List of Asian-Canadian first ministers
There have been four first ministers of a Canadian government of Asian descent. Of these, all four served premiers of a province or territory; no person of Asian descent has ever served as Prime Minister of Canada.[a]
Asian-Canadians have been eligible to become first ministers since they gained the right to vote, beginning in 1947. The four Asian-Canadians who have held this office are Joe Ghiz and Robert Ghiz of Prince Edward Island, Ujjal Dosanjh of British Columbia, and Ranj Pillai of Yukon. Dosanjh and Pillai earned their positions through a party leadership race within their political party while it was in government, while Joe and Robert Ghiz won the title by defeating an incumbent premier in a general election. No two Asian-Canadian first ministers have ever served concurrently.
Seven Asian-Canadians have served as the leader of a political party with representation in the legislature.
First ministers
[edit]Four Asian-Canadians have served as first ministers, all at the provincial or territorial level.
| Image | Premier | Province/Territory | Ancestry | Took office | Left office | Duration | Mandates | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Ghiz (1945–1996)[1] | Prince Edward Island | Lebanese | 2 May 1986 | 25 January 1993 | 6 years, 268 days | 1986 Election 1989 Election | Liberal | ||
.jpg) | Ujjal Dosanjh (b. 1947)[2] | British Columbia | Indian | 24 February 2000 | 5 June 2001 | 1 year, 101 days | 2000 Designation | New Democratic | |
 | Robert Ghiz (b. 1974)[3] | Prince Edward Island | Lebanese | 12 June 2007 | 23 February 2015 | 7 years, 256 days | 2007 Election 2011 Election | Liberal | |
 | Ranj Pillai (b. 1974) | Yukon | Indian | 14 January 2023 | present | 1 year, 289 days | 2023 designation | Liberal |
Leaders of opposition parties
[edit] |
The following Asian-Canadians have served as leaders of political parties represented in the House of Commons or a provincial legislature. All eight served at the provincial level, with one going on to lead a national party. Those Asian-Canadians who served as both opposition leader and first minister at some point in their careers are listed in the above section.
| Image | Leader | Jurisdiction | Ancestry | Took office | Left office | Duration | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Raj Pannu (b. 1934) | Alberta | Indian | 8 February 2000 | 13 July 2004 | 4 years, 156 days | New Democratic | |
 | Amir Khadir (b. 1961) | Quebec | Iranian | 4 February 2006 | 4 November 2012 | 6 years, 274 days | Québec solidaire | |
 | Lorraine Michael (b. 1943) | Newfoundland and Labrador | Lebanese | 28 May 2006 | 7 March 2015 | 8 years, 283 days | New Democratic | |
 | Raj Sherman (b. 1966) | Alberta | Indian | 10 September 2011 | 26 January 2015 | 3 years, 138 days | Liberal | |
 | Rana Bokhari (b. 1977) | Manitoba | Pakistani | 26 October 2013 | 24 September 2016 | 2 years, 334 days | Liberal | |
 | Flor Marcelino (b. 1951/1952) | Manitoba | Filipino | 30 April 2016 | 16 September 2017 | 1 year, 139 days | New Democratic | |
_(cropped).jpg) | Jagmeet Singh (b. 1979) | Canada | Indian | 1 October 2017 | Incumbent | 7 years, 28 days | New Democratic |
See also
[edit]- List of current Canadian first ministers
- List of female first ministers in Canada
- List of visible minority Canadian cabinet ministers
- List of visible minority politicians in Canada
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ Current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has very distant Indonesian ancestry. However, this is more of a genealogical footnote than a real cultural or ethnic connection, and Trudeau is not identified by himself or the public as a member of a visible minority.
References
[edit]- ^ "Premiers Gallery: Ghiz, Joe". Biographical Directory of Prince Edward Island. Government of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- ^ "Premiers of British Columbia". Art & History Home. Government of BC, The British Columbian Government. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.
- ^ "Robert Ghiz". Government of PEI. Prince Edward Island Government, Canadian Government. Archived from the original on July 31, 2013. Retrieved June 25, 2013.