Minister of Finance (Manitoba)

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The Minister of Finance is a cabinet minister in the government of Manitoba. Prior to 1969, the minister was styled as the Provincial Treasurer. Many regard the Finance Minister as the second-most important member of government, after the Premier.

The Finance Minister is 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 twelve 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, predating the office of Premier by four years. The first Provincial Secretary in Manitoba was Marc-Amable Girard, who was appointed to the position on September 16, 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.

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 twentieth century, John Bracken, Stuart Garson, Douglas L. Campbell, Dufferin Roblin and Edward Schreyer all assumed this responsibility at one time or another (indeed, 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.

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 which 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.

The current Finance Minister of Manitoba is Cameron Friesen of the Progressive Conservatives.

List of Treasurers and Finance Ministers in Manitoba [1] [2]

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

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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.