Parliament of British Columbia

Parliament of British Columbia
40th Parliament of British Columbia
Type
Type
Unicameral
Houses Legislative Assembly
History
Founded July 20, 1871
Preceded by Legislative Council & Governor of British Columbia

The Parliament of British Columbia is the legislature of the province of British Columbia, Canada. The parliament is made of two elements: the monarch of Canada, represented by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, and the unicameral assembly Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The Parliament has existed since British Columbia became part of Canada in 1871, before which it was preceded by the Legislature of the United Colony of British Columbia.

Like the Canadian federal government, British Columbia uses a Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which members are sent to the Legislative Assembly after general elections and from there the party with the most seats chooses a Premier of British Columbia and Executive Council of British Columbia. The premier acts as British Columbia's head of government, while the Queen of Canada acts as its head of state and is represented by the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Before 1903, candidates in British Columbia elections were not affiliated with political parties.

List of Parliaments

Following is a list of the 40 times the Parliament has been convened since 1871. This article only covers the time since 1871. For the governing body from 1867 to 1871, see Legislative Council of British Columbia.

Assembly
Sessions
Election From
To[1] [nb 1]
Governing Party Premier[2] Official Opposition Party
Leader[3]
Other Official Party
Leader[4]
Speaker of the House[5]
1st Assembly

4 sessions

1st general Nov. 20, 1871
Aug. 30, 1875
none[nb 2] John Foster McCreight[nb 3]

Amor De Cosmos[nb 4]
George Anthony Walkem

none[nb 5] none James Trimble
2nd Assembly

3 sessions

2nd general Jan. 10, 1876
Apr. 12, 1878
none George Anthony Walkem[nb 6]

Andrew Charles Elliott

none none James Trimble
3rd Assembly

5 sessions

3rd general Jul. 29, 1878
June 13, 1882
none George Anthony Walkem[nb 7]

Robert Beaven

none none Frederick W. Williams
4th Assembly

4 sessions

4th general Jan. 25, 1883
June 3, 1886
none Robert Beaven[nb 8]

William Smithe

none none John Andrew Mara
5th Assembly

4 sessions

5th general Jan. 24, 1887
May 10, 1890
none William Smithe[nb 9]

Alexander Edmund Batson Davie[nb 10]
John Robson

none none Charles Edward Pooley[nb 11]

David Williams Higgins

6th Assembly

4 sessions

6th general Jan. 15, 1891
June 2, 1894
none John Robson[nb 12]

Theodore Davie

none none David Williams Higgins
7th Assembly

4 sessions

7th general Nov. 12, 1894
June 7, 1898
none Theodore Davie[nb 13]

John Herbert Turner

none none David Williams Higgins[nb 14]

John Paton Booth

8th Assembly

2 sessions

8th general Jan. 5, 1899
April 10, 1900
none John Herbert Turner[nb 15]

Charles Augustus Semlin[nb 16]
Joseph Martin

none none William Thomas Forster
9th Assembly

4 sessions[6]

9th general July 19, 1900
June 16, 1903
none James Dunsmuir[nb 17]

Edward Gawler Prior[nb 18]
Richard McBride

none none John Paton Booth[nb 19]

Charles Edward Pooley

10th Assembly 10th general Nov. 26, 1903
Dec. 24, 1906
Conservative Richard McBride Liberal

James Alexander MacDonald

none Charles Edward Pooley
11th Assembly 11th general Mar. 7, 1907
Oct. 20, 1909
Conservative Richard McBride Liberal

James Alexander MacDonald

none David McEwen Eberts
12th Assembly 12th general Jan. 20, 1910
Feb. 27, 1912
Conservative Richard McBride Liberal

James Alexander MacDonald

none David McEwen Eberts
13th Assembly 13th general Jan. 16, 1913
May 31, 1916
Conservative Richard McBride[nb 20]

William John Bowser

Liberal

Harlan Carey Brewster

none David McEwen Eberts
14th Assembly 14th general Mar. 1, 1917
Oct. 23, 1920
Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster[nb 21]

John Oliver

Conservative

William John Bowser

none John Walter Weart[nb 22]

John Keen

15th Assembly 15th general Feb. 8, 1921
May 10, 1924
Liberal John Oliver Conservative

James Alexander MacDonald

none Alexander Malcolm Manson[nb 23]

Frederick Arthur Pauline

16th Assembly 16th general Nov. 3, 1924
June 7, 1928
Liberal John Oliver[nb 24]

John Duncan MacLean

Conservative

Robert Henry Pooley

Provincial

Alexander Duncan McRae

John Andrew Buckham
17th Assembly 17th general Jan. 22, 1929
Aug. 1, 1933
Conservative Simon Fraser Tolmie Liberal

Thomas Dufferin Pattullo

none James William Jones[nb 25]

Cyril Francis Davie

18th Assembly 18th general Feb. 20, 1934
Apr. 12, 1937
Liberal Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Robert Connell[nb 26]

Unionist

Simon Fraser Tolmie

Henry George Thomas Perry
19th Assembly 19th general Oct. 26, 1937
Jul. 21, 1941
Liberal Thomas Dufferin Pattullo Conservative

Frank Porter Patterson

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Harold Winch[nb 27]

Norman William Whittaker
20th Assembly 20th general Dec. 4, 1941
Aug. 31, 1945
Liberal-Conservative coalition John Hart Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Harold Winch

none Norman William Whittaker
21st Assembly 21st general Feb. 1, 1946
Apr. 16, 1949
Liberal-Conservative coalition John Hart[nb 28]

Byron Ingemar Johnson

Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Harold Winch

none Norman William Whittaker[nb 29]

Robert Henry Carson[nb 30]
John Hart

22nd Assembly 22nd general Feb. 14, 1950
Apr. 10, 1952
Liberal-Conservative coalition Byron Ingemar Johnson Co-operative Commonwealth Federation[nb 31]

Harold Winch

Conservative
Herbert Anscomb

none Nancy Hodges
23rd Assembly 23rd general Feb. 3, 1953
Mar. 27, 1953
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Harold Winch

Liberal

Arthur Laing

Progressive Conservative
Herbert Anscomb

Thomas James Irwin
24th Assembly 24th general Sep. 15, 1953
Aug. 13, 1956
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Arnold Webster

Liberal

Arthur Laing

Progressive Conservative
Deane Finlayson

Thomas James Irwin
25th Assembly 25th general Feb. 7, 1957
Aug. 3, 1960
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Robert Strachan

Liberal

Ray Perrault

Thomas James Irwin[nb 32]

Lorne Shantz

26th Assembly 26th general Jan. 26, 1961
Aug. 21, 1963
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett Co-operative Commonwealth Federation

Robert Strachan

Liberal

Ray Perrault

Lorne Shantz
27th Assembly 27th general Jan. 23, 1964
Aug. 5, 1966
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett New Democratic Party

Robert Strachan

Liberal

Ray Perrault

William Harvey Murray
28th Assembly 28th general Jan. 24, 1967
Jul. 21, 1969
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett New Democratic Party

Robert Strachan

Liberal

Ray Perrault

William Harvey Murray
29th Assembly

3 sessions

29th general Jan. 22, 1970
Jul. 24, 1972
Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett New Democratic Party

Dave Barrett

Liberal

Pat McGeer

William Harvey Murray
30th Assembly

5 sessions

30th general Oct. 17, 1972
Nov. 3, 1975
New Democratic Party Dave Barrett Social Credit

W. A. C. Bennett[nb 33]
Bill Bennett

Liberal

David Anderson

Progressive Conservative
Derril Thomas Warren

Gordon Dowding
31st Assembly

4 sessions

31st general Mar. 17, 1976
Apr. 3, 1979
Social Credit Bill Bennett New Democratic Party

William Stewart King[nb 34]
Dave Barrett

Liberal

Gordon Gibson

Progressive Conservative
George Scott Wallace

Dean Smith[nb 35]

Harvey Schroeder

32nd Assembly

4 sessions

32nd general June 6, 1979
Apr. 7, 1983
Social Credit Bill Bennett New Democratic Party

Dave Barrett

none Harvey Schroeder[nb 36]

Kenneth Walter Davidson

33rd Assembly

4 sessions

33rd general June 23, 1983
Sep. 24, 1986
Social Credit Bill Bennett[nb 37]

Bill Vander Zalm

New Democratic Party

Dave Barrett[nb 38]
Bob Skelly

none Kenneth Walter Davidson
34th Assembly

5 sessions

34th general Mar. 9, 1987
Sep. 19, 1991
Social Democrat Bill Vander Zalm[nb 39]

Rita Johnston

New Democratic Party

Bob Skelly

none John Douglas Reynolds[nb 40]

Stephen Rogers

35th Assembly

5 sessions

35th general Mar. 17, 1992
April 30, 1996
New Democratic Party Mike Harcourt[nb 41]

Glen Clark

Liberal

Gordon Wilson

Social Credit

Rita Johnston

Joan Sawicki[nb 42]

Emery Barnes

36th Assembly

5 sessions

36th general June 25, 1996
April 18, 2001[7]
New Democratic Party Glen Clark[nb 43]

Dan Miller[nb 44]
Ujjal Dosanjh

Liberal

Gordon Campbell

Reform

Jack Weisgerber

Progressive Democrat
Gordon Wilson

Dale Lovick[nb 45]

Gretchen Brewin[nb 46]
William James Hartley

37th Assembly

6 sessions

37th general June 19, 2001
2005
Liberal Gordon Campbell New Democratic Party

Ujjal Dosanjh

none Claude Richmond
38th Assembly

5 sessions

38th general Sep. 12, 2005
2009
Liberal Gordon Campbell New Democratic Party

Carole James

none Bill Barisoff
39th Assembly

5 sessions[8]

39th general Aug. 29, 2009
April 16, 2013
Liberal Gordon Campbell[nb 47]

Christy Clark

New Democratic Party

Adrian Dix

none Bill Barisoff
40th Assembly 40th general June 26, 2013
present
Liberal Christy Clark New Democratic Party

Adrian Dix replaced by John Horgan as of mid-2014

Green Party of British Columbia Linda Reid

Notes:

  1. From opening day of legislature to the day that the legislature was dissolved.
  2. Political parties did not exist in the British Columbia legislature before 1903
  3. Until December 1872
  4. Until February 1874
  5. Did not exist until 1903
  6. Until January 25, 1876
  7. Until June, 1882
  8. Until January, 1883
  9. Until March, 1887
  10. Until August, 1889
  11. Until 1889
  12. Until June, 1892
  13. Until March, 1895
  14. Until March, 1898
  15. Until August, 1898
  16. Until February, 1900
  17. Until November, 1902
  18. Until June, 1902
  19. Until February 26, 1902
  20. Until December, 1915
  21. Until March, 1918
  22. Until February, 1918
  23. Until January 28, 1922
  24. Until August 17, 1927
  25. Until 1930
  26. After August 1936, following a split in the party, the Social Constructive Party ledy by Connell became the official opposition
  27. From June, 1939
  28. Until December 28, 1947
  29. Until 1947
  30. Until January, 1949
  31. Until February, 1952
  32. Until April, 1957
  33. Until November, 1973
  34. Until June, 1976
  35. Until 1978
  36. Until 1982
  37. Until August 1986
  38. Until May 1984
  39. Until April 2, 1991
  40. Until 1989
  41. Until February 22, 1996
  42. Until 1994
  43. Until August 25, 1999
  44. Until February 24, 2000
  45. Until 1998
  46. Until 2000
  47. Until March 14, 2001

References

  1. "Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871-1986". Elections BC. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  2. "Premiers of British Columbia 1871-". BC Legislature. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  3. "Leaders of the Opposition in British Columbia 1903-". BC Legislature. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  4. "Party Leaders in British Columbia 1900-". BC Legislature. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  5. "Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 1872-". BC Legislature. Retrieved 2011-07-20.
  6. Magurn, A J (1905). Canadian Parliamentary Guide 1905.
  7. "Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 1987-2001". Elections BC. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  8. "Previous Sessions Debates and Indexes". Hansard Services. Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Retrieved 2014-04-01.