Premier of Manitoba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Premier of Manitoba |
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|---|---|
| Office of the Premier | |
| Style |
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| Member of |
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| Reports to | |
| Seat | Manitoba Legislative Building 450 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB |
| Appointer | Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
with the confidence of the Manitoba Legislature
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| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure
contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the legislative assembly
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| Formation | September 16, 1870 |
| First holder | Alfred Boyd |
| Deputy | Deputy Premier of Manitoba |
| Salary | In 2025, $109,268 (MLA Basic Annual Salary) plus $91,566 (Premier Additional Annual Salary). Additional MLA Allowances include Living Allowance, Travel Allowance, Office Rent Allowance, Assistants Allowance, Constituency Allowance (between $68,140 and $76,333), and others. |
| Website | Premier official website: https://www.gov.mb.ca/minister/premier/index.html |
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The Premier of Manitoba (also called premier ministre du Manitoba in French) is the main leader of the government for the Canadian province of Manitoba. Think of them as the head of the team that runs the province. They are also the leader of Manitoba's Executive Council, which is like the province's main decision-making group.
The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba officially asks the Premier to form a government. The Lieutenant Governor represents the King or Queen in Manitoba.
The 25th and current Premier of Manitoba is Wab Kinew. He officially took office on October 18, 2023.
Contents
What Does the Premier Do?
The Premier of Manitoba is the leader of the provincial government. They lead the political party that has enough support to make decisions in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. This means they have the trust of most of the elected representatives.
The Premier's job is similar to the Prime Minister's job, but for the province of Manitoba. After becoming Premier, they choose a team of ministers called the Executive Council. The Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba officially appoints these ministers.
The Lieutenant Governor acts as the King's representative in Manitoba. They handle official duties, like signing new laws. The Premier, on the other hand, manages the daily work of the government. They lead the cabinet and make sure the province runs smoothly.
The Premier also speaks for Manitoba across Canada. They meet with other provincial leaders and the Prime Minister every year. These meetings help provinces work together on important issues.
Manitoba's Past Premiers
This section looks at the history of the leaders who have served Manitoba.
How Manitoba's Government Started
Manitoba became a province on May 12, 1870, with the Manitoba Act. It officially joined Canada on July 15 of that year. The first election for Manitoba's Legislative Assembly happened on December 30, 1870.
From 1870 to 1874, Manitoba was led by its first two Lieutenant Governors. These were Adams George Archibald and Alexander Morris. People like Alfred Boyd and Henry James Clark helped the Lieutenant Governors during this time. They are sometimes called early premiers, but they didn't officially hold that title.
The first person truly recognized as "Premier" was Marc-Amable Girard in July 1874. Lieutenant Governor Morris wrote about Girard forming a new government. This marked the start of a more modern way of governing Manitoba.
Recognizing Louis Riel
Wab Kinew, who became Premier in 2023, worked to recognize Louis Riel as Manitoba's first Premier. Riel is known as the founder of Manitoba. Kinew first tried to pass a bill about this in 2020, but it didn't pass then. After he became Premier, he successfully passed the bill in 2023.
Political Parties and Leaders
Until 1888, Manitoba's governments were not based on political parties. Then, Thomas Greenway became the first Premier from a political party, the Liberals. Later, Hugh John Macdonald led the Conservatives.
In 1922, John Bracken became Premier. He led the United Farmers of Manitoba and stayed in office for 20 years. He was known for leading governments that were not strictly tied to one major party.
Since the 1950s, Manitoba has usually had governments led by either the New Democrats or the Progressive Conservatives. Most of Manitoba's governments have been elected for a second term.
Recent Premiers
In 2016, Brian Pallister became the 22nd Premier of Manitoba. His election ended 17 years of New Democratic Party leadership. Before him, Greg Selinger was Premier from 2009 to 2016.
When Brian Pallister was first elected, he was very popular. However, his popularity changed over time during his term.
Learn More About Manitoba's Government
Key People and Groups
- List of premiers of Manitoba
- Deputy Premier of Manitoba
- Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
- Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
- Monarchy in Manitoba
Government in Canada
- Politics of Canada
- Prime Minister of Canada
- Premier (Canada)
