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List of Canadian Prime Ministers

The Prime Ministers of Canada

While there is a long standard tradition of considering John A. Macdonald Canada's first Prime Minister, since he was prime minister after Canadian Confederation, a number of modern scholars, foremost amongst them John Ralston Saul, argue that Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine are truly Canada's first Prime Ministers. They were the first to govern the Province of Canada (consisting then of only Canada East and Canada West - modern Ontario and Quebec) as democratically elected leaders.

# Name Took Office Left Office Party

1.Sir John A. Macdonald July 1, 1867 November 5, 1873 Conservative

2.Alexander Mackenzie November 7, 1873 October 8, 1878 Liberal

Sir John A. Macdonald (2nd time) October 17, 1878 June 6, 1891 Conservative

3.Sir John Abbott June 16, 1891 November 24, 1892 Conservative

4.Sir John Thompson December 5, 1892 December 12, 1894 Conservative

5.Sir Mackenzie Bowell December 21, 1894 April 27, 1896 Conservative

6.Sir Charles Tupper May 1, 1896 July 8, 1896 Conservative

7.Sir Wilfrid Laurier July 11, 1896 October 7, 1911 Liberal

8.Sir Robert Laird Borden October 10, 1911 July 10, 1920 Conservative

9.Arthur Meighen July 10, 1920 December 29, 1921 Conservative

10.William Lyon Mackenzie King December 29, 1921 June 28, 1926 Liberal

Arthur Meighen (2nd time) June 29, 1926 September 25, 1926 Conservative

William Lyon Mackenzie King (2nd time) September 25, 1926 August 7, 1930 Liberal

11.Richard Bedford Bennett August 7, 1930 October 23, 1935 Conservative

William Lyon Mackenzie King (3rd time) October 23, 1935 November 15, 1948 Liberal

12.Louis St. Laurent November 15, 1948 June 21, 1957 Liberal

13.John Diefenbaker June 21, 1957 April 22, 1963 Progressive Conservative

14.Lester Bowles Pearson April 22, 1963 April 20, 1968 Liberal

15.Pierre Trudeau April 20, 1968 June 3, 1979 Liberal

16.Joe Clark June 4, 1979 March 2, 1980 Progressive Conservative

Pierre Trudeau (2nd time) March 3, 1980 June 30, 1984 Liberal

17.John Napier Turner June 30, 1984 September 17, 1984 Liberal

18.Brian Mulroney September 17, 1984 June 25, 1993 Progressive Conservative

19.Kim Campbell June 25, 1993 November 4, 1993 Progressive Conservative

20.Jean Chrétien November 4, 1993 December 12, 2003 Liberal

21.Paul Martin December 12, 2003 present Liberal

Other lists of Canadian first ministers:
Alberta - B.C - Manitoba - N.B - Nfld.-Lab - N.S - Ontario - P.E.I - Quebec - Sask - Yukon - N.W.T - Nunavut

See other lists of incumbents