List of premiers of Nova Scotia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Premier of Nova Scotia
Incumbent
Tim Houston
since August 31, 2021
SeatHalifax
Formation1867

The Canadian province of Nova Scotia was a British colony with a system of responsible government since 1848, before it joined Canadian Confederation in 1867. Since Confederation, the province has been a part of the Canadian federation and has kept its own legislature to deal with provincial matters.[1]

Nova Scotia 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 Nova Scotia's head of government, and the king in right of Nova Scotia is its head of state and is represented by the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Nova Scotia, and presides over that body.[1]

Members are first elected to the House 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 occur if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.[2] Nova Scotia has had 27 individuals serve as premier since Confederation, of which 12 were Conservatives, 14 were Liberals, and one New Democrat.

Premiers of Nova Scotia[edit]

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


Premiers of the pre-Confederation period

1
James Boyle Uniacke
(1799–1858)
2 February
1848
4 April
1854
1847 election (18th Leg.)⁠

1851 election (19th Leg.)

Liberal MLA for Cape Breton County
2
(1 of 2)
William Young
(1799–1887)
4 April
1854
24 February
1857
Appointment (19th Leg.)⁠

1855 election (20th Leg.)

Liberal MLA for Inverness County
3
(1 of 2)
James William Johnston
(1792–1873)
24 February
1857
10 February
1860
1859 election (22nd Leg.) Conservative MLA for Annapolis County
4
(2 of 2)
William Young
(1799–1887)
10 February
1860
3 August
1860
Appointment (22nd Leg.) Liberal MLA for Inverness County
5
Joseph Howe
(1804–1873)
3 August
1860
11 June
1863
Appointment (22nd Leg.) Liberal MLA for Hants County, South Division
6
(2 of 2)
James William Johnston
(1792–1873)
11 June
1863
11 May
1864
1863 election (23rd Leg.) Conservative MLA for Annapolis County
7
Charles Tupper
(1821–1915)
11 May
1864
4 July
1867
Appointment (23rd Leg.) Confederation MLA for Cumberland County

Premiers of the post-Confederation period

1
Hiram Blanchard
(1820–1874)
4 July
1867
7 November
1867
Appointment (caretaker government) Conservative
(Ldr. 1867)
MLA for Inverness County
2
William Annand
(1808–1887)
7 November
1867
11 May
1875
1867 election (24th Leg.)⁠

1871 election (25th Leg.)⁠


1874 election (26th Leg.)

Anti-Confederation
(Ldr. 1867)
Councillor for province-at-large
3
Philip Carteret Hill
(1821–1894)
11 May
1875
22 October
1878
Appointment (26th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1875)
MLA for Halifax County
4
Simon Hugh Holmes
(1831–1919)
22 October
1878
25 May
1882
1878 election (27th Leg.) Conservative
(Ldr. 1874)
MLA for Pictou County
5
John Sparrow David Thompson
(1845–1894)
25 May
1882
3 August
1882
Appointment (caretaker government) Conservative
(Ldr. 1882)
MLA for Antigonish County
6
William Thomas Pipes
(1850–1909)
3 August
1882
28 July
1884
1882 election (28th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1882)
MLA for Cumberland County
7
William Stevens Fielding
(1848–1929)
28 July
1884
20 July
1896
Appointment (28th Leg.)⁠

1886 election (29th Leg.)⁠


1890 election (30th Leg.)⁠


1894 election (31st Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1883)
MLA for Halifax County
8
George Henry Murray
(1861–1929)
20 July
1896
24 January
1923
Appointment (31st Leg.)⁠

1897 election (32nd Leg.)⁠


1901 election (33rd Leg.)⁠


1906 election (34th Leg.)⁠


1911 election (35th Leg.)⁠


1916 election (36th Leg.)⁠


1920 election (37th Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1896)
MLA for Victoria County
9
Ernest Howard Armstrong
(1864–1946)
24 January
1923
16 July
1925
Appointment (37th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1923)
MLA for Shelburne County
10
Edgar Nelson Rhodes
(1877–1942)
16 July
1925
11 August
1930
1925 election (38th Leg.)⁠

1928 election (39th Leg.)

Conservative
(Ldr. 1925)
MLA for Hants County
11
Gordon Sidney Harrington
(1883–1943)
11 August
1930
5 September
1933
Appointment (39th Leg.) Conservative
(Ldr. 1930)
MLA for Cape Breton Centre
12
(1 of 2)
Angus L. Macdonald
(1890–1954)
5 September
1933
10 July
1940
1933 election (40th Leg.)⁠

1937 election (41st Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1930)
MLA for Halifax South
13
Alexander Stirling MacMillan
(1871–1955)
10 July
1940
8 September
1945
Appointment (41st Leg.)⁠

1941 election (42nd Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1940)
MLA for Hants
14
(2 of 2)
Angus L. Macdonald
(1890–1954)
8 September
1945
13 April
1954
Appointment (42nd Leg.)⁠

1945 election (43rd Leg.)⁠


1949 election (44th Leg.)⁠


1953 election (45th Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1945)
MLA for Halifax South
15
Harold Connolly
(1901–1980)
13 April
1954
30 September
1954
Appointment (45th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1954)
MLA for Halifax North
16
Henry Hicks
(1915–1990)
30 September
1954
20 November
1956
Appointment (45th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1954)
MLA for Annapolis
17
Robert Stanfield
(1914–2003)
20 November
1956
13 September
1967
1956 election (46th Leg.)⁠

1960 election (47th Leg.)⁠


1963 election (48th Leg.)⁠


1967 election (49th Leg.)

Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1948)
MLA for Colchester
18
George Isaac Smith
(1909–1982)
13 September
1967
28 October
1970
Appointment (49th Leg.) Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1967)
MLA for Colchester
19
Gerald Regan
(1928–2019)
28 October
1970
5 October
1978
1970 election (50th Leg.)⁠

1974 election (51st Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1965)
MLA for Halifax Needham
20
John Buchanan
(1931–2019)
5 October
1978
12 September
1990
1978 election (52nd Leg.)⁠

1981 election (53rd Leg.)⁠


1984 election (54th Leg.)⁠


1988 election (55th Leg.)

Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1971)
MLA for Halifax Atlantic
21
Roger Stuart Bacon
(1926–2021)
12 September
1990
26 February
1991
Appointment (55th Leg.) Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1990)
MLA for Cumberland East
22
Donald William Cameron
(1946–2021)
26 February
1991
11 June
1993
Appointment (55th Leg.) Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1991)
MLA for Pictou East
23
John Savage
(1932–2003)
11 June
1993
18 July
1997
1993 election (56th Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 1992)
MLA for Dartmouth South
24
Russell MacLellan
(b. 1940)
18 July
1997
16 August
1999
Appointment (56th Leg.)⁠

1998 election (57th Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 1997)
MLA for Cape Breton North
25
John F. Hamm
(b. 1938)
16 August
1999
24 February
2006
1999 election (58th Leg.)⁠

2003 election (59th Leg.)

Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 1995)
MLA for Pictou Centre
26
Rodney MacDonald
(b. 1972)
24 February
2006
19 June
2009
Appointment (59th Leg.)⁠

2006 election (60th Leg.)

Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 2006)
MLA for Inverness
27
Darrell Dexter
(b. 1957)
19 June
2009
22 October
2013
2009 election (61st Leg.) New Democratic
(Ldr. 2001)
MLA for Cole Harbour [3]
28
Stephen McNeil
(b. 1964)
22 October
2013
23 February
2021
2013 election (62nd Leg.)⁠

2017 election (63rd Leg.)

Liberal
(Ldr. 2007)
MLA for Annapolis [4]
29
Iain Rankin
(b. 1983)
23 February
2021
31 August
2021
Appointment (63rd Leg.) Liberal
(Ldr. 2021)
MLA for Timberlea-Prospect [5]
30
Tim Houston
(b. 1970)
31 August
2021
incumbent 2021 election (64th Leg.) Progressive Conservative
(Ldr. 2018)
MLA for Pictou East


References[edit]

General
  • "Nova Scotia Premiers". The Nova Scotia Legislature. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  • "Nova Scotia General Elections". Government of Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 6, 2008.
Specific
  1. ^ a b "Nova Scotia". Library and Archives Canada. May 2, 2005. Archived from the original on August 1, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  2. ^ "Bill C-16: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act". Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2008.
  3. ^ "Honourable Darrell Dexter NDP". The Nova Scotia Legislature. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  4. ^ Stephen McNeil leads Liberals to majority in Nova Scotia. CBC News, October 8, 2013.
  5. ^ [1]. CTV News, February 23, 2021.

External links[edit]