British Columbia Liberal Party
Encyclopedia
The British Columbia Liberal Party (also referred to as the BC Liberals) is the governing political party in British Columbia
, Canada
. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election
. It was returned to the legislature through the efforts of Gordon Wilson
in a break-through in the 1991 election
. At this time, the Social Credit Party collapsed, with the BC Liberals able to garner the centre vote traditionally split between left and right extremes in British Columbia politics. After Wilson lost a leadership challenge in the wake of a personal scandal in a bitter three-way race, the party was led by Gordon Campbell, who became Leader of the Opposition
after Wilson's convention defeat. In the wake of the collapse of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) vote in the 2001 election
, the Campbell-led BC Liberals won an overwhelming majority in 2001. In November 2010, after mounting public opposition to a new tax and the controversial ending of a political corruption
trial, and with low popularity ratings, Campbell announced his resignation, and on February 26, 2011, Christy Clark
was elected as the party's new leader.
Previously affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada
, the British Columbia Liberal Party has been independent of its federal counterpart since the late 1980s and subsequently displaced the British Columbia Social Credit Party
as the province's de facto liberal-conservative coalition opposed to the social democratic
, pro-union British Columbia New Democratic Party.
. Party politics were only introduced in 1903 election
with the formation of the British Columbia Conservative Party
. The popular premier Richard McBride
kept the Liberals to one seat in 1909
and then managed to shut them out in the 1912 election
. The government's popularity waned as an economic downturn hit the province along with railway debts relating to government funding of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. McBride resigned on December 15, 1915 to become the province's representative in London, where he died in 1917.
and lost badly. The Liberals formed a government under Harlan Carey Brewster
. Brewster had become leader of the opposition, and was elected party leader in March 1912. He lost his seat a few weeks later in the 1912 election, which returned no Liberals at all. In 1916, he won election to the legislature again through a by-election, and led his party to victory in a general election later that year by campaigning on a reform platform. Brewster promised to end patronage in the civil service
, end political machines, improve workmen's compensation and labour laws, bring in votes for women, and other progressive reforms.
The government brought in women's suffrage
, instituted prohibition
, and combated political corruption before his unexpected death in 1918. He is interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery
in Victoria, British Columbia.
John Oliver
succeeded Brewster as Premier
when Brewster died in 1918. Oliver's government developed the produce industry in the Okanagan Valley, and tried to persuade the federal government to lower the freight rate for rail transport. The party managed a bare majority win in the 1920 election
and only managed to govern after the 1924 election
with the support of 2 independent Liberals. Even though he lost his seat in the 1924 election, Oliver remained Premier until his death in 1927.
John Duncan Maclean
became Premier when Oliver died in 1927 at a time when the Liberal government was in decline. He was unable to reverse his party's fortunes, and was defeated in the 1928 election
by the rival Conservatives.
.
and introduced into the Legislature the new Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF), a democratic socialist
opposition party.
Pattullo wanted an activist government to try to deal with the depression through social programs and support of the unemployed. Canada has been recognized as the hardest hit by the Great Depression
, and western Canada
the hardest hit within Canada. Pattullo's many attempts were often at odds with the government in Ottawa.
Pattullo was also a great advocate for British Columbia, and suggested such things as the annexation of Yukon
by BC, and the construction of the Alaska Highway
to reduce the power of eastern Canada over BC. In the 1937 general election
, his government was re-elected running on the slogan of "socialized
capitalism".
. In the 1941 election
the CCF came second. The election did not give the Liberals the majority they hoped for.
John Hart became the Premier and Liberal leader in 1941 when Patullo refused to go into coalition
with the Conservatives. The Liberal members removed Patullo as leader and Hart formed a Liberal-Conservative
coalition government
, known in BC history as "The Coalition ". From 1941 to 1945, Hart governed at a time of wartime scarcity, when all major government projects were postponed. The coalition government was re-elected in the 1945 election
by a decisive margin. In that contest, Liberals and Conservatives ran under the same banner.
After 1945, Hart undertook an ambitious program of rural electrification, hydroelectric
and highway construction. Hart's most significant projects were the construction of Highway 97 to northern British Columbia (which is now named in his honour) and the Bridge River Power Project
, which was the first major hydroelectric development in British Columbia. He established the BC Power Commission, a forerunner of BC Hydro
, to provide power to smaller communities that were not serviced by private utilities. In December 1947, Hart retired as Premier. The Conservative Party agitated for its leader, Herbert Anscomb
, to succeed Hart as Premier but the Liberals outnumbered the Tories in the coalition caucus and Hart was followed by another Liberal, Byron Johnson, known as "Boss" Johnson
, with Anscomb as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance
.
Johnson's government introduced universal hospital insurance—and to pay for it—a 3% provincial sales tax. It expanded the highway system, extended the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, and negotiated the Alcan
Agreement, which facilitated construction of the Kenny Dam. The government also coped with the devastating 1948 flooding of the Fraser River, declaring a state of emergency and beginning a program of diking the river's banks through the Fraser Valley. Johnson is also noted for appointing Nancy Hodges
as the first female Speaker in the Commonwealth
.
The Liberal-Conservative coalition government won a landslide victory in the 1949 election
-- at 61% the greatest percentage of the popular vote in BC history. Tensions had grown between the coalition partners and within both parties. The Liberal Party executive voted to terminate the coalition and Johnson dropped his Conservative ministers in October 1951 resulting in a short lived minority government
which soon collapsed.
, with the expectation that Conservative voters would list the Liberals as their second choice and vice versa. Voters however, were looking for alternatives. More voters chose British Columbia Social Credit League
ahead of any other party as their second choice. Social Credit went on to emerge as the largest party when the ballots were counted in the 1952 general election
. Social Credit's de facto leader during the election, W. A. C. Bennett, formerly a Conservative, was formally named party leader after the election.
At the 1953 general election
, the Liberals were reduced to 4 seats, taking 23.36% of the vote. Arthur Laing
defeated Tilly Rolston in Vancouver Point Grey. Even though Social Credit won a majority of seats in the legislature, their finance minister Einar Gunderson was defeated in Oak Bay by Archie Gibbs of the Liberals. Gordon Gibson Sr, nicknamed the "Bull of the Woods," was elected for Lillooet
as a Liberal.
-smoking gregarious logging contractor who couldeli have been Premier but for a major political error. He was elected in 1953 for the Lillooet riding. In 1955, the Sommers scandal surfaced and he was the only leader in the legislature to make an issue of it. W. A. C. Bennett and his attorney general tried many tactics to stop the information from coming out.
In frustration, Gordon Gibson Sr. resigned his seat and forced a by-election, hoping to make the Sommers scandal the issue. Unfortunately, the voting system had changed, and he came a close second after Social Credit.
In the 1956 election
, with the Sommers scandal still not resolved, the Liberals fared worse than in 1953. Arthur Laing
lost his seat, and the party was reduced to two MLAs and 20.9% of the vote.
In the 1960 election
, the party won four seats with the same 20.9% of the popular vote as in 1956.
In the 1963 election
, the party's caucus increased by one more MLA to five, but their share of the popular vote fell to 19.98%.
The 1966 election
, the party won another seat, bringing its caucus to six, and had a modest increase in the vote to 20.24%.
In the 1969 vote
, the party lost one seat, and its share of the vote fell to 19.03%.
In 1972, the party was led into the election by a new leader, David Anderson, who had been elected in the 1968 federal election
as an MP for the Liberal Party of Canada
. He and four others managed to be elected to the legislature, but with the lowest vote in party history at 16.4%.
After the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) won the 1972 election
, many supporters of the Liberal and Conservative parties defected to the Social Credit League. This coalition was able to keep the New Democrats out of power from 1975 until the 1990s. MLAs Garde Gardom
, Pat McGeer
and Allan Williams left the Liberals for Social Credit along with Hugh Curtis of the suddenly rejuvenated Tories. All of them became members of Social Credit Cabinets after 1975.
In the 1975 election
, the only Liberal to be elected was Gordon Gibson
Jr. as the party scored a dismal 7.24%. David Anderson was badly defeated in his Victoria riding, placing behind the New Democrats and Social Credit.
was the party's lowest point. For the first time in party history, it was shut out of the legislature. Only five candidates ran, none was elected, and the party got 0.5% of the vote.
The 1983 election
saw a small recovery as the party came close to a full slate of candidates, but won a dismal 2.69% of the vote.
The 1986 vote
was the third and last election in which the party was shut out. Its share of the popular vote improved to 6.74%.
In 1987, Gordon Wilson
became the leader of the provincial Liberal Party when no one else was interested. Wilson severed formal links between the provincial party and its federal counterpart. Since the mid 1970s, most federal Liberals in BC had chosen to support the British Columbia Social Credit Party
at the provincial level. For the provincial party, the intent of this separation was to reduce the influence of Social Credit members of federal party. From the federal party's perspective, this move was equally beneficial to them, as the provincial party was heavily in debt.
Wilson set about to rebuild the provincial party as a credible third party
in British Columbia politics. During the same period, the ruling Social Credit party was beset by controversy under the leadership of William Vander Zalm. As a result, multiple Social Credit scandals caused many voters to look for an alternative.
By the time of the 1991 election
, Wilson lobbied to be included in the televised Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC) debate between Vander Zalm's successor, Premier Rita Johnston
and BC NDP Leader Michael Harcourt
. The CBC agreed, and Wilson impressed many voters with his performance. The Liberal campaign gained tremendous momentum, and siphoned off much support from the Socred campaign. In the end, while the BC NDP won the election, the Liberals came in second with 17 seats. The Liberals were back, and Wilson became Leader of the Opposition
.
In 1993, Wilson's leadership was further damaged by revelations of his affair with fellow Liberal MLA Judi Tyabji
. By this time, most of the caucus was in open revolt against his leadership. Wilson agreed to call for a leadership convention, at which he would be a candidate. Delta South
MLA Fred Gingell became the Leader of the Opposition while the Liberal leadership race took place.
Soon, former party leader Gordon Gibson
and Vancouver Mayor Gordon Campbell entered the leadership race. Campbell won decisively on the first ballot, with former party leader Gordon Gibson placing second and Wilson a distant third. The leadership election was decided on a one member, one vote system through which Liberals voted for their choices by telephone.
Wilson and Tyabji then left the Liberals and formed their own party, the Progressive Democratic Alliance
.
). The revised name and logo was an attempt to distinguish itself more clearly in the minds of voters from the federal Liberal Party of Canada
.
In early 1994, Campbell was elected to the legislature in a by-election. Under his leadership, some supporters of the federal Reform Party of Canada
and former Social Credit members became attracted to the BC Liberals, winning key by-elections against the remnants of the Social Credit in the Fraser Valley region, solidifying the BC Liberals' claim to be the clear alternative to the existing BC NDP government. The Liberal party also filled vacuum created in the political spectrum caused by Social Credit's collapse.
In the 1996 election, the BC Liberals won the popular vote but won fewer seats than the New Democrats. This was as a result of the Liberals losing numerous contests, while piling up large victories in fewer seats. In rural British Columbia, particularly in the Interior
where the railway was the lifeblood of the local economy - the BC Liberals lost several contests because of discomfort that the electorate had with some of Campbell's policies, principally his promise to sell BC Rail.
After the election, the BC Liberals set about making sure that there would be no repeat of 1996. Campbell jettisoned some of the less popular planks in his 1996 platform, and aimed to make the party more welcoming of former Reform Party of British Columbia
opponents such as MLA Richard Neufeld
.
with the biggest landslide in BC history: 77 of 79 seats. Gordon Campbell became the seventh premier in ten years, and the first Liberal premier in almost 50 years.
In accomplishing his victory, Campbell made economic recovery from the alleged economic difficulties of the 1990s a top priority. Campbell introduced a 25% cut in all provincial income taxes on the first day he was installed to office. To improve BC's investment climate, the BC Liberals also reduced the corporate income tax and abolished the corporate capital tax for most businesses (a tax on investment and employment that had been introduced by the New Democrats).
Campbell's first term was also noted for fiscal austerity
, including reductions in welfare
rolls and some social service
s, deregulation
, the sale of some government assets (in particular the "Fast ferries" built by the previous government
, which were sold off for a fraction of their price). Campbell also initiated the privatization
of BC Rail, which the Liberals had promised not to sell in order to win northern ridings which had rejected the party in 1996 but reversed this promise after election, with criminal investigations connected with the bidding process resulting in the BC Legislature Raids
of 2003 and the ensuing and still-pending court case. There were several significant labour disputes, some of which were settled through government legislation but which included confrontations with the province's doctors. Campbell also downsized the civil service, with staff cutbacks of more than fifty percent in some government departments, and despite promises of smaller government the size of cabinet was nearly doubled and parliamentary salaries raised. Governance was also re-arranged such that Deputy Ministers were now to report to the Chief of Staff in the Premier's office, rather than to their respective ministers. In the course of the cuts, hospitals, courthouses and extended care facilities around the province were shut down, particularly in smaller communities, and enforcement staff such as the BC Conservation Service were reduced to marginal levels. Various provincial parks created during the previous NDP regime were also downgraded to protected area status, meaning they could be opened for resource exploitation, and fees for use of parks were raised.
In 2003, a drug investigation known as Operation Everwhichway led to raids on government offices in the British Columbia Parliament Buildings
in relation to suspect dealings concerning the sale of BC Rail to CN in a scandal which has since become known as Railgate and the trial of four former ministerial aides for influence peddling, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
The Liberals were re-elected in 2005
with a reduced majority of 7 seats (46-33).
The Liberals were again re-elected in 2009
.
Shortly after this election the introduction of the HST was announced, contrary to promises made during the election campaign.
(HST) and the controversial end to the BC Rail corruption trial
and with his approval rating as low as 9% in polls, Gordon Campbell announced his resignation.
The party's 2011 leadership convention
was prompted by Gordon Campbell's request to the party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date." The convention elected Christy Clark
as its new leader of the party on February 26, 2011. Clark and her new Cabinet were sworn in on March 14.
Notes:
(1) One Liberal Party candidate was elected by acclamation.
(2) One candidate is counted twice: J. Oliver (Liberal) contested but was defeated in both Delta and Victoria City.
(3) One candidate, H.C. Brewster (Liberal) who contested and was elected in both Alberni and Victoria City, is counted twice.
(4) One member elected by acclamation. One candidate, J. Oliver, who contested and was elected in both Delta and Victoria City is counted twice.
(5) After the election, a Coalition government was formed by the Conservative and Liberal members. T.D. Patullo, Liberal leader, objected, stepped down, and sat as a Liberal, giving the Coalition 32 seats.
(6) In the 1945 and 1949 elections, the Liberal Party ran in coalition with the Conservative Party. Results compared to Liberal + Conservative total from previous election.
(7) The 1952 and 1953 elections used the alternative voting system. Rather than marking the ballot with an X, numbers were to be placed opposite the names in order of choice. If, after the first count, no candidate received an absolute simple majority, the candidate with the least number of votes was dropped, and the second choices distributed among the remaining candidates. This process continued until a candidate emerged with the requisite majority vote. Some voters only indicated a first choice (plumping), and others did not utilize the full range available. Consequently as the counts progressed, some ballots would be exhausted and total valid votes would decline, thereby reducing the absolute majority required to be elected. In multi-member riding
s, there were as many ballots as members to be elected, distinguished by colour and letters.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election
British Columbia general election, 1975
The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on November 3, 1975, and held on December 11, 1975...
. It was returned to the legislature through the efforts of Gordon Wilson
Gordon Wilson (Canadian politician)
Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1997, and in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Minister of Employment, Investment...
in a break-through in the 1991 election
British Columbia general election, 1991
The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991...
. At this time, the Social Credit Party collapsed, with the BC Liberals able to garner the centre vote traditionally split between left and right extremes in British Columbia politics. After Wilson lost a leadership challenge in the wake of a personal scandal in a bitter three-way race, the party was led by Gordon Campbell, who became Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly....
after Wilson's convention defeat. In the wake of the collapse of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) vote in the 2001 election
British Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
, the Campbell-led BC Liberals won an overwhelming majority in 2001. In November 2010, after mounting public opposition to a new tax and the controversial ending of a political corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
trial, and with low popularity ratings, Campbell announced his resignation, and on February 26, 2011, Christy Clark
Christy Clark
Christina Joan "Christy" Clark, MLA is a Canadian politician, the 35th and current Premier of British Columbia, Canada...
was elected as the party's new leader.
Previously affiliated with the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, the British Columbia Liberal Party has been independent of its federal counterpart since the late 1980s and subsequently displaced the British Columbia Social Credit Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
as the province's de facto liberal-conservative coalition opposed to the social democratic
Social democracy
Social democracy is a political ideology of the center-left on the political spectrum. Social democracy is officially a form of evolutionary reformist socialism. It supports class collaboration as the course to achieve socialism...
, pro-union British Columbia New Democratic Party.
Early years
From 1871 to 1903, British Columbia operated without a party systemNon-partisan democracy
Nonpartisan democracy is a system of representative government or organization such that universal and periodic elections take place without reference to political parties.-Overview:...
. Party politics were only introduced in 1903 election
British Columbia general election, 1903
The British Columbia general election of 1903 was the tenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 5, 1903, and held on October 3, 1903...
with the formation of the British Columbia Conservative Party
British Columbia Conservative Party
The British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
. The popular premier Richard McBride
Richard McBride
Sir Richard McBride, KCMG was a British Columbian politician and is often considered the founder of the British Columbia Conservative Party. McBride was first elected to the provincial legislature in the 1898 election, and served in the cabinet of James Dunsmuir from 1900 to 1901...
kept the Liberals to one seat in 1909
British Columbia general election, 1909
The British Columbia general election of 1909 was the twelfth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on October 20, 1909, and held on November 25, 1909'...
and then managed to shut them out in the 1912 election
British Columbia general election, 1912
The British Columbia general election of 1912 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on February 27, 1912, and held on March 28, 1912...
. The government's popularity waned as an economic downturn hit the province along with railway debts relating to government funding of the Pacific Great Eastern Railway. McBride resigned on December 15, 1915 to become the province's representative in London, where he died in 1917.
1916-1928 First government
The divided Conservatives faced the Liberals in the election of 1916British Columbia general election, 1916
The British Columbia general election of 1916 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 5, 1916, and held on September 14, 1916...
and lost badly. The Liberals formed a government under Harlan Carey Brewster
Harlan Carey Brewster
Harlan Carey Brewster was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Brewster arrived in British Columbia in 1893, and had various careers working on a ship and then in a cannery. He eventually became owner of his own canning company...
. Brewster had become leader of the opposition, and was elected party leader in March 1912. He lost his seat a few weeks later in the 1912 election, which returned no Liberals at all. In 1916, he won election to the legislature again through a by-election, and led his party to victory in a general election later that year by campaigning on a reform platform. Brewster promised to end patronage in the civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, end political machines, improve workmen's compensation and labour laws, bring in votes for women, and other progressive reforms.
The government brought in women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
, instituted prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, and combated political corruption before his unexpected death in 1918. He is interred in the Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery is located at 1516 Fairfield Road in Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, Canada.-History:The cemetery was opened in 1873. The 27.5 acre cemetery is part of a public park and its south side faces Ross Bay on the Pacific Ocean...
in Victoria, British Columbia.
John Oliver
John Oliver (politician)
John Oliver was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election...
succeeded Brewster as Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
when Brewster died in 1918. Oliver's government developed the produce industry in the Okanagan Valley, and tried to persuade the federal government to lower the freight rate for rail transport. The party managed a bare majority win in the 1920 election
British Columbia general election, 1920
The British Columbia general election of 1920 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on October 23, 1920, and held on December 1, 1920...
and only managed to govern after the 1924 election
British Columbia general election, 1924
The British Columbia general election of 1924 was the sixteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on May 10, 1924, and held on June 20, 1924...
with the support of 2 independent Liberals. Even though he lost his seat in the 1924 election, Oliver remained Premier until his death in 1927.
John Duncan Maclean
John Duncan MacLean
John Duncan MacLean was a teacher, physician, politician and the 20th Premier of British Columbia, Canada....
became Premier when Oliver died in 1927 at a time when the Liberal government was in decline. He was unable to reverse his party's fortunes, and was defeated in the 1928 election
British Columbia general election, 1928
The British Columbia general election of 1928 was the seventeenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on June 7, 1928, and held on July 18, 1928...
by the rival Conservatives.
1928-1933 Opposition and the Great Depression
The Liberals managed to increase their vote in the 1928 election but did not dodge the bullet losing close to half their seats. With the onset of the depression and the implosion of the government of Simon Fraser Tolmie, the Liberals easily swept back to power in the 1933 electionBritish Columbia general election, 1933
The British Columbia general election of 1933 was the eighteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 13, 1933, and held on November 2, 1933...
.
1933-1941 Duff Pattullo
The 1933 election was a major watershed in BC history. It brought into power Duff PattulloThomas Dufferin Pattullo
Thomas Dufferin Pattullo was the 22nd Premier of British Columbia, Canada from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's Pattullo Park....
and introduced into the Legislature the new Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF), a democratic socialist
Democratic socialism
Democratic socialism is a description used by various socialist movements and organizations to emphasize the democratic character of their political orientation...
opposition party.
Pattullo wanted an activist government to try to deal with the depression through social programs and support of the unemployed. Canada has been recognized as the hardest hit by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, and western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
the hardest hit within Canada. Pattullo's many attempts were often at odds with the government in Ottawa.
Pattullo was also a great advocate for British Columbia, and suggested such things as the annexation of Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
by BC, and the construction of the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
to reduce the power of eastern Canada over BC. In the 1937 general election
British Columbia general election, 1937
The British Columbia general election of 1937 was the nineteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937...
, his government was re-elected running on the slogan of "socialized
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
capitalism".
1941-1951 "The Coalition"
The old order of the alternating government with the Conservatives came to an end with the rise of the CCF who managed to be official opposition from 1933 to 1937 and were only one seat less than the Conservatives in the 1937 electionBritish Columbia general election, 1937
The British Columbia general election of 1937 was the nineteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937...
. In the 1941 election
British Columbia general election, 1941
The British Columbia general election, 1941 was the twentieth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 9, 1941, and held on October 21, 1941.After the election, a...
the CCF came second. The election did not give the Liberals the majority they hoped for.
John Hart became the Premier and Liberal leader in 1941 when Patullo refused to go into coalition
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with the Conservatives. The Liberal members removed Patullo as leader and Hart formed a Liberal-Conservative
British Columbia Conservative Party
The British Columbia Conservative Party is a political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected as the government in 1903, the party went into decline after 1933...
coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
, known in BC history as "The Coalition ". From 1941 to 1945, Hart governed at a time of wartime scarcity, when all major government projects were postponed. The coalition government was re-elected in the 1945 election
British Columbia general election, 1945
The British Columbia general election of 1945 was the twenty-first general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 31, 1945, and held on October 25, 1945...
by a decisive margin. In that contest, Liberals and Conservatives ran under the same banner.
After 1945, Hart undertook an ambitious program of rural electrification, hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
and highway construction. Hart's most significant projects were the construction of Highway 97 to northern British Columbia (which is now named in his honour) and the Bridge River Power Project
Bridge River Power Project
The Bridge River Power Project is a hydroelectric power development in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located in the Lillooet Country between Whistler and Lillooet...
, which was the first major hydroelectric development in British Columbia. He established the BC Power Commission, a forerunner of BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...
, to provide power to smaller communities that were not serviced by private utilities. In December 1947, Hart retired as Premier. The Conservative Party agitated for its leader, Herbert Anscomb
Herbert Anscomb
Herbert Bertie Anscomb was a Conservative politician and British Columbia cabinet minister.He was born in England and moved to Canada in 1911...
, to succeed Hart as Premier but the Liberals outnumbered the Tories in the coalition caucus and Hart was followed by another Liberal, Byron Johnson, known as "Boss" Johnson
Byron Ingemar Johnson
Byron Ingemar "Boss" Johnson , born Björn Ingimar "Bjössi" Jónsson,to family of Icelandic Immigrants,he served as the 24th Premier of the province of British Columbia, Canada, from 1947 to 1952...
, with Anscomb as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance
Finance minister
The finance minister is a cabinet position in a government.A minister of finance has many different jobs in a government. He or she helps form the government budget, stimulate the economy, and control finances...
.
Johnson's government introduced universal hospital insurance—and to pay for it—a 3% provincial sales tax. It expanded the highway system, extended the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, and negotiated the Alcan
Alcan
Rio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
Agreement, which facilitated construction of the Kenny Dam. The government also coped with the devastating 1948 flooding of the Fraser River, declaring a state of emergency and beginning a program of diking the river's banks through the Fraser Valley. Johnson is also noted for appointing Nancy Hodges
Nancy Hodges
Nancy Hodges was a Canadian journalist, politician and Senator.Born in London, England, she was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in 1941 representing the riding of Victoria City and sitting as a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party. She was re-elected in 1945...
as the first female Speaker in the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
.
The Liberal-Conservative coalition government won a landslide victory in the 1949 election
British Columbia general election, 1949
The British Columbia general election of 1949 was the 22nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 16, 1949, and held on June 15, 1949...
-- at 61% the greatest percentage of the popular vote in BC history. Tensions had grown between the coalition partners and within both parties. The Liberal Party executive voted to terminate the coalition and Johnson dropped his Conservative ministers in October 1951 resulting in a short lived minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
which soon collapsed.
The 1952 election
In order to prevent the CCF from winning in a three party competition, the government introduced instant-runoff votingInstant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
, with the expectation that Conservative voters would list the Liberals as their second choice and vice versa. Voters however, were looking for alternatives. More voters chose British Columbia Social Credit League
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
ahead of any other party as their second choice. Social Credit went on to emerge as the largest party when the ballots were counted in the 1952 general election
British Columbia general election, 1952
The British Columbia general election, 1952 was the 23rd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 10, 1952, and held on June 12, 1952. The new legislature met for the...
. Social Credit's de facto leader during the election, W. A. C. Bennett, formerly a Conservative, was formally named party leader after the election.
At the 1953 general election
British Columbia general election, 1953
The British Columbia general election of 1953 was the 24th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 10, 1953, and held on June 9, 1953...
, the Liberals were reduced to 4 seats, taking 23.36% of the vote. Arthur Laing
Arthur Laing
Arthur Laing, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of the Canadian House of Commons from Vancouver, British Columbia....
defeated Tilly Rolston in Vancouver Point Grey. Even though Social Credit won a majority of seats in the legislature, their finance minister Einar Gunderson was defeated in Oak Bay by Archie Gibbs of the Liberals. Gordon Gibson Sr, nicknamed the "Bull of the Woods," was elected for Lillooet
Lillooet (electoral district)
The Lillooet electoral district was a riding in the Canadian province of British Columbia, centred on the town of the same name and with various boundaries...
as a Liberal.
1953–1975 Third party status
During the early period of this time, the Liberals' most prominent member was Gordon Gibson, Sr. He was a cigarCigar
A cigar is a tightly-rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco that is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the mouth. Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Philippines, and the Eastern...
-smoking gregarious logging contractor who couldeli have been Premier but for a major political error. He was elected in 1953 for the Lillooet riding. In 1955, the Sommers scandal surfaced and he was the only leader in the legislature to make an issue of it. W. A. C. Bennett and his attorney general tried many tactics to stop the information from coming out.
In frustration, Gordon Gibson Sr. resigned his seat and forced a by-election, hoping to make the Sommers scandal the issue. Unfortunately, the voting system had changed, and he came a close second after Social Credit.
In the 1956 election
British Columbia general election, 1956
The British Columbia general election of 1956 was the 25th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 13, 1956, and held on September 19, 1956. The new legislature met...
, with the Sommers scandal still not resolved, the Liberals fared worse than in 1953. Arthur Laing
Arthur Laing
Arthur Laing, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of the Canadian House of Commons from Vancouver, British Columbia....
lost his seat, and the party was reduced to two MLAs and 20.9% of the vote.
In the 1960 election
British Columbia general election, 1960
The British Columbia general election of 1960 was the 26th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 3, 1960, and held on September 12, 1960. The new legislature met...
, the party won four seats with the same 20.9% of the popular vote as in 1956.
In the 1963 election
British Columbia general election, 1963
The British Columbia general election of 1963 was the 27th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 22, 1963, and held on September 30, 1963...
, the party's caucus increased by one more MLA to five, but their share of the popular vote fell to 19.98%.
The 1966 election
British Columbia general election, 1966
The British Columbia general election of 1966 was the 28th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 5, 1966 and held on September 12, 1966...
, the party won another seat, bringing its caucus to six, and had a modest increase in the vote to 20.24%.
In the 1969 vote
British Columbia general election, 1969
The British Columbia general election of 1969 was the 29th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 21, 1969, and held on August 27, 1969...
, the party lost one seat, and its share of the vote fell to 19.03%.
In 1972, the party was led into the election by a new leader, David Anderson, who had been elected in the 1968 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1968
The Canadian federal election of 1968 was held on June 25, 1968, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 28th Parliament of Canada...
as an MP for the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
. He and four others managed to be elected to the legislature, but with the lowest vote in party history at 16.4%.
After the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) won the 1972 election
British Columbia general election, 1972
The 30th general election for the Canadian province of British Columbia was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 24, 1972, and held on August 30, 1972...
, many supporters of the Liberal and Conservative parties defected to the Social Credit League. This coalition was able to keep the New Democrats out of power from 1975 until the 1990s. MLAs Garde Gardom
Garde Gardom
Garde Basil Gardom, QC, OBC is a Canadian politician, lawyer, and the 26th Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia.Born in Banff, Alberta, he obtained his BA and LLB degrees from the University of British Columbia. During his undergraduate years, he was an active member of the BC Alpha Chapter of...
, Pat McGeer
Pat McGeer
Patrick Lucey "Pat" McGeer, OC, OBC, FRSC , is a Canadian physician, professor and medical researcher. He is regarded as a leading authority on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease and is the principal author of the inflammatory hypothesis of the disease, which holds that Alzheimer's...
and Allan Williams left the Liberals for Social Credit along with Hugh Curtis of the suddenly rejuvenated Tories. All of them became members of Social Credit Cabinets after 1975.
In the 1975 election
British Columbia general election, 1975
The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on November 3, 1975, and held on December 11, 1975...
, the only Liberal to be elected was Gordon Gibson
Gordon Gibson
Gordon Gibson, OBC is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia , Canada. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party politician in mid-1950s BC....
Jr. as the party scored a dismal 7.24%. David Anderson was badly defeated in his Victoria riding, placing behind the New Democrats and Social Credit.
1979–1991 In the wilderness
The 1979 electionBritish Columbia general election, 1979
The British Columbia general election of 1979 was the 32nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 3, 1979...
was the party's lowest point. For the first time in party history, it was shut out of the legislature. Only five candidates ran, none was elected, and the party got 0.5% of the vote.
The 1983 election
British Columbia general election, 1983
The British Columbia general election of 1983 was the 33rd provincial election for the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 7, 1983. The election was held on May 5, 1983...
saw a small recovery as the party came close to a full slate of candidates, but won a dismal 2.69% of the vote.
The 1986 vote
British Columbia general election, 1986
The British Columbia general election of 1986 was the 34th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 24, 1986...
was the third and last election in which the party was shut out. Its share of the popular vote improved to 6.74%.
In 1987, Gordon Wilson
Gordon Wilson (Canadian politician)
Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1997, and in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Minister of Employment, Investment...
became the leader of the provincial Liberal Party when no one else was interested. Wilson severed formal links between the provincial party and its federal counterpart. Since the mid 1970s, most federal Liberals in BC had chosen to support the British Columbia Social Credit Party
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
at the provincial level. For the provincial party, the intent of this separation was to reduce the influence of Social Credit members of federal party. From the federal party's perspective, this move was equally beneficial to them, as the provincial party was heavily in debt.
Wilson set about to rebuild the provincial party as a credible third party
Third party (Canada)
In Canada, a third party usually refers to a relatively small federal or provincial political party that is not usually considered to have a realistic chance of forming a government, but has representation in the federal House of Commons or the provincial legislature...
in British Columbia politics. During the same period, the ruling Social Credit party was beset by controversy under the leadership of William Vander Zalm. As a result, multiple Social Credit scandals caused many voters to look for an alternative.
By the time of the 1991 election
British Columbia general election, 1991
The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991...
, Wilson lobbied to be included in the televised Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC) debate between Vander Zalm's successor, Premier Rita Johnston
Rita Johnston
Rita Margaret Johnston was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded William Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th Premier of British Columbia.Much of her early life was spent running a successful trailer park in the...
and BC NDP Leader Michael Harcourt
Michael Harcourt
Michael Franklin Harcourt served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in Canada from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of BC's major city, Vancouver from 1980 to 1986....
. The CBC agreed, and Wilson impressed many voters with his performance. The Liberal campaign gained tremendous momentum, and siphoned off much support from the Socred campaign. In the end, while the BC NDP won the election, the Liberals came in second with 17 seats. The Liberals were back, and Wilson became Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
The Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia is the MLA in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia who leads the political party recognized as the Official Opposition. This status generally goes to the leader of the second largest party in the Legislative Assembly....
.
Official Opposition under Wilson: 1991–1994
Wilson's policies did not coincide with many other Liberals both in the legislature and in the party who wanted to fill the vacuum left by the collapse of Social Credit. The Liberals also proved themselves to be inexperienced, both in the legislature and in building a broad-based political movement. They had a difficult time to build a disciplined organization that could mount an effective opposition against the New Democratic Party provincial government.In 1993, Wilson's leadership was further damaged by revelations of his affair with fellow Liberal MLA Judi Tyabji
Judi Tyabji
Judeline Kim Mary "Judi" Tyabji is a former British Columbia politician and the wife of former provincial Leader of the Opposition Gordon Wilson...
. By this time, most of the caucus was in open revolt against his leadership. Wilson agreed to call for a leadership convention, at which he would be a candidate. Delta South
Delta South
Delta South is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada.- Member of Legislative Assembly :The current MLA for this riding is Vicki Huntington, the only Independent elected to the Assembly in the 2009 election....
MLA Fred Gingell became the Leader of the Opposition while the Liberal leadership race took place.
Soon, former party leader Gordon Gibson
Gordon Gibson
Gordon Gibson, OBC is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia , Canada. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party politician in mid-1950s BC....
and Vancouver Mayor Gordon Campbell entered the leadership race. Campbell won decisively on the first ballot, with former party leader Gordon Gibson placing second and Wilson a distant third. The leadership election was decided on a one member, one vote system through which Liberals voted for their choices by telephone.
Wilson and Tyabji then left the Liberals and formed their own party, the Progressive Democratic Alliance
Progressive Democratic Alliance
The Progressive Democratic Alliance was a centrist political party in British Columbia, Canada founded by Gordon Wilson, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Powell River—Sunshine Coast....
.
Official Opposition under Campbell: 1994–2001
Since Campbell became leader, the Liberals adopted the moniker "BC Liberals" for the first time, and soon introduced a new logo and new party colours (red and blue, instead of the usual "Liberal red" and accompanying maple leafMaple leaf
The maple leaf is the characteristic leaf of the maple tree, and is the most widely recognized national symbol of Canada.-Use in Canada:At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the settlements of New France had attained a population of about 18,000...
). The revised name and logo was an attempt to distinguish itself more clearly in the minds of voters from the federal Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
.
In early 1994, Campbell was elected to the legislature in a by-election. Under his leadership, some supporters of the federal Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
and former Social Credit members became attracted to the BC Liberals, winning key by-elections against the remnants of the Social Credit in the Fraser Valley region, solidifying the BC Liberals' claim to be the clear alternative to the existing BC NDP government. The Liberal party also filled vacuum created in the political spectrum caused by Social Credit's collapse.
In the 1996 election, the BC Liberals won the popular vote but won fewer seats than the New Democrats. This was as a result of the Liberals losing numerous contests, while piling up large victories in fewer seats. In rural British Columbia, particularly in the Interior
British Columbia Interior
The British Columbia Interior or BC Interior or Interior of British Columbia, usually referred to only as the Interior, is one of the three main regions of the Canadian province of British Columbia, the other two being the Lower Mainland, which comprises the overlapping areas of Greater Vancouver...
where the railway was the lifeblood of the local economy - the BC Liberals lost several contests because of discomfort that the electorate had with some of Campbell's policies, principally his promise to sell BC Rail.
After the election, the BC Liberals set about making sure that there would be no repeat of 1996. Campbell jettisoned some of the less popular planks in his 1996 platform, and aimed to make the party more welcoming of former Reform Party of British Columbia
Reform Party of British Columbia
The Reform Party of British Columbia is a populist right wing political party in British Columbia, Canada. Although its name is similar to the defunct Reform Party of Canada, the provincial party was founded before the federal party was and it did not have any formal association with...
opponents such as MLA Richard Neufeld
Richard Neufeld
Richard Neufeld is a Canadian Senator for British Columbia. Before his appointment to the Senate, he was a British Columbia Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1991 to 2008, serving as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources in the cabinet of Gordon...
.
The Campbell government: 2001–2011
After a scandal-filled second term for the New Democrat government, the BC Liberals won the 2001 electionBritish Columbia general election, 2001
The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001...
with the biggest landslide in BC history: 77 of 79 seats. Gordon Campbell became the seventh premier in ten years, and the first Liberal premier in almost 50 years.
In accomplishing his victory, Campbell made economic recovery from the alleged economic difficulties of the 1990s a top priority. Campbell introduced a 25% cut in all provincial income taxes on the first day he was installed to office. To improve BC's investment climate, the BC Liberals also reduced the corporate income tax and abolished the corporate capital tax for most businesses (a tax on investment and employment that had been introduced by the New Democrats).
Campbell's first term was also noted for fiscal austerity
Austerity
In economics, austerity is a policy of deficit-cutting, lower spending, and a reduction in the amount of benefits and public services provided. Austerity policies are often used by governments to reduce their deficit spending while sometimes coupled with increases in taxes to pay back creditors to...
, including reductions in welfare
Welfare
Welfare refers to a broad discourse which may hold certain implications regarding the provision of a minimal level of wellbeing and social support for all citizens without the stigma of charity. This is termed "social solidarity"...
rolls and some social service
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
s, deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
, the sale of some government assets (in particular the "Fast ferries" built by the previous government
Fast Ferry Scandal
The Fast Ferry Scandal, also referred to as the Fast Ferries Scandal, "FastCat Fiasco", Fast Ferries Fiasco, were names given to a political affair in the late 1990s relating to the construction of three fast ferries in British Columbia....
, which were sold off for a fraction of their price). Campbell also initiated the privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
of BC Rail, which the Liberals had promised not to sell in order to win northern ridings which had rejected the party in 1996 but reversed this promise after election, with criminal investigations connected with the bidding process resulting in the BC Legislature Raids
BC Legislature Raids
The BC Legislature Raids resulted from search warrants executed on the Legislature of British Columbia, Canada, in 2003. The legal proceedings were stopped just before government officials were to testify...
of 2003 and the ensuing and still-pending court case. There were several significant labour disputes, some of which were settled through government legislation but which included confrontations with the province's doctors. Campbell also downsized the civil service, with staff cutbacks of more than fifty percent in some government departments, and despite promises of smaller government the size of cabinet was nearly doubled and parliamentary salaries raised. Governance was also re-arranged such that Deputy Ministers were now to report to the Chief of Staff in the Premier's office, rather than to their respective ministers. In the course of the cuts, hospitals, courthouses and extended care facilities around the province were shut down, particularly in smaller communities, and enforcement staff such as the BC Conservation Service were reduced to marginal levels. Various provincial parks created during the previous NDP regime were also downgraded to protected area status, meaning they could be opened for resource exploitation, and fees for use of parks were raised.
In 2003, a drug investigation known as Operation Everwhichway led to raids on government offices in the British Columbia Parliament Buildings
British Columbia Parliament Buildings
The British Columbia Parliament Buildings are located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and are home to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia....
in relation to suspect dealings concerning the sale of BC Rail to CN in a scandal which has since become known as Railgate and the trial of four former ministerial aides for influence peddling, breach of trust and accepting bribes.
The Liberals were re-elected in 2005
British Columbia general election, 2005
The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
with a reduced majority of 7 seats (46-33).
The Liberals were again re-elected in 2009
British Columbia general election, 2009
The 39th British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...
.
Shortly after this election the introduction of the HST was announced, contrary to promises made during the election campaign.
Christy Clark government: 2011-present
On November 3, 2010, facing an imminent caucus revolt over his management style and the political backlash against the Harmonized Sales TaxHarmonized Sales Tax
The Harmonized Sales Tax is the name used in Canada to describe the combination of the federal Goods and Services Tax and the regional Provincial Sales Tax into a single value added sales tax in five of the ten Canadian provinces: Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, British...
(HST) and the controversial end to the BC Rail corruption trial
BC Legislature Raids
The BC Legislature Raids resulted from search warrants executed on the Legislature of British Columbia, Canada, in 2003. The legal proceedings were stopped just before government officials were to testify...
and with his approval rating as low as 9% in polls, Gordon Campbell announced his resignation.
The party's 2011 leadership convention
British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election, 2011
The British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election of 2011 was prompted by Gordon Campbell's announcement on November 3, 2010 that he would be resigning as Premier of British Columbia and had asked the BC Liberal Party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date." The...
was prompted by Gordon Campbell's request to the party to hold a leadership convention "at the earliest possible date." The convention elected Christy Clark
Christy Clark
Christina Joan "Christy" Clark, MLA is a Canadian politician, the 35th and current Premier of British Columbia, Canada...
as its new leader of the party on February 26, 2011. Clark and her new Cabinet were sworn in on March 14.
Party leaders
- John Alexander MacDonald October 1903 - October 1909
- John OliverJohn Oliver (politician)John Oliver was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election...
October 1909 - March 1912 - Harlan Carey BrewsterHarlan Carey BrewsterHarlan Carey Brewster was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Brewster arrived in British Columbia in 1893, and had various careers working on a ship and then in a cannery. He eventually became owner of his own canning company...
March 1912 - March 1, 1918) - John OliverJohn Oliver (politician)John Oliver was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election...
March 1, 1918 - August 17, 1927 - John Duncan MacLeanJohn Duncan MacLeanJohn Duncan MacLean was a teacher, physician, politician and the 20th Premier of British Columbia, Canada....
August 17, 1927 - October 1928 - Thomas Dufferin PattulloThomas Dufferin PattulloThomas Dufferin Pattullo was the 22nd Premier of British Columbia, Canada from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's Pattullo Park....
January 1929 - December 9, 1941 - John Hart December 9, 1941 - December 29, 1947
- Byron Ingemar JohnsonByron Ingemar JohnsonByron Ingemar "Boss" Johnson , born Björn Ingimar "Bjössi" Jónsson,to family of Icelandic Immigrants,he served as the 24th Premier of the province of British Columbia, Canada, from 1947 to 1952...
December 29, 1947 - April 1953 - Arthur LaingArthur LaingArthur Laing, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of the Canadian House of Commons from Vancouver, British Columbia....
April 1953 - April 1959 - Ray PerraultRay PerraultRaymond Joseph Perrault, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and of the Canadian Senate....
May 1959 - May 1968 - Patrick Lucey McGeer October 1968 - May 22, 1972
- David Anderson May 22, 1972 - September 28, 1975
- Gordon GibsonGordon GibsonGordon Gibson, OBC is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia , Canada. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party politician in mid-1950s BC....
September 28, 1975 - February 19, 1979 - Jev Tothill February 19, 1979 - April 1981
- Shirley McLoughlin May 25, 1981 - August 1983
- Art LeeArt LeeArthur John Lee is a politician and lawyer in British Columbia , Canada.Lee was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada to represent the electoral district of Vancouver East in the 1974 federal election...
March 31, 1984 - February 1987 - Gordon WilsonGordon Wilson (Canadian politician)Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1997, and in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Minister of Employment, Investment...
October 30, 1987 - September 11, 1993 - Gordon Campbell September 11, 1993 - February 26, 2011
- Christy ClarkChristy ClarkChristina Joan "Christy" Clark, MLA is a Canadian politician, the 35th and current Premier of British Columbia, Canada...
February 26, 2011 – present
Election results
| Election | Party leader | # of candidates | Seats | Popular vote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elected | % Change | First count | % | Change | Final count | % | |||
| 1903 British Columbia general election, 1903 The British Columbia general election of 1903 was the tenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 5, 1903, and held on October 3, 1903... (1) |
J. A. MacDonald | 39 | 17 | 22,715 | 37.78% | ||||
| 1907 British Columbia general election, 1907 The British Columbia general election of 1907 was the eleventh general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election called on December 24, 1906, and held on February 2, 1907... |
J.A. MacDonald | 40 | 13 | -23.5% | 234,816 | 37.15% | -0.63% | ||
| 1909 British Columbia general election, 1909 The British Columbia general election of 1909 was the twelfth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on October 20, 1909, and held on November 25, 1909'... (2) |
J.A. MacDonald | 36 | 2 | -84.6% | 33,675 | 33.21% | -3.94% | ||
| 1912 British Columbia general election, 1912 The British Columbia general election of 1912 was the thirteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on February 27, 1912, and held on March 28, 1912... |
Harlan Brewster Harlan Carey Brewster Harlan Carey Brewster was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Brewster arrived in British Columbia in 1893, and had various careers working on a ship and then in a cannery. He eventually became owner of his own canning company... |
19 | 0 | -100% | 21,443 | 25.37% | -7.84% | ||
| 1916 British Columbia general election, 1916 The British Columbia general election of 1916 was the fourteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 5, 1916, and held on September 14, 1916... (3) |
Harlan Brewster Harlan Carey Brewster Harlan Carey Brewster was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Brewster arrived in British Columbia in 1893, and had various careers working on a ship and then in a cannery. He eventually became owner of his own canning company... |
45 | 36 | - | 89,892 | 50.00% | +24.63% | ||
| 1920 British Columbia general election, 1920 The British Columbia general election of 1920 was the fifteenth general election for the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on October 23, 1920, and held on December 1, 1920... (4) |
John Oliver John Oliver (politician) John Oliver was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election... |
45 | 25 | -30.6% | 134,167 | 37.89% | -12.11% | ||
| 1924 British Columbia general election, 1924 The British Columbia general election of 1924 was the sixteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on May 10, 1924, and held on June 20, 1924... |
John Oliver John Oliver (politician) John Oliver was a politician and farmer in British Columbia, Canada.Oliver was involved in local politics when he won a seat in the provincial legislature in the 1900 election, and became leader of the opposition. He lost his seat in the 1909 election... |
46 | 23 | -8.0% | 108,323 | 31.34% | -6.55% | ||
| 1928 British Columbia general election, 1928 The British Columbia general election of 1928 was the seventeenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on June 7, 1928, and held on July 18, 1928... |
J.D. MacLean John Duncan MacLean John Duncan MacLean was a teacher, physician, politician and the 20th Premier of British Columbia, Canada.... |
45 | 12 | -47.8% | 144,872 | 40.04% | +8.70% | ||
| 1933 British Columbia general election, 1933 The British Columbia general election of 1933 was the eighteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 13, 1933, and held on November 2, 1933... |
T.D. "Duff" Pattullo Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Thomas Dufferin Pattullo was the 22nd Premier of British Columbia, Canada from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's Pattullo Park.... |
47 | 34 | +183.3% | 159,131 | 41.74% | +1.70% | ||
| 1937 British Columbia general election, 1937 The British Columbia general election of 1937 was the nineteenth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 14, 1937, and held on June 1, 1937... |
T.D. "Duff" Pattullo Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Thomas Dufferin Pattullo was the 22nd Premier of British Columbia, Canada from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's Pattullo Park.... |
48 | 31 | -8.8% | 156,074 | 37.34% | -4.40% | ||
| 1941 British Columbia general election, 1941 The British Columbia general election, 1941 was the twentieth general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 9, 1941, and held on October 21, 1941.After the election, a... (5) |
T.D. "Duff" Pattullo Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Thomas Dufferin Pattullo was the 22nd Premier of British Columbia, Canada from 1933 to 1941. The Pattullo Bridge is named in his honour as well as Prince Rupert's Pattullo Park.... |
48 | 21 | -32.3% | 149,525 | 32.94% | -4.40% | ||
| 1945 British Columbia general election, 1945 The British Columbia general election of 1945 was the twenty-first general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 31, 1945, and held on October 25, 1945... Coalition (6) |
John Hart | 47 | 37 | +12.1% | 261,147 | 55.83 | -8.02% | ||
| 1949 British Columbia general election, 1949 The British Columbia general election of 1949 was the 22nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 16, 1949, and held on June 15, 1949... Coalition (6) |
Byron "Boss" Johnson Byron Ingemar Johnson Byron Ingemar "Boss" Johnson , born Björn Ingimar "Bjössi" Jónsson,to family of Icelandic Immigrants,he served as the 24th Premier of the province of British Columbia, Canada, from 1947 to 1952... |
48 | 39 | +5.4% | 428,773 | 61.35% | +5.52% | ||
| 1952 British Columbia general election, 1952 The British Columbia general election, 1952 was the 23rd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 10, 1952, and held on June 12, 1952. The new legislature met for the... (7) |
Byron "Boss" Johnson Byron Ingemar Johnson Byron Ingemar "Boss" Johnson , born Björn Ingimar "Bjössi" Jónsson,to family of Icelandic Immigrants,he served as the 24th Premier of the province of British Columbia, Canada, from 1947 to 1952... |
48 | 6 | n.a. | 180,289 | 23.46% | n.a. | 170,674 | 25.26% |
| 1953 British Columbia general election, 1953 The British Columbia general election of 1953 was the 24th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 10, 1953, and held on June 9, 1953... (7) |
Arthur Laing Arthur Laing Arthur Laing, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of the Canadian House of Commons from Vancouver, British Columbia.... |
48 | 4 | -33.3% | 171,671 | 23.59% | +0.13% | 154,090 | 23.36% |
| 1956 British Columbia general election, 1956 The British Columbia general election of 1956 was the 25th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 13, 1956, and held on September 19, 1956. The new legislature met... |
Arthur Laing Arthur Laing Arthur Laing, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal Member of the Canadian House of Commons from Vancouver, British Columbia.... |
52 | 2 | -50.0% | 177,922 | 21.77% | -1.82% | ||
| 1960 British Columbia general election, 1960 The British Columbia general election of 1960 was the 26th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 3, 1960, and held on September 12, 1960. The new legislature met... |
Ray Perrault Ray Perrault Raymond Joseph Perrault, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and of the Canadian Senate.... |
50 | 4 | +100 | 208,249 | 20.90% | -0.87% | ||
| 1963 British Columbia general election, 1963 The British Columbia general election of 1963 was the 27th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 22, 1963, and held on September 30, 1963... |
Ray Perrault Ray Perrault Raymond Joseph Perrault, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and of the Canadian Senate.... |
51 | 5 | +25.0% | 193,363 | 19.98% | -0.92% | ||
| 1966 British Columbia general election, 1966 The British Columbia general election of 1966 was the 28th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on August 5, 1966 and held on September 12, 1966... |
Ray Perrault Ray Perrault Raymond Joseph Perrault, PC was a Canadian politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and of the Canadian Senate.... |
53 | 6 | +20.0% | 152,155 | 20.24% | +0.26% | ||
| 1969 British Columbia general election, 1969 The British Columbia general election of 1969 was the 29th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 21, 1969, and held on August 27, 1969... |
Patrick Lucey McGeer | 55 | 5 | -16.7% | 186,235 | 19.03% | -1.21% | ||
| 1972 British Columbia general election, 1972 The 30th general election for the Canadian province of British Columbia was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on July 24, 1972, and held on August 30, 1972... |
David Anderson | 53 | 5 | - | 185,640 | 16.40% | -2.63% | ||
| 1975 British Columbia general election, 1975 The British Columbia general election of 1975 was the 31st general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on November 3, 1975, and held on December 11, 1975... |
Gordon Gibson Gordon Gibson Gordon Gibson, OBC is a political columnist, author, and former politician in British Columbia , Canada. He is the son of the late Gordon Gibson Sr, who was a prominent businessman and Liberal Party politician in mid-1950s BC.... |
49 | 1 | -80.0% | 93,379 | 7.24% | -9.16% | ||
| 1979 British Columbia general election, 1979 The British Columbia general election of 1979 was the 32nd general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 3, 1979... |
Jev Tothill | 5 | 0 | -100% | 6,662 | 0.47% | -6.77% | ||
| 1983 British Columbia general election, 1983 The British Columbia general election of 1983 was the 33rd provincial election for the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 7, 1983. The election was held on May 5, 1983... |
Shirley McLoughlin | 52 | 0 | - | 44,442 | 2.69% | 2.22% | ||
| 1986 British Columbia general election, 1986 The British Columbia general election of 1986 was the 34th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 24, 1986... |
Art Lee Art Lee Arthur John Lee is a politician and lawyer in British Columbia , Canada.Lee was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Liberal Party of Canada to represent the electoral district of Vancouver East in the 1974 federal election... |
55 | 0 | - | 130,505 | 6.74% | +4.05% | ||
| 1991 British Columbia general election, 1991 The British Columbia general election of 1991 was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991... |
Gordon Wilson Gordon Wilson (Canadian politician) Gordon Wilson is a former provincial politician in British Columbia. He served as leader of the Liberal Party of BC from 1987–1993, leader and founder of the Progressive Democratic Alliance from 1993–1997, and in the provincial cabinet as Minister of Finance and Minister of Employment, Investment... |
71 | 17 | 486,208 | 33.25% | +26.51% | |||
| 1996 British Columbia general election, 1996 The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996... |
Gordon Campbell | 75 | 33 | +94.1% | 661,929 | 41.82% | +8.58% | ||
| 2001 British Columbia general election, 2001 The British Columbia general election of 2001 was the 37th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 18, 2001, and held on May 16, 2001... |
Gordon Campbell | 79 | 77 | +133.3% | 916,888 | 57.62% | +15.80% | ||
| 2005 British Columbia general election, 2005 The 38th British Columbia general election was held on May 17, 2005, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia , Canada. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell... |
Gordon Campbell | 79 | 46 | -40.3% | 772,945 | 46.08% | -11.54% | ||
| 2009 British Columbia general election, 2009 The 39th British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell... |
Gordon Campbell | 85 | 49 | +6.5% | 751,792 | 45.83% | -0.25% | ||
| Sources: Elections BC | |||||||||
Notes:
(1) One Liberal Party candidate was elected by acclamation.
(2) One candidate is counted twice: J. Oliver (Liberal) contested but was defeated in both Delta and Victoria City.
(3) One candidate, H.C. Brewster (Liberal) who contested and was elected in both Alberni and Victoria City, is counted twice.
(4) One member elected by acclamation. One candidate, J. Oliver, who contested and was elected in both Delta and Victoria City is counted twice.
(5) After the election, a Coalition government was formed by the Conservative and Liberal members. T.D. Patullo, Liberal leader, objected, stepped down, and sat as a Liberal, giving the Coalition 32 seats.
(6) In the 1945 and 1949 elections, the Liberal Party ran in coalition with the Conservative Party. Results compared to Liberal + Conservative total from previous election.
(7) The 1952 and 1953 elections used the alternative voting system. Rather than marking the ballot with an X, numbers were to be placed opposite the names in order of choice. If, after the first count, no candidate received an absolute simple majority, the candidate with the least number of votes was dropped, and the second choices distributed among the remaining candidates. This process continued until a candidate emerged with the requisite majority vote. Some voters only indicated a first choice (plumping), and others did not utilize the full range available. Consequently as the counts progressed, some ballots would be exhausted and total valid votes would decline, thereby reducing the absolute majority required to be elected. In multi-member riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
s, there were as many ballots as members to be elected, distinguished by colour and letters.
British Columbia Young Liberals
The British Columbia Young Liberals Commission serves as the leadership element of the youth wing of the party.See also
- List of political parties in British Columbia
- List of premiers of British Columbia
- List of British Columbia general elections
- British Columbia Liberal Party leadership elections
- BC Legislature RaidsBC Legislature RaidsThe BC Legislature Raids resulted from search warrants executed on the Legislature of British Columbia, Canada, in 2003. The legal proceedings were stopped just before government officials were to testify...
- BC Rail
- Harmonized Sales TaxHarmonized Sales TaxThe Harmonized Sales Tax is the name used in Canada to describe the combination of the federal Goods and Services Tax and the regional Provincial Sales Tax into a single value added sales tax in five of the ten Canadian provinces: Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, British...
- Sales taxes in British ColumbiaSales taxes in British ColumbiaSales taxes in British Columbia are levied via the Harmonized Sales Tax , which replaced the separate Provincial Sales Tax and federal Goods and Services Tax on 1 July 2010...