[4] In formal terms, the premier receives a commission to form a government from the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba, who represents the monarch at the provincial level.

[8] Lieutenant Governor Morris recognized Girard as such in the following correspondence to the Secretary of State in Ottawa: Sir, I have the honor to inform you, that the Legislative Assembly having adopted a vote of want of confidence in the Ministry of Manitoba by a vote of 15 to 7, I accepted the resignations which the ministers tendered me and having called upon the Hon'ble Mr. Gerard [sic] to form a new administration, that gentleman succeeded in the task entrusted to him ...

I would call your attention to the fact that in forming the Government I did so through the intervention of a premier thus introducing responsible Government in its modern type into the Province - the previous Ministry was selected personally by my predecessor and none of its members were recognized as first minister.Additionally, Wab Kinew, Leader of Manitoba's New Democratic Party (NDP), introduced a bill in 2020 to formally recognize the founder of Manitoba,[9] Louis Riel, as the province's first premier.

[11][13] Pallister's landslide victory would follow the premiership of NDP Greg Selinger (2009–16), who Maclean's says has been regarded as Canada's "least popular premier.

"[13] Following his election, according to the Angus Reid Institute, Pallister was the 2nd-most-popular premier in the country; however, his popularity would steadily decline since (with an approval rating of 37% two years into his mandate).