Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador

Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
Ministry
Provincial
Incumbent Kathy Dunderdale
Style	The Honourable
Appointed by	John Crosbie as Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
First	Joseph Roberts Smallwood
Formation	April 1, 1949
Term length	At the lieutenant governor's pleasure

The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the first minister, head of government and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Before 1964,^{[citation needed]} the position's official title was Premier of Newfoundland. From 1964 to 2001 this title continued to be used outside the province.

The premier is appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, as representative of the Queen in Right of Newfoundland and Labrador. He or she is usually the leader of the party that commands a majority in the House of Assembly. The word Premier is derived from the French word of the same spelling, meaning "first"; and ultimately from the Latin word primarius, meaning "primary".^[1]

The current Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is Kathy Dunderdale, who was sworn in on December 3, 2010.^[2]

Formal responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Premier usually include:

• serving as the President of the Executive Council and head of the provincial Cabinet. The Executive Council is the formal name of the Cabinet when it is acting in its legal capacity.
• serving as the head of the provincial government
• leading the development and implementation of government policies and priorities
• serving as the senior communicator of government priorities and plans between:
  • the Lieutenant Governor and Cabinet
  • the Newfoundland and Labrador government and other provincial and territorial governments
  • the Newfoundland and Labrador Government and the federal government and international governments
• functions in respect of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, such as recommending to the Lieutenant Governor the appointment of cabinet ministers and allocating ministerial portfolios
• serving as leader of a major political party and its caucus of MHAs
• representing their constituency in the Legislative Assembly

Timeline of Premiers

See also

• Prime Minister of Canada
• Premier (Canada)
• List of premiers of Newfoundland and Labrador

External links

• Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Official Site

References

1. ^ Onions, C.T. Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1985.
2. ^ "Dunderdale becomes 1st woman to lead N.L.". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 December 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/12/03/nl-dunderdale-premier-sworn-in-123.html. Retrieved 14 October 2011.