 Ministries.

Number of Ministry Prime Minister
(Party)
Term of Office Parliamentary Period
(Years)
Reasons for Forming Ministry Reasons for Ending Ministry
First
Image of Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald
(Liberal-Conservative)
01-07-1867
to
05-11-1873
1st Parliament to
2nd Session, 2nd Parliament (1867-73)
On May 24, 1867, Macdonald was formally commissioned by the Governor General to form the first government under Confederation. Resignation
Second
Image of Alexander Mackenzie
Alexander Mackenzie
(Liberal)
07-11-1873 [1]
to
08-10-1878
2nd Session, 2nd Parliament to
3rd Parliament (1873-78)
Called upon by the Governor General to form a ministry following the resignation of Sir John A. Macdonald and his government Results of general election held on September 17, 1878
Third
Image of Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald
(Liberal-Conservative)
17-10-1878
to
06-06-1891
4th Parliament to
1st Session, 7th Parliament (1878-91)
Results of general election held on September 17, 1878 Death of Macdonald on June 6, 1891
Fourth
Image of Sir John Abbott
Sir John Abbott [2]
(Liberal-Conservative)
16-06-1891
to
24-11-1892
1st Session, 7th Parliament to
2nd Session, 7th Parliament (1891-92)
Called upon by the Governor General to form a ministry following the death of Sir John A. Macdonald Resignation
Fifth
Image of Sir John Thompson
Sir John Thompson
(Liberal-Conservative)
05-12-1892
to
12-12-1894
3rd Session, 7th Parliament to
4th Session, 7th Parliament (1892-94)
Called upon by the Governor General to form a ministry following the resignation of Sir John Abbott Death of Thompson on December 12, 1894
Sixth
Image of Sir Mackenzie Bowell
Sir Mackenzie Bowell [3]
(Conservative)
21-12-1894
to
27-04-1896
5th Session, 7th Parliament to
6th Session, 7th Parliament (1894-96)
Called upon by the Governor General to form a ministry following the death of Sir John Thompson Resignation
Seventh
Image of Sir Charles Tupper
Sir Charles Tupper
(Conservative)
01-05-1896
to
08-07-1896
During a dissolution [4] Called upon by the Governor General to form a ministry following the resignation of Sir Mackenzie Bowell Results of general election held on June 23, 1896
Eighth
Image of Sir Wilfred Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier
(Liberal)
11-07-1896
to
06-10-1911
8th Parliament to
11th Parliament (1896-1911)
Results of general election held on June 23, 1896 Results of general election held on September 21, 1911
Ninth
Image of Sir Robert Borden
Sir Robert Borden
(Conservative)
10-10-1911
to
12-10-1917
12th Parliament
(1911-17)
Results of general election held on September 21, 1911 Formation of a new ministry [5]
Tenth
Image of Sir Robert Borden
Sir Robert Borden [6]
(Conservative)
12-10-1917
to
10-07-1920
1st Session, 13th Parliament to
4th Session, 13th Parliament (1917-20)
Re-organization Resignation
Eleventh
Image of Sir Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen [7]
(Conservative)
10-07-1920
to
29-12-1921
5th Session, 13th Parliament
(1921)
Prime Minister Borden recommended that the Governor General call upon Arthur Meighen to succeed him as Prime Minister. Results of general election held on December 6, 1921
Twelfth
Image of W.L. Mackenzie King
W.L. Mackenzie King
(Liberal)
29-12-1921
to
28-06-1926
14th Parliament to
1st Session, 15th Parliament (1921-26)
Results of general election held on December 6, 1921 Resignation [8]
Thirteenth
Image of Arthur Meighen
Arthur Meighen [7]
(Conservative)
29-06-1926
to
25-09-1926
1st Session, 15th Parliament
(1926)
With the resignation of W.L. Mackenzie King, the Governor General called upon Arthur Meighen, the Leader of the Opposition, to form a ministry. Results of general election held on September 14, 1926
Fourteenth
Image of W.L. Mackenzie King
W.L. Mackenzie King
(Liberal)
25-09-1926
to
07-08-1930
16th Parliament
(1926-30)
Results of general election held on September 14, 1926 Results of general election held on July 28, 1930
Fifteenth
Image of R.B. Bennett
R.B. Bennett
(Conservative)
07-08-1930
to
23-10-1935
17th Parliament
(1930-35)
Results of general election held on July 28, 1930 Results of general election held on October 14, 1935
Sixteenth
Image of W.L. Mackenzie King
W.L. Mackenzie King
(Liberal)
23-10-1935
to
15-11-1948
18th Parliament to
4th Session, 20th Parliament (1935-48)
Results of general election held on October 14, 1935 Resignation
Seventeenth
Image of Louis St. Laurent
Louis St. Laurent
(Liberal)
15-11-1948
to
21-06-1957
5th Session, 20th Parliament to
22nd Parliament (1948-57)
On August 7, 1948 St. Laurent was chosen leader of the Liberal party of Canada at a party leadership convention. On November 15, 1948, upon the resignation of Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King, he was sworn in as Prime Minister. Results of general election held on June 10, 1957
Eighteenth
Image of John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
(Progressive Conservative)
21-06-1957
to
22-04-1963
23rd Parliament to
25th Parliament (1957-63)
Results of general election held on June 10, 1957 Results of general election held on April 8, 1963
Nineteenth
Image of Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
(Liberal)
22-04-1963
to
20-04-1968
26th Parliament to
2nd Session, 27th Parliament (1963-68)
Results of general election held on April 8, 1963 Resignation
Twentieth
Image of Pierre E. Trudeau
Pierre E. Trudeau
(Liberal)
20-04-1968
to
04-06-1979
2nd Session, 27th Parliament to
30th Parliament (1968-79)
On April 6, 1968 Trudeau was chosen leader of the Liberal Party of Canada at a party leadership convention. On April 20, 1968, upon the resignation of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, he was sworn in as Prime Minister. Results of general election held on May 22, 1979
Twenty-first
Image of Joseph Clark
Joseph Clark
(Progressive Conservative)
04-06-1979
to
03-03-1980
31st Parliament
(1979)
Results of general election held on May 22, 1979 Results of general election held on February 18, 1980
Twenty-second
Image of Pierre E. Trudeau
Pierre E. Trudeau
(Liberal)
03-03-1980
to
30-06-1984
1st Session, 32nd Parliament to
2nd Session, 32nd Parliament (1980-84)
Results of general election held on February 18, 1980 Resignation
Twenty-third
Image of John Turner
John Turner [9]
(Liberal)
30-06-1984
to
17-09-1984
2nd Session, 32nd Parliament
(1984)
On June 16, 1984 Turner  was chosen leader of the Liberal Party of Canada at a party leadership convention.  On June 30, 1984, upon the resignation of Prime Minister Pierre E. Trudeau, he was sworn in as Prime Minister. Results of general election held on September 4, 1984
Twenty-fourth
Image of Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
(Progressive Conservative)
17-09-1984
to
25-06-1993
33rd Parliament to
3rd Session, 34th Parliament (1984-93)
Results of general election held on September 4, 1984 Resignation
Twenty-fifth
Image of Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
(Progressive Conservative)
25-06-1993
to
04-11-1993
3rd Session, 34th Parliament
(1993) [10]
On June 13, 1993 Campbell was chosen leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada at a party leadership convention.  On June 25, 1993, upon the resignation of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, she was sworn in as Prime Minister. Results of general election held on October 25, 1993
Twenty-sixth
Image of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
(Liberal)
04-11-1993
to
12-12-2003
35th Parliament to
2nd Session, 37th Parliament (1993-2003)
Results of general election held on October 25, 1993 Resignation
Twenty-seventh
 
Paul Martin
(Liberal)
12-12-2003
to
06-02-2006
3rd Session, 37th Parliament to
1st Session, 38th Parliament (2003-06)
On November 14, 2003, Martin was chosen leader of the Liberal Party of Canada at a party leadership convention. On December 12, 2003, upon the resignation of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, he was sworn in as Prime Minister. Results of general election held on January 23, 2006
[1]
The government of Sir John A. Macdonald resigned on November 5, 1873 as a result of the exposure in Parliament of the Canadian Pacific Railway scandal.  On November 7, 1873 the Liberals under Alexander Mackenzie formed a government.
[2]
Sir John Abbott served as Prime Minister from the Senate.
[3]
Sir Mackenzie Bowell served as Prime Minister from the Senate.
[4]
Sir Charles Tupper served as Prime Minister during the dissolution following the end of the Sixth Session of the Seventh Parliament and before the beginning of the First Session of the Eighth Parliament.
[5]
The Tenth Ministry was a re-organization of the Ninth Ministry, with the addition of certain Liberal Ministers.  All Ministers continuing from the Ninth Ministry and changing office, resigned by Order in Council, were re-appointed by Order in Council and were sworn to their new offices; those continuing in their old offices were not required to be either re-appointed or re-sworn.  Sir Robert Borden continued throughout as Prime Minister from his original appointment in 1911.
[6]
On October 12, 1917, Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden formed a ministry, known as the Unionist government, which brought together Liberal-Conservative and Liberal Members of Parliament who supported conscription during the First World War.  According to some sources like the Canadian Guide Electoral History and Leadership (1867-1987), edited by Wayne D. Madden and updated by the Library of Parliament, Borden was the leader of the Unionist Party.
[7]
According to some sources like the Canadian Guide Electoral History and Leadership (1867-1987), edited by Wayne D. Madden and updated by the Library of Parliament, Meighen was the leader of the Unionist Party.
[8]
Prime Minister W.L. Mackenzie King requested that the Governor General dissolve Parliament and order a general election.  The Governor General declined to do so and, following the resignation of King, on June 28, 1926, called upon the Leader of the Opposition, Arthur Meighen, to form a government.  On June 29, 1926, Arthur Meighen formed a government.  However, his government faced Parliament for only three days before being defeated in the House on July 1, 1926.  The Fifteenth Parliament was dissolved the next day and a general election was called for September 14, 1926.
[9]
During his tenure as Prime Minister, John Turner did not sit in the House as a Member of Parliament.
[10]
The House did not meet during her tenure as Prime Minister.


Top of documentPrevious PageNext Page