| Rita Margaret Johnston | |
|---|---|
| Hon. Rita Johnston | |
| 29th Premier of British Columbia | |
| In office April 2, 1991 – November 5, 1991 |
|
| Preceded by | William Vander Zalm |
| Succeeded by | Mike Harcourt |
| Minister of Municipal Affairs of British Columbia | |
| In office August 14, 1986 – November 1, 1989 |
|
| Premier | Bill Vander Zalm |
| Preceded by | John Herbert Heinrich |
| Succeeded by | Lyall Franklin Hanson |
| Minister of State, Kootenay of British Columbia | |
| In office October 22, 1987 – July 6, 1988 |
|
| Premier | Bill Vander Zalm |
| Minister of Transportation and Highways of British Columbia | |
| In office November 1, 1989 – April 2, 1991 |
|
| Premier | Bill Vander Zalm |
| Preceded by | Thomas Neil Vant |
| Succeeded by | Art Charbonneau |
| Deputy Premier of British Columbia | |
| In office August 10, 1990 – April 2, 1991 |
|
| Premier | Bill Vander Zalm |
| Preceded by | Grace Mary McCarthy |
| Succeeded by | Anita Hagen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 22, 1935 Melville, Saskatchewan |
| Political party | Social Credit Party |
Rita Margaret Johnston (born April 22, 1935; née Leichert) 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 city of Surrey, British Columbia.
She first entered politics as a city councillor in Surrey. In 1983, she elected to as a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly as part of the Social Credit Party, representing the provincial riding of Surrey.
She became a cabinet minister under Premier William Vander Zalm in 1986, serving in various portfolios. She had previously served under Vander Zalm when she was a councilor and he was the mayor of Surrey.
Vander Zalm appointed Johnston deputy premier in 1990. When Vander Zalm resigned on April 2, 1991, Johnston was named interim leader of the party. As such, she was appointed premier on April 2, 1991; making her Canada's first female premier.
At a Social Credit party convention in July 1991 she was formally elected leader of the Social Credit Party of BC, in an upset, defeating the favoured front-runner Grace McCarthy. However, she had little time to implement any new programs, since she faced a statutory general election in October. The party was also bitterly divided due to the leadership contest, and had little time to repair the breach before the writs were dropped.
Johnston's long association with the scandal-plagued Vander Zalm significantly hampered her prospects of winning election in her own right, and she was soundly defeated by the New Democratic Party led by Michael Harcourt. Moreover, many moderate Socreds switched their support to the previously moribund Liberals. The Socreds lost more than half their popular vote from 1986 and were cut down to seven seats, falling to third place in the Legislative Assembly behind the NDP and Liberals. Johnston also lost her Surrey-Newton seat to the NDP's Penny Priddy.
She resigned as leader of the Social Credit Party on January 11, 1992, and was replaced by McCarthy. Following her defeat Johnston retired from politics and has had a low public profile.
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