Minister of Finance (Manitoba)
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
| Name | Party | Took Office | Left Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-Amable Girard |
September 16, 1870 | March 14, 1872 | ||
| Thomas Howard |
March 14, 1872 | July 8, 1874 | ||
| Robert A. Davis |
July 8, 1874 | October 16, 1878 | ||
| John Norquay |
October 16, 1878 | August 27, 1886 | ||
| Alphonse LaRiviere |
August 31, 1886 | December 26, 1887 | ||
| David H. Harrison |
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 |
Conservative | 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 |
Progressive Conservative | 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 | Present |