THE PREMIERS: A PRIMERBy: Quinn Wilson

Quick Facts!

• Conservative Premiers: 3• Liberal Premiers: 4• NDP Premiers: 1• Other Parties: 3• Unknown Parties: 2• Women: 6• Men: 7• Let’s meet the Premiers!

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

• Grew up in Burin, Newfoundland• Sworn in on December 3, 2010• 10th Premier • Was first female elected to be the Premier• Women’s issues and rural development• Rated the least like Premier in the Provinces. 25%

approval and 73% disapproval

Kathy Dunderdale

NEW BRUNSWICK

• Born in Beverly, Mass. Age 53• Sworn in on October 12, 2010• 32nd Premier • Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Bryan College,

Dayton, Tenn. • Breeds purebred Hereford cattle at farm Riceville

David Alward

Prince Edward Island

• Grew up in Charlottetown• Sworn in on June 12, 2007• 33rd Premier • Currently the longest serving Premier• Won 23 of 27 seats in P.E.I in 2007• Special Assistant to Prime Minister Jean Chretien on

Atlantic Canada.• Father, Joe Ghiz, Premier from 1986-1993

Robert Ghiz

NOVA SCOTIA

• Grew up in Milton, Nova Scotia• Sworn in June 19th, 2009• 27th premier • Was elected and re-elected to the Legislative

Assembly of Nova Scotia in 1998, 1999, 2003, 2006, and 2009

• Served in Navy as a Command Information Officer.

• Dartmouth City Councillor in 1994

Darrell Dexter

NOVA SCOTIA New Premier

• As of last night at 8:30 pm, the Liberal Party of Nova Scotia won a majority government over the old premier, Darrell Dexter and the NDP

• 28th Premier• “Stephen McNeil’s Liberals beats NDP”• http

://www.cbc.ca/player/News/ID/2411246660/

Stephen McNeil

QUEBEC

• Grew up in Quebec City • Sworn in September 19th, 2012 • 36th Premier • First female Premier of Quebec• Has occupied the most ministries in Quebec History• Deputy Premier from 2001 to 2003

Pauline Marois

ONTARIO

• Grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario• Sworn in February 11, 2013• 25th Premier• Served as a School Trustee in Toronto• Focused on priorities of farmers and Ontario's 34 billion

agri-food industry• Minister of Agriculture and Food• Canada’s first openly gay Premier, first female

Kathleen Wynne

MANITOBA

• Sworn in on October 19th, 2009• 21st Premier• Minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, Liquor Control

Commission and the Manitoba Lotteries Corp. • Has a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from

Queen’s University• A PhD in social policy and administration from the

London School of Economics and Political Science

Greg Selinger

SASKATCHEWAN

• Grew up in Swift Current• Sworn in on November 21st, 2007• 15th Premier • Lowered the province’s debt by 44%• Largest tax cuts in the history of Saskatchewan• Post secondary at University of Saskatchewan• Works with P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz as co-chair of the

Council of Federation’s Health Care Innovation Working Group• Rated Canada’s most popular premier in public opinion polls.

64% approval rating

Brad Wall

ALBERTA

• Grew up in Calgary• Sworn in on October 7, 2011• 14th Premier• University of Saskatchewan College of Law• Has undertaken legal assignments in Bosnia and

Herzegovina, Serbia, Namibia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the Philippines.

• One of four International Election Union Commissioners to administer Afghanistan’s first parliamentary elections.

• Seeks to improve quality of life in Alberta

Alison Redford

British Columbia

• Grew up in Burnaby• Sworn in on June 10th, 2013• 35th Premier• Focused on the economy, jobs and controlling spending.• Deputy Premier, Minister of Education, Minister of

Children and Family Development.• Brought the “Pink Shirt Campaign” to BC

Christy Clark

YUKON

• Sworn in on June 11, 2011• 8th Premier• Worked as a pharmacist and business owner.• Represented Conservative Party in 2008 Federal election.• University of Saskatchewan, degree in pharmacy• Minister Responsible for the Executive Council Office

and Minister of Finance

Darrell Pasloski

N.W.T.

• Sworn in on October 27th, 2011• 13th Premier• University of Alberta, Bachelor of

Commerce Degree• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology in

Edmonton, Honours Diploma in Administrative Management

Bob Mcleod

NUNAVUT

• Sworn in on November 19th, 2008• 2nd Premier• Pushed law to protect Inuit language. • Assisted in creation of Inuktitut versions of Microsoft products.

Along with other Inuit-made products. • legislation on poverty reduction• working to create a representative to advocate for children and

youth.• Top priority is to develop and diversified economy and building

the infrastructure needed for Canada’s fastest growing population.

Eva Qamaniq Aariak

First Ministers Conferences

• Began in 1906 under Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier • Held annually after the Victoria Charter of 1971.• Meet ever year to discuss topics that involve both the

provincial and federal governments.

Where is the Prime Minister?

• The last meeting of all 13 Premiers in Canada was held in the final weeks of July in 2013. They discussed the senate, the Canada Pension Plan and the Infrastructure. But the Prime Minister was not in attendance. The Prime Minister does not have many First Ministers Meetings because it gives the Premiers a chance to gang up on the Federal Government.

• The previous First Ministers meetings was in 2009 after the 2008 global financial crisis.

• Harper has not attended a First Ministers Meeting since 2009.

Common Issues

• Economic Growth • Jobs• Health Care• Education• Transfer payments• Transportation • Environment• Language Rights

Common Issues

• The Federal Government is proposing a new Jobs Grant for skills training. Premiers across the country, from British Columbia to New Brunswick, have warned Ottawa that they will boycott the new Jobs Grant unless serious changes are made.

ARE THEY UNITED?

• On some topics they are. But when the federal government isn’t involved, they don’t get along.

• East vs. West• Oil vs. No Oil• BC vs. Everyone Else• Atlantic Provinces vs. Everyone Else• English vs. French

POWER

• Which premier has the most power? To find out that you can take a look at population.

• Ontario’s population is 13.51 million• P.E.I.’s population is 140,204• Nunavut’s population is 31,906, Less than Belleville (49,454)• Because the premier of Ontario has to try and make 13.51 million

people happy at one time, the premier does not have all the power.

• The premier of Nunavut, however, only has to govern 31,906 people. This means she can make more people happier and won’t have as many people fighting with each other over certain political things. Technically the premier of Nunavut, along with the smaller provinces and territories, has more power.

QUESTIONS

• Canada is officially a bilingual country. How many provinces are officially bilingual?

• Prime Minister Harper has not attended a premier’s meeting since 2009. What do you think about that?

SOURCES

• “List of current and past premiers for all provinces and territories” from the The Canada Guide website at: http://www.thecanadaguide.com/canadian-premiers retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of Newfoundland bio” from the government of Newfoundland website at: http://www.premier.gov.nl.ca/premier/biography.html retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of New Brunswick bio” from the Government of New Brunswick website at: http://www1.gnb.ca/legis/bios1/bio-e.asp?IDNo=257&version=e&legisNO=57 retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of P.E.I. bio” from the government of P.E.I. website at: http://www.gov.pe.ca/premier/index.php3?number=1028707&lang=E retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of Quebec bio” from the government of Quebec website at: http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.qc.ca/premier-ministre/biographie-en.asp retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of Ontario bio” from the government of Ontario website at:• http://www.premier.gov.on.ca/team/biography.php?mpp=24&Lang=EN retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013• “Premier of Manitoba bio” from the government of Manitoba website at:

http://www.gov.mb.ca/minister/premier/biography.html retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013• “Premier of Saskatchewan bio” from the government of Saskatchewan website at:

http://www.gov.sk.ca/cabinet/wall/ retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013• “Premier of Alberta bio” from the government of Alberta website at:

http://alberta.ca/premier_bio.cfm retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013• “Premier of Nova Scotia bio” from the government of Nova Scotia website at:• http://premier.novascotia.ca/meet-your-premier retrieved Oct 2nd, 2013

MORE SOURCES

• “Premier of B.C. bio” from the government of British Columbia website at:http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/ministries/office-of-the-premier/biography/honourable-christy-clark.html retrieved on Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of Yukon bio” from the government of Yukon website at: http://www.yukonpremier.ca/ retrieved on Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of Northwest Territories bio” form the government of NWT website at: http://www.premier.gov.nt.ca/biography/ retrieved on Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premier of Nunavut bio” from the government of Nunavut website at: http://www.premier.gov.nu.ca/apps/authoring/dspPage.aspx?page=Biography retrieved on Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Frist ministers conferences” from the Canadian Encyclopedia website at: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/first-ministers-conferences retrieved on Oct 2nd, 2013

• “Premiers against Parliament” from the National Post website at: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canada-job-grant-doomed-to-fail-unless-ottawa-makes-changes-premiers/article14659675/ retrieved on Oct 2nd, 2013