Minister of Finance (Manitoba)

The Minister of Finance (originally Provincial Treasurer) is the Manitoba cabinet minister responsible for managing the province's fiscal resources, overseeing taxation policies, and allocating funds to other governmental departments. Every year, the minister submits a budget to the Legislature outlining anticipated expenditures and revenues for the next 12 months. The minister is also required to submit a completed financial report for the annual cycle just completed.

The Finance portfolio is the oldest cabinet position in the province of Manitoba, even predating the office of Premier by four years. Similarly, many regard the Finance Minister as the most important member of government, second only to the Premier. Prior to 1977, it was not considered unusual for Manitoba's provincial premiers to reserve the position of Treasurer or Finance Minister for themselves. In the 20th century, John Bracken, Stuart Garson, Douglas L. Campbell, Dufferin Roblin, and Edward Schreyer all assumed this responsibility at one time or another. (Roblin was his own Treasurer for the entire extent of his term in office). No premier has taken this responsibility since 1977, and such a combination of responsibilities would now be considered very unlikely.

The current Finance Minister of Manitoba is Scott Fielding of the Progressive Conservatives.

History

The Finance portfolio is the oldest cabinet position in the province, predating the office of Premier by four years; and the minister was styled as the Provincial Treasurer until 1969. The first Provincial Secretary in Manitoba was Marc-Amable Girard, who was appointed to the position on 16 September 1870 by Lieutenant-Governor Adams George Archibald soon after his arrival in the province. Until January 1871, Girard and Provincial Secretary Alfred Boyd were the only members of Archibald's ministry.

Since the introduction of partisan politics in 1888, all Manitoba Finance Ministers have belonged to the governing party of the day. During the coalition ministry that governed Manitoba from 1940 to 1950, the position was reserved for members of the dominant Liberal-Progressive Party.

In early 2005, then Minister of Finance Greg Selinger indicated that his department would soon move to a system known as generally accepted accounting principles, which had already been adopted in most other provinces.

List of Finance Ministers in Manitoba

Name Party Took Office[1][2] Left Office
Marc-Amable Girard Conservative September 16, 1870 March 14, 1872
Thomas Howard Conservative March 14, 1872 July 8, 1874
Robert A. Davis Non-partisan July 8, 1874 October 16, 1878
John Norquay Conservative October 16, 1878 August 27, 1886
Alphonse La Riviere Liberal-Conservative August 31, 1886 December 26, 1887
David H. Harrison Liberal-Conservative December 26, 1887 January 19, 1888
Lyman Jones Liberal January 19, 1888 May 7, 1889
Daniel H. McMillan Liberal May 7, 1889 January 6, 1900
John Andrew Davidson Liberal January 10, 1900 November 14, 1903
John Hume Agnew Conservative March 2, 1904 November 4, 1908
Hugh Armstrong Conservative November 19, 1908 May 12, 1915
Edward Brown Liberal May 12, 1915 August 8, 1922
Francis Black Progressive August 8, 1922 January 12, 1925
John Bracken Progressive January 18, 1925 May 27, 1932
Ewan McPherson Liberal-Progressive May 27, 1932 September 21, 1936
Stuart Garson Liberal-Progressive September 21, 1936 November 13, 1948
John Cameron Dryden Liberal-Progressive December 14, 1948 February 16, 1950
Douglas L. Campbell Liberal-Progressive February 16, 1950 December 1, 1951
Ronald Turner Liberal-Progressive December 1, 1951 July 6, 1956
Charles Greenlay Liberal-Progressive July 6, 1956 June 30, 1958
Dufferin Roblin Progressive Conservative June 30, 1958 July 22, 1966
Edward Gurney Evans Progressive Conservative July 22, 1966 July 17, 1969
Saul Cherniack New Democratic Party July 17, 1969 November 13, 1972
Edward Schreyer New Democratic Party November 13, 1972 May 2, 1973
Saul Cherniack New Democratic Party May 2, 1973 January 8, 1975
Edward Schreyer New Democratic Party January 8, 1975 September 22, 1976
Saul Miller New Democratic Party September 22, 1976 October 24, 1977
Donald Craik Progressive Conservative October 24, 1977 January 16, 1981
Brian Ransom Progressive Conservative January 16, 1981 November 30, 1981
Victor Schroeder New Democratic Party November 30, 1981 April 17, 1986
Eugene Kostyra New Democratic Party April 17, 1986 May 9, 1988
Clayton Manness New Democratic Party May 9, 1988 September 10, 1993
Eric Stefanson Progressive Conservative September 10, 1993 February 5, 1999
Harold Gilleshammer Progressive Conservative February 5, 1999 October 5, 1999
Greg Selinger New Democratic Party October 5, 1999 September 14, 2009
Rosann Wowchuk New Democratic Party November 3, 2009 October 3, 2011
Stan Struthers New Democratic Party October 19, 2011 October 18, 2013
Jennifer Howard New Democratic Party October 18, 2013 November 3, 2014
Greg Dewar New Democratic Party November 3, 2014 May 3, 2016
Cameron Friesen Progressive Conservative May 3, 2016 August 1, 2018
Scott Fielding Progressive Conservative August 1, 2018 incumbent

References

  1. "MLA Biographies - Deceased". The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  2. "MLA Biographies - Living". The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Government of Manitoba. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
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