This is an accepted version of this page
| Prime Minister of Canada | |
|---|---|
| Premier ministre du Canada | |
| Government of Canada Privy Council Office | |
| Style |
|
| Abbreviation | PM |
| Member of | |
| Reports to | House of Commons |
| Residence | 24 Sussex Drive (de jure) Rideau Cottage (de facto) |
| Seat | Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building |
| Appointer | Monarch (represented by thegovernor general)[3] with theconfidence of the House of Commons[4] |
| Term length | At His Majesty's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | None (constitutional convention) |
| Inaugural holder | John A. Macdonald |
| Formation | July 1, 1867 |
| Deputy | Deputy Prime Minister |
| Salary | CA$419,600 (2025)[5] |
| Website | www |
Theprime minister of Canada (French:premier ministre du Canada)[note 2] is thehead of government ofCanada. Under theWestminster system, the prime minister governs with theconfidence of a majority of the electedHouse of Commons; as such, the prime minister typically sits as amember of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or acoalition of parties. Asfirst minister, the prime minister selects ministers to form theCabinet.
Not outlined in any constitutional document, the prime minister is appointed bythe monarch's representative, thegovernor general, and the office exists per long-establishedconvention. Constitutionally,executive authority is vested in the monarch (who is thehead of state), but the powers of the monarch and governor general are nearly always exercised on theadvice of the Cabinet,[6] which is collectivelyresponsible to the House of Commons. Canadian prime ministers are appointed to thePrivy Council andstyled asthe Right Honourable (French:le très honorable),[note 3] a privilege maintained for life.
The prime minister is supported by thePrime Minister's Office and heads thePrivy Council Office.[7] The prime minister also selects individuals for appointment as governor general, provinciallieutenant governors, territorialcommissioners, as well as to theSenate of Canada,Supreme Court of Canada, otherfederal courts, and senior members of themilitary andpublic service.
Mark Carney is the current prime minister of Canada, taking office on March 14, 2025. Since theConfederation of Canada in 1867,24 prime ministers have formed30 ministries.[8]
The position of prime minister is not outlined in any Canadian constitutional document and is mentioned only in a few sections of theConstitution Act, 1982,[9][10] and in theLetters Patent, 1947 issued by KingGeorge VI.[11] The office and its functions are instead governed by constitutional conventions and modelled on thesame office in the United Kingdom.
In 2008, a public opinion survey showed that 51 per cent of Canadians believed they voted to directly elect the prime minister.[14] In fact, the prime minister, along with the other ministers in Cabinet, is appointed by the governor general on behalf of the monarch.[15] By the conventions ofresponsible government, the foundation of parliamentary democracy, the governor general will call to form a government the individual most likely to receive the support, or confidence, of a majority of the directly elected members of theHouse of Commons;[16] as a practical matter, this is often the leader of the party, or a coalition of parties,[17][18] whose members form amajority, or a very largeplurality, of seats in the House of Commons.[19] No document is needed to begin the appointment; both the invitation and acceptance are usually oral.[20]
A prime minister who has given intention to resign may advise the governor general on whom to appoint as the next prime minister. However, if the prime minister is resigning because he has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the viceroy is not obligated to follow that advice.[20] If the leader of the opposition is unable or unwilling to form a government,[note 4] the governor general can consult whomever they wish.[20]
While there is no legal requirement for the prime minister to be an MP,[20] for practical and political reasons the prime minister is expected to win a seat very promptly.[22] However, in rare circumstances individuals who are not sitting members of the House of Commons have been appointed to the position of prime minister. Two former prime ministers—John Joseph Caldwell Abbott andMackenzie Bowell—served in the 1890s while members of theSenate.[23] Both, in their roles asgovernment leader in the Senate, succeeded prime ministers who had died in office—John A. Macdonald in 1891 andJohn Sparrow David Thompson in 1894.
.jpg)
Prime ministers who are not MPs upon their appointment (or who lose their seats while in office) have since been expected to seek election to the House of Commons as soon as possible. For example,William Lyon Mackenzie King, after losing his seat in the1925 federal election and again in the1945 Canadian federal election (despite his party being elected government both times), briefly governed without a seat in the House of Commons on both occasions before winning a by-election a few weeks later. Similarly,John Turner replacedPierre Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party in 1984 and subsequently was appointed prime minister while not holding a seat in the House of Commons; Turner won a riding in the next election but the Liberal Party was swept from power.
When a prime minister loses their seat in the legislature, or should a new prime minister be appointed without holding a seat, the typical process that follows is that a member in the governing political party will resign to allow the prime minister to run in the resulting by-election.[23] Asafe seat is usually chosen; while the Liberal andConservative parties generally observed a practice of not running a candidate against another party's new leader in the by-election, theNew Democratic Party and smaller political parties typically do not follow the same practice.[24] However, if the governing party selects a new leader shortly before an election is due, and that new leader is not a member of the legislature, they will normally await the upcoming election before running for a seat in Parliament.
The prime minister servesat His Majesty's pleasure, meaning the post does not have a fixed term, and once appointed and sworn in by the governor general, the prime minister remains in office until they resign, are dismissed, or die.[25]
While the lifespan of a parliament isconstitutionally limited to five years, a 2007 amendment to theCanada Elections Act, Section 56.1(2) limited the term of a Parliament to four years, withelection day being set as the third Monday in October of the fourth calendar year after the previous polling date.[26] The governor general may still, on the advice of the prime minister, dissolve parliament and issue thewrits of election prior to the date mandated by the constitution orCanada Elections Act; theKing–Byng Affair was the only time sinceConfederation that the governor general refused the prime minister's request for a general vote.
Following parliamentary dissolution, should the prime minister's party subsequently win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, it is unnecessary to re-appoint the prime minister or for the prime minister to retake the oath of office.[25] If, however, anopposition party wins a majority of seats, the prime minister may resign or choose to meet Parliament to see if the incumbent government can win a confidence vote. Should the prime minister's party achieve a minority while an opposition party wins a plurality (i.e., more seats than any other party but less than a majority), the prime minister can attempt to maintain the confidence of the House by forming acoalition with other minority parties, which was last entertained in 1925 or by entering into aconfidence-and-supply agreement, or by winning support of other parties on a vote-by-vote basis.[citation needed]
Because the prime minister is, in practice, the most politically powerful member of theCanadian government, they are sometimes erroneously thought to be Canada'shead of state,[note 5] when, in fact, that role belongs to the Canadian monarch, represented by the governor general.[28] The prime minister is, instead, thehead of government and is responsible foradvising the Crown on how to exercise much of theroyal prerogative and its executive powers,[17] which are governed by the written constitution and constitutional conventions. However, the function of the prime minister has evolved with increasing power. Today, per the doctrines ofconstitutional monarchy, theadvice given by the prime minister is ordinarily binding, meaning the prime minister effectively carries out those duties ascribed to the sovereign or governor general, leaving the latter to act in predominantly ceremonial fashions.[29] As such, the prime minister, supported by theOffice of the Prime Minister (PMO), controls the appointments of many key figures in Canada's system of governance, including the governor general, the Cabinet, justices of theSupreme Court, senators, heads ofCrown corporations,ambassadors and high commissioners, theprovincial lieutenant governors, and approximately 3,100 other positions. Further, the prime minister plays a prominent role in the legislative process—with the majority of bills put before Parliament originating in the Cabinet.
Pierre Trudeau is often credited with, throughout his tenure as prime minister (1968–79, 1980–84), consolidating power in the PMO,[30] which is itself filled by political and administrative staff selected at the prime minister's discretion and unaccountable to Parliament. At the end of the 20th century and into the 21st, analysts—such asJeffrey Simpson,[31]Donald Savoie,Andrew Coyne,[32] andJohn Gomery—argued that both Parliament and the Cabinet had become eclipsed by prime ministerial power;[note 6][33] Savoie wrote: "The Canadian prime minister has little in the way of institutional check, at least inside government, to inhibit his ability to have his way."[34] Indeed, the position has been described as undergoing a "presidentialization",[30][35] to the point that its incumbents publicly outshine the actual head of state (andprime minister's spouses are sometimes referred to asFirst Lady of Canada[36][37]).[38][39] Former governor generalAdrienne Clarkson alluded to what she saw as "an unspoken rivalry" that had developed between the prime minister and the Crown.[40] It has been theorized that such is the case in Canada as its Parliament is less influential on the executive than in other countries withWestminster parliamentary systems; particularly, Canada has fewer MPs, a higher turnover rate of MPs after each election, and a US-style system for selecting political party leaders, leaving them accountable to the party membership rather thancaucus (as is the case in the UK).[41]
There do exist checks on the prime minister's power: the House of Commons may revoke its confidence in an incumbent prime minister and Cabinet orcaucus revolts can quickly bring down a serving premier and even mere threats of such action can persuade or compel a prime minister to resign their post, as happened withJean Chrétien. TheReform Act, 2014,[42] codifies the process by which a caucus may trigger a party leadership review and, if necessary, chose an interim leader, thereby making a prime minister more accountable to the MPs in one's party. Caucuses may choose to follow these rules, though the decision would be made by recorded vote, thereby subjecting the party's choice to public scrutiny.[43]
The Senate may delay or impede legislation put forward by the Cabinet, such as whenBrian Mulroney's bill creating theGoods and Services Tax (GST) came before the Senate, and givenCanada's federal nature, the jurisdiction of the federal government is limited to areas prescribed by the constitution. Further, as executive power is constitutionally vested in the monarch, meaning the royal prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of its ministers,[44][45][46] the sovereign's supremacy over the prime minister in the constitutional order is thus seen as a "rebuff to the pretensions of the elected: As it has been said, when the prime minister bows before the queen, he bows before us [the Canadian people]."[47][48] Either the sovereign or the governor general may therefore oppose the prime minister's will in extreme, crisis situations.[note 7] Near the end of her time as governor general, Adrienne Clarkson stated: "My constitutional role has lain in what are called 'reserve powers': making sure that there is a prime minister and a government in place, and exercising the right 'to encourage, to advise, and to warn'[...] Without really revealing any secrets, I can tell you that I have done all three."[49]
Twoofficial residences are provided to the prime minister—24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa andHarrington Lake, a country retreat inGatineau Park—as well an office in theOffice of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building (formerly known as Langevin Block), across fromParliament Hill.[50]
For transportation, the prime minister is afforded an armoured car (a car allowance of $2,000 per year) and shared use of twoofficial aircraft—aAirbus CC-330 Husky for international flights and aBombardier CC-144 Challenger for domestic trips. TheRoyal Canadian Mounted Police also furnish constantpersonal security for the prime minister and their family. All of the aforementioned is provided through budgets approved by Parliament.
As of April 2024, the prime minister's annual salary is $406,200[51] (consisting of an MP's salary of $203,100 and the prime minister's additional salary of $203,100).[52]
Serving or former prime ministers are accorded astate funeral, wherein their casket lies in state in theCentre Block of Parliament Hill.[53] Only Bowell and theViscount Bennett were given private funerals, Bennett also being the only former prime minister of Canada to die and be buried outside the country and Bowell the only whose funeral was not attended by politicians. John Thompson also died outside Canada, atWindsor Castle, whereQueen Victoria permitted his lying-in-state before his body was returned to Canada for a state funeral inHalifax.[54]
Prior to 1919, it was traditional for the monarch to bestow aknighthood on newly appointed Canadian prime ministers. Accordingly, several carried the prefixSir before their name; of the first eight prime ministers of Canada, onlyAlexander Mackenzie refused the honour of a knighthood from Queen Victoria. Following the 1919Nickle Resolution, however, the House of Commons declared that it should be against the policy of the Canadian Sovereign (and the Canadian government advising the Monarch when such honours are not within the Monarch's personal gift) to bestowaristocratic orchivalric titles to Canadians. The Crown in right of Canada (but not the Crown in right of the United Kingdom, which has periodically bestowed such Imperial honours on such citizens) has since adopted this policy generally, such that the last prime minister to be knighted near appointment wasRobert Borden, who was the prime minister at the time the Nickle Resolution was debated in the House of Commons (and was knighted before the resolution). Still, Bennett was, in 1941, six years after he stepped down as prime minister, elevated to thepeerage of the United Kingdom by King George VI as Viscount Bennett, ofMickleham in the County of Surrey and ofCalgary andHopewell in Canada.[55][56] No prime minister has since been titled.
TheCanadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) grants former prime ministers anaugmentation of honour on thecoat of arms of those who apply for them. The heraldic badge, referred to by the CHA as themark of the Prime Ministership of Canada,[57] consists of four red maple leaves joined at the stem on a white field (Argent four maple leaves conjoined in cross at the stem Gules); the augmentation is usually acanton or centred in thechief.[57][58][59][60][61]Joe Clark,[57] Pierre Trudeau,[58] John Turner,[59] Brian Mulroney,[60]Kim Campbell,[61] Jean Chrétien[62] and Paul Martin[63] were granted arms with the augmentation.
Canada continues the Westminster tradition of using the titlePrime Minister when one is speaking to the federal head of government directly; theDepartment of Canadian Heritage advises that the termMr. Prime Minister should not be used in official contexts.[64] The written form of address for the prime minister should use their full parliamentary title:The Right Honourable [name], [post-nominal letters], Prime Minister of Canada. However, while in the House of Commons duringQuestion Period, other members of parliament may address the prime minister asthe Right Honourable Member for [prime minister'sriding] or simplythe Right Honourable Prime Minister.[65] Former prime ministers retain the prefixthe Right Honourable for life; should they remain sitting MPs, they may be referred asthe Right Honourable Member for [member's riding], by theirportfolio title (if appointed to one), as inthe Right Honourable Minister of National Defence, or should they become opposition leader, asthe Right Honourable Leader of the Opposition.
In the decades following Confederation, it was common practice to refer to the prime minister asPremier of Canada,[66][67][68] a custom that continued during theFirst World War, around the time of Robert Borden's premiership.[69][70][71] While contemporary sources will still speak of early prime ministers of Canada aspremier,[72][73][74] the modern practice is such that the federal head of government is known almost exclusively as theprime minister, while theprovincial and territorial heads of government are termedpremiers (in French, premiers are addressed aspremier ministre du [province]).
.jpg)
After exiting office, former prime ministers of Canada have engaged in various pursuits. Some remained in politics: Bowell continued as a senator, and Bennett moved to the United Kingdom after being elevated to theHouse of Lords.[75] A number were leaders of theOfficial Opposition: John A. Macdonald,Arthur Meighen, Mackenzie King,[76] and Pierre Trudeau, all before being re-appointed as prime minister (Mackenzie King twice); Alexander Mackenzie andJohn Diefenbaker, both prior to sitting as regular Members of Parliament until their deaths;[77]Wilfrid Laurier dying while still in the post;[78] andCharles Tupper,[79]Louis St. Laurent,[80] and John Turner, each before they returned to private business. Meighen was also appointed to the Senate following his second period as prime minister, but resigned his seat to seek re-election and moved to private enterprise after failing to win a riding.[81] Also returning to civilian life were: Robert Borden, who was Chancellor ofQueen's andMcGill Universities, as well as working in the financial sector;Lester B. Pearson, who was Chancellor ofCarleton University;[82] Joe Clark and Kim Campbell, who were university lecturers, Clark also consultant and Campbell working in international diplomacy and as the director of private companies and chairperson of interest groups; while Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien returned to legal practice.[83] Former prime ministers also commonly penned autobiographies—Tupper,[79] for example—or published their memoirs—such as Diefenbaker andPaul Martin.[77]
| Order of precedence | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded byasGovernor General of Canada | Prime Minister of Canada Canadian order of precedence (ceremonial) | Succeeded byasChief Justice of Canada |
Lists related to prime ministers of Canada | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Premiership |
| ||
| Personal life | |||
| Related positions | |||
| Related lists | |||
Lists of Canadianfirst ministers | |
|---|---|
| Cross-Canada | |
| Federal | |
| Provincial | |
| Territorial | |
| History |
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provinces and territories |
| ||||
| Geography |
| ||||
| Government |
| ||||
| Economy | |||||
| Demographics |
| ||||
| Society | |||||
| Culture |
| ||||
| Contents | |||||
| Research | |||||
| Search | |||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
.svg)
