Style The Honourable Reports to Legislative Assembly | Member of Executive Council Seat Regina, Saskatchewan | |
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Appointer Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Term length At Her Majesty's pleasure | ||
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. The current Premier of Saskatchewan is Brad Wall, who was sworn in as premier on November 21, 2007 after winning the provincial election. The first Premier of Saskatchewan was Thomas Walter Scott, who served from 1905–1916. Since Saskatchewan joined Confederation as a province in 1905, 14 individuals have served as premier.
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Legal status
Although the Premier is the day-to-day leader of the provincial government, they receive the authority to govern from the Crown (represented in Saskatchewan by the Lieutenant Governor). Formally, in fact, the executive branch of government in Saskatchewan is said to be vested in the Lieutenant Governor acting by and with the advice of the Premier. The executive branch of the Saskatchewan government consists of the premier, the Lieutenant Governor, the Cabinet and the Public Service.
The political party that wins the largest number of seats in a general election is usually invited by the Lieutenant Governor to form the government. The governing party's leader becomes the head of the provincial government and is known as the Premier. The position of the Premier is not described in Canadian constitutional statutes. Instead, the position’s power and authority largely depend on their relationship with other Members of the Legislative Assembly, political party, and the public.
Formal responsibilities
The Premier's responsibilities are varied. They serve as 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, as well as the head of the provincial government. The Premier is a leader concerning the development and implementation of government policies, as well as communicating and coordinating priorities within the province as well as within the country. In addition to their political duties with the province of Saskatchewan, the Premier is also the leader of one of the province's main political parties and represents their constituency in the Legislative Assembly.