The Canadian province of New Brunswick was a British crown colony before it joined Canada in 1867. It had a system of responsible government beginning in 1854, and has kept its own legislature to deal with provincial matters. New Brunswick has a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the Premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. The Premier is New Brunswick's head of government, and the Queen of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick. The Premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of New Brunswick, and presides over that body.

Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every five years from the date of the last election, but the Premier may ask for early dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. An election may also take place if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a confidence motion.

Premiers of the Colony of New Brunswick (1854 to 1867)

• Charles Fisher (1 November 1854 to May 1856) 1st time
• John Hamilton Gray (21 June 1856 to June 1857)
• Charles Fisher (1 June 1857 to 19 March 1861) 2nd time
• Samuel Leonard Tilley (19 March 1861 to March 1865)

Unofficially Anti-Confederation

• Albert J. Brown (21 September 1865 to 14 April 1866)

Unofficially Confederation Party Premier

• Peter Mitchell (14 April 1866 to August 1867)

Premiers of the province of New Brunswick since Confederation (1867 to present)

Unofficially Confederation Party Premier

• Andrew R. Wetmore (16 August 1867 to 25 May 1870)

Unknown Party Affiliations Premiers

• George E. King (9 June 1870 to 21 February 1871) 1st time
• George L. Hathaway (21 February 1871 to 5 July 1872)
• George E. King (5 July 1872 to 3 May 1878) 2nd time
• John James Fraser (June 1878 to 25 May 1882)
• Daniel L. Hanington (25 May 1882 to February 1883)

Unofficially Liberal Party Premiers

• Andrew G. Blair (3 March 1883 to 17 July 1896)
• James Mitchell (17 July 1896 to 29 October 1897)
• Henry R. Emmerson (29 October 1897 to 31 August 1900)
• Lemuel J. Tweedie (1 September 1900 to 2 March 1907)
• William Pugsley (6 March 1907 to 31 May 1907)
• Clifford W. Robinson (31 May 1907 to 24 March 1908)

Unofficially Conservative Premiers

• John Douglas Hazen (24 March 1908 to 10 October 1911)
• James Kidd Flemming (16 October 1911 to 6 December 1914)
• George Clarke (6 December 1914 to 1 February 1917)
• James A. Murray (1 February 1917 to 4 April 1917)

Unofficially Liberal Party Premiers

• Walter E. Foster (4 April 1917 to 1 February 1923)
• Peter J. Veniot (28 February 1923 to 10 September 1925)

Unofficially Conservative Premier

• John B. M. Baxter (14 September 1925 to 19 May 1931)

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Premiers

• Charles D. Richards (18 May 1931 to 2 June 1933)
• Leonard P. D. Tilley (1 June 1933 to 12 July 1935)

Liberal Party of New Brunswick Premiers

• Allison A. Dysart (16 July 1935 to 13 March 1940)
• John B. McNair (13 March 1940 to 7 October 1952)

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Premier

• Hugh John Flemming (8 October 1952 to 11 July 1960)

Liberal Party of New Brunswick Premier

• Louis Joseph Robichaud (12 July 1960 to 11 November 1970)

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Premier

• Richard Bennett Hatfield (11 November 1970 to 26 October 1987)

Liberal Party of New Brunswick Premiers

• Frank McKenna (27 October 1987 to 13 October 1997)
• Joseph Raymond Frenette (14 October 1987 to 14 May 1998)
• Camille Thériault (14 May 1998 to 21 June 1999)

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Premier

• Bernard Lord (21 June 1999 to 3 October 2006)

Liberal Party of New Brunswick Premier

• Shawn Michael Graham (3 October 2006 to 12 October 2010)

Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick Premier

• David Nathan Alward (12 October 2010 to 7 October 2014)

Liberal Party of New Brunswick Premiers

• Brian Alexander Gallant (7 October 2014 to present)