List of premiers of Ontario

Kathleen Wynne is the current Premier of Ontario.

This is a list of the premiers of the province of Ontario, Canada, since Confederation in 1867. Ontario uses a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The premier is Ontario's head of government, while the Queen of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of Ontario, and presides over that body.

Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election. An election may also happen if the Governing party loses the confidence of the legislature, by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.

This article only covers the time since the Canadian Confederation was created in 1867. For the premiers of Canada West from 1840 to 1867, see List of Joint Premiers of the Province of Canada.

Premiers of Ontario since 1867

  Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario   United Farmers of Ontario   Ontario Liberal Party   Ontario New Democratic Party

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death) District	Term of office	Electoral mandates (Assembly)	Political party
1		John Sandfield Macdonald (1812–1872) MLA for Cornwall	16 July[1] 1867 – 20 December[1] 1871	Title created (no assembly) 1867 election (1st Assembly)^[Co.]	Liberal-Conservative Party
			Macdonald led a Coalition between the Liberal-Conservative Party and the Liberal Party; was also an MP in the House of Commons until 1872; was the last Catholic premier for 132 years
2		Edward Blake (1833–1912) MLA for Bruce South	20 December[2] 1871 – 25 October[2] 1872	1871 election (2nd Assembly)	Liberal Party
			Resigned to lead the federal Liberal Party
3		Sir Oliver Mowat (1820–1903) MLA for Oxford North	25 October[3] 1872 – 21 July[3] 1896	Appointment (2nd Assembly) 1875 election (3rd Assembly) 1879 election (4th Assembly) 1883 election (5th Assembly) 1886 election (6th Assembly) 1890 election (7th Assembly) 1894 election (8th Assembly)	Liberal Party
			Secured a large amount of power for the provinces through court battles with the federal government; introduced the secret ballot in elections and extended suffrage beyond property owners; created the municipal level of government; Ontario prohibition plebiscite, 1894
4		Arthur Sturgis Hardy (1837–1901) MLA for Brant South	21 July[4] 1896 – 21 October[4] 1899	Appointment (8th Assembly) 1898 election (9th Assembly)	Liberal Party
5		Sir George William Ross (1841–1914) MLA for Middlesex West	21 October[5] 1899 – 8 February[5] 1905	Appointment (9th Assembly) 1902 election (10th Assembly)	Liberal Party
			Expanded libraries, kindergarten, and university grants; Ontario prohibition referendum, 1902
6		Sir James Whitney (1843–1914) MLA for Dundas	8 February[6] 1905 – 25 September[6] 1914	1905 election (11th Assembly) 1908 election (12th Assembly) 1911 election (13th Assembly) 1914 election (14th Assembly)	Conservative Party
			Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario; Workmen's Compensation Act; temperance legislation; Regulation 17
7		Sir William Hearst (1864–1941) MLA for Sault Ste. Marie	2 October[7] 1914 – 14 November[7] 1919	Appointment (14th Assembly)	Conservative Party
			Ontario Temperance Act; expanded workers injury compensation; allowed woman suffrage; Ontario prohibition referendum, 1919
8		Ernest Drury (1878–1968) MLA for Halton	14 November[8] 1919 – 16 July[8] 1923	1919 election (15th Assembly)^[Co.]	United Farmers
			Led a Coalition between the United Farmers party and the Labour MLAs; did not win a seat in the legislature until a 1920 by-election; created the first Department of Welfare; set a minimum wage for women; expanded Ontario Hydro; created the Province of Ontario Savings Office; began the first major reforestation program in North America; Ontario prohibition referendum, 1921
9		George Howard Ferguson (1870–1946) MLA for Grenville	16 July[9] 1923 – 15 December[9] 1930	1923 election (16th Assembly) 1926 election (17th Assembly) 1929 election (18th Assembly)	Conservative Party Named leader in 1920
			Relaxed Regulation 17; created the Liquor Control Board of Ontario; Ontario prohibition referendum, 1924
10		George Stewart Henry (1871–1958) MLA for York East	15 December[10] 1930 – 10 July[10] 1934	Appointment (18th Assembly)	Conservative Party
			Expansion of highway system, including construction of the Queen Elizabeth Way
11		Mitchell Hepburn (1896–1953) MLA for Elgin (until 1938) MPP for Elgin (from 1938)	10 July[11] 1934 – 21 October[11] 1942	1934 election (19th Assembly) 1937 election (20th Assembly)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1930
			Greatly cutting government spending; succession tax; compulsory milk pasteurization; relaxed temperance laws; made the Dionne Quintuplets wards of the state; unsuccessfully tried to break the first United Auto Workers strike against GM; conflict with PM Mackenzie King over conduct of WWII and conscription.
12		Gordon Daniel Conant (1885–1953) MPP for Ontario	21 October[12] 1942 – 18 May[12] 1943	Appointment (20th Assembly)	Liberal Party
			"Appointed" premier by Liberal leader Mitchell Hepburn but forced to call and contest leadership convention due to caucus revolt, which he lost to Nixon.
13		Harry Nixon (1891–1961) MPP for Brant	18 May[13] 1943 – 17 August[13] 1943	Appointment (20th Assembly)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1943
			Last Liberal Premier for 42 years.
14		George A. Drew (1894–1973) MPP for High Park (until 1948)	17 August[14] 1943 – 19 October[14] 1948	1943 election (21st Assembly)^Min. 1945 election (22nd Assembly) 1948 election (23rd Assembly)^LS	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1938
			Began a 42-year Conservative dynasty; Drew Regulation; LeBel Royal Commission; joined Ontario to North American power grid, increased provincial share of Education spending; opened immigration offices in UK and arranged for cheap charter flights to bring 20,000 British immigrants to Ontario.
15		Thomas Laird Kennedy (1878–1959) MPP for Peel	19 October[15] 1948 – 4 May[15] 1949	Appointment (23rd Assembly)	Progressive Conservative Party
			Interim premier between resignation of Drew and leadership convention to choose his successor.
16		Leslie Frost (1895–1973) MPP for Victoria	4 May[16] 1949 – 8 November[16] 1961	Appointment (23rd Assembly) 1951 election (24th Assembly) 1955 election (25th Assembly) 1959 election (26th Assembly)	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1949
			400-series highways; Provincial Sales Tax; public hospital insurance which would become OHIP; Expansion of universities; Fair Employment Practices Act and Fair Accommodation Practices Act; Voting rights for First Nations; Creation of Metropolitan Toronto and Toronto's first subway.
17		John Robarts (1917–1982) MPP for London North	8 November[17] 1961 – 1 March[17] 1971	Appointment (26th Assembly) 1963 election (27th Assembly) 1967 election (28th Assembly)	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1961
			Ontario Human Rights Code; 1967 "Confederation of Tomorrow" conference; French education in Ontario schools; Creation of Ontario Health Insurance Plan; Creation of community college system; Creation of TVOntario.
18		Bill Davis (b. 1929) MPP for Peel North (until 1975) MPP for Brampton (from 1975)	1 March[18] 1971 – 8 February[18] 1985	Appointment (28th Assembly) 1971 election (29th Assembly) 1975 election (30th Assembly)^Min. 1977 election (31st Assembly)^Min. 1981 election (32nd Assembly)	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1971
			Spadina Expressway; rejected (1971) then later partly extended (1984); full funding to Ontario's Catholic high schools; New regional governments; Rent controls; Played a key role in patriation of the Canadian Constitution.
19		Frank Miller (1927–2000) MPP for Muskoka	8 February[19] 1985 – 26 June[19] 1985	Appointment (32nd Assembly) 1985 election (33rd Assembly)^Min.	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1985
			Lost a motion of no confidence immediately after the election and resigned power to the opposition party.
20		David Peterson (b. 1943) MPP for London Centre	26 June[20] 1985 – 1 October[20] 1990	Appointment (33rd Assembly)^Min. 1987 election (34th Assembly)	Liberal Party Named leader in 1982
			Had the second-most seats in the 33rd assembly, but formed an accord with the New Democratic Party that would let the Liberal Party take power without forming an official coalition. Banned extra-billing by doctors and ended health insurance premiums. Reforms to rent laws, labour negotiation laws, pensions, environment; implemented extension of Catholic school funding to grade 13 announced by previous government; supported the Meech Lake Accord; Introduced no-fault auto insurance; Patti Starr scandal
21		Bob Rae (b. 1948) MPP for York South	1 October[21] 1990 – 26 June[21] 1995	1990 election (35th Assembly)	New Democratic Party Named leader in 1982
			Social Contract (Ontario) and clash with unions; Rae days; Pay equity; Affirmative action; Strengthening of rent control; anti-scab legislation; Reserve status for North Ontario Aboriginals; Moratorium on new nuclear plants; Attempted to maintain ban on Sunday shopping before allowing it; Introduction of casinos; Attempted to bring in extension of benefits for same-sex partners.
22		Mike Harris (b. 1945) MPP for Nipissing	26 June[22] 1995 – 14 April[22] 2002	1995 election (36th Assembly) 1999 election (37th Assembly)	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 1990
			Common Sense Revolution; 30% tax cut; 21% cut to social assistance rates; attempted to introduce Workfare; cancelled urban infrastructure projects including Eglinton subway; cut government spending; Telehealth Ontario; Division of Ontario Hydro; municipal amalgamations, including Amalgamation of Toronto; Elimination of OAC year (Grade 13) and re-introduction of standardized testing; privatization of Highway 407; Ipperwash Crisis; teacher strikes; Walkerton Tragedy; Ontario's Drive Clean; hospital closures and health restructuring.
23		Ernie Eves (b. 1946) MPP for Dufferin—Peel—Wellington—Grey	15 April[23] 2002 – 22 October[23] 2003	Appointment (37th Assembly)	Progressive Conservative Party Named leader in 2002
			Kimberly Rogers and welfare reform; Possible sale of Hydro One and problem with hydro costs due to hot summers and 2003 North America blackout
24		Dalton McGuinty (b. 1955) MPP for Ottawa South	23 October[24][25] 2003 – 11 February[24][26] 2013	2003 election (38th Assembly) 2007 election (39th Assembly) 2011 election (40th Assembly)^Min.	Liberal Party Named leader in 1996
			Green Energy and Economy Act; Auto insurance reforms; Cancelled tax cuts; Increase in health spending and Health Premium tax; Transfer of gas tax to municipalities; Breed-specific legislation aka ban on/government-sanctioned euthanization of 'pit bulls' and dogs considered to resemble 'pit bulls'; Greenbelt (Golden Horseshoe); Renegotiation of federal equalization; Expansion of Ontario's Drive Clean; full-day kindergarten; MoveOntario; eHealth Ontario scandal; Harmonized Sales Tax; Ontario power plant scandal. On October 15, 2012, unexpected announcement of resignation and prorogation of legislature
25		Kathleen Wynne (b. 1953) MPP for Don Valley West	11 February[27][28] 2013 –	Appointment (40th Assembly)^Min. 2014 election (41st Assembly)	Liberal Party Named leader in 2013
			First female Premier of Ontario, first openly gay premier in Canada; Ontario-Québec Relations (500 megawatts (MW) of peak electricity sharing); Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act; The Great Lakes Protection Act; $30-billion investment into transportation across the province; partial sale of Hydro One; beer in grocery stores; updated sex education in public schools.
Co. Coalition government (^Macdonald ^Drury ) Min. Minority government (^Drew ^Davis ^Miller ^Peterson ^McGuinty ^Wynne ) LS Party won the election, but premier lost own seat (^Drew )

Timeline of Ontario Premiers

Living former premiers

As of June 2015, six former premiers are alive, the oldest being Bill Davis (1971–1985, born 1929). The most recent former premier to die was Frank Miller (February–June 1985), on July 21, 2000.

Name	Term	Date of birth
Bill Davis	1971–1985	July 30, 1929
David Peterson	1985–1990	December 28, 1943
Bob Rae	1990–1995	August 2, 1948
Mike Harris	1995–2002	January 23, 1945
Ernie Eves	2002–2003	June 17, 1946
Dalton McGuinty	2003–2013	July 19, 1955

See also

• List of Leaders of the Opposition in Ontario
• List of premiers of Ontario by time in office

For more lists of this type, see Lists of incumbents.

Notes

1. "John Sandfield Macdonald, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
2. "Edward Blake, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
3. "Oliver Mowat, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
4. "Arthur Sturgis Hardy, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
5. "George William Ross, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
6. "James Pliny Whitney, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
7. "William Howard Hearst, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
8. "Ernest Charles Drury, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
9. "George Howard Ferguson, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
10. "George Stewart Henry, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
11. "Mitchell Frederick Hepburn, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
12. "Gordon Daniel Conant, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
13. "Harry Corwin Nixon, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
14. "George Alexander Drew, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
15. "Thomas Laird Kennedy, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
16. "Leslie Miscampbell Frost, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
17. "John Parmenter Robarts, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
18. "William Grenville Davis, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
19. "Frank Stuart Miller, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
20. "David Robert Peterson, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
21. "Bob Keith Rae, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
22. "Michael Harris, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
23. "Ernie Eves, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
24. "Dalton McGuinty, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
25. "McGuinty Government Takes Office; Ready To Get To Work For All Ontarians". Office of the Premier of Ontario. October 23, 2003. Retrieved January 27, 2013.
26. "Meeting with the Premier and Ms. Wynne". Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
27. "Kathleen Wynne, MPP". Legislative Assembly website. Legislative Assembly on Ontario. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
28. "Jobs, Economy, a Fair Society: Priorities for New Ontario Government". Office of the Premier of Ontario. February 11, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2013.

References

• James H. Marsh, ed. (1999). "Ontario". The Canadian Encyclopedia (2000 ed.). Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. p. 1713. ISBN 0-7710-2099-6.
• Government of Ontario. "Historical Records". Past & Present MPPs. Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Retrieved 2007-03-11.