The premier of British Columbia is the first minister for the Canadian province of British Columbia. The province was a British crown colony governed by the governors of British Columbia before joining Canadian Confederation in 1871. Since then, it has had a unicameral Westminster-style parliamentary government, in which the premier is the leader of the party that controls the most seats in the legislative assembly. The premier is British Columbia's head of government, and the king of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the lieutenant governor of British Columbia. The premier picks a cabinet from the elected members to form the Executive Council of British Columbia and presides over that body.
Members are first elected to the legislature during general elections. General elections must be conducted every four years from the date of the last election. An election may also take place if the governing party loses the confidence of the legislature by the defeat of a supply bill or tabling of a no-confidence motion.
Before 1903, British Columbia did not use a party system; instead, premiers of British Columbia had no official party affiliation and were chosen by elected members of the legislative assembly from among themselves. Candidates ran as "Government", "Opposition", "Independent", or in formulations such as "Opposition independent", indicating their respective positions to the incumbent regime.
British Columbia has had 36 individuals serve as premier since joining Confederation, of which 14 individuals had no party affiliation, three were Conservatives, eight were Liberals, four were Socreds, and seven were New Democrats. The first premier was John Foster McCreight, who was inaugurated in 1871. Joseph Martin spent the shortest time in office, at 106 days. At over twenty years, W. A. C. Bennett spent the longest time in office and is the only premier to serve in more than five parliaments. The incumbent premier is David Eby, who was sworn in on November 18, 2022.
Premiers of British Columbia
| No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Term of office | Electoral mandates (Assembly) | Political party | Parliamentary seat | Cabinet | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Foster McCreight (1827–1913) | 14 November 1871 – 23 December 1872 | Title created (caretaker government) | Non-partisan | MLA for Victoria City | McCreight ministry | ||||
| 2 | Amor De Cosmos (1825–1897) | 23 December 1872 – 11 February 1874 | Appointment (1st Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Victoria | De Cosmos ministry | ||||
| 3 (1 of 2) | George Anthony Walkem (1834–1908) | 11 February 1874 – 1 February 1876 | Appointment (1st Leg.) 1875 election (2nd Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Cariboo | 1st Walkem ministry | ||||
| 4 | Andrew Charles Elliott (1829–1889) | 1 February 1876 – 25 June 1878 | Appointment (2nd Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Victoria City | Elliott ministry | ||||
| 5 (2 of 2) | George Anthony Walkem (1834–1908) | 25 June 1878 – 13 June 1882 | 1878 election (3rd Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Cariboo | 2nd Walkem ministry | ||||
| 6 | Robert Beaven (1836–1920) | 13 June 1882 – 29 January 1883 | Appointment (3rd Leg.) 1882 election (4th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Victoria City | Beaven ministry | ||||
| 7 | William Smithe (1842–1887) | 29 January 1883 – 28 March 1887 | Appointment (4th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Cowichan | Smithe ministry | ||||
| 8 | Alexander Edmund Batson Davie (1847–1889) | 1 April 1887 – 1 August 1889 | Appointment (5th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Lillooet | A. E. B. Davie ministry | ||||
| 9 | John Robson (1824–1892) | 2 August 1889 – 29 June 1892 | Appointment (5th Leg.) 1890 election (6th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for New Westminster (1889–1890) MLA for Cariboo | Robson ministry | ||||
| 10 | Theodore Davie (1852–1898) | 2 July 1892 – 4 March 1895 | Appointment (6th Leg.) 1894 election (7th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Cowichan-Alberni | T. Davie ministry | ||||
| 11 | John Herbert Turner (1834–1923) | 4 March 1895 – 15 August 1898 | Appointment (7th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Victoria City | Turner ministry | ||||
| 12 | Charles Augustus Semlin (1836–1927) | 15 August 1898 – 28 February 1900 | 1898 election (8th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Yale-West | Semlin ministry | ||||
| 13 | Joseph Martin (1852–1923) | 28 February 1900 – 15 June 1900 | Appointment (8th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Vancouver City | Martin ministry | ||||
| Immediately lost a confidence vote 28 to 1 upon being appointed but formed a cabinet and governed for another three months anyway | ||||||||||
| 14 | James Dunsmuir (1851–1920) | 15 June 1900 – 21 November 1902 | 1900 election (9th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for South Nanaimo | Dunsmuir ministry | ||||
| 15 | Edward Gawler Prior (1853–1920) | 21 November 1902 – 1 June 1903 | Appointment (9th Leg.) | Non-partisan | MLA for Victoria City | Prior ministry | ||||
| 16 | Richard McBride (1870–1917) | 1 June 1903 – 15 December 1915 | Appointment (9th Leg.) 1903 election (10th Leg.) 1907 election (11th Leg.) 1909 election (12th Leg.) 1912 election (13th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1903) | MLA for Westminster-Dewdney (1903) MLA for Dewdney MLA for Victoria City | McBride ministry | ||||
| Led first partisan administration. During First World War, the provincial government purchased and took possession of two submarines to defend the province from the threat of German attack; quickly transferred by order of the federal government to the Royal Canadian Navy in August 1914. Created the province's first university, the University of British Columbia. | ||||||||||
| 17 | William John Bowser (1867–1933) | 15 December 1915 – 23 November 1916 | Appointment (13th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1915) | MLA for Vancouver City | Bowser ministry | ||||
| 18 | Harlan Carey Brewster (1870–1918) | 23 November 1916 – 1 March 1918 | 1916 election (14th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1912) | MLA for Victoria City | Brewster ministry | ||||
| Brought in women's suffrage, instituted prohibition, and combatted political corruption | ||||||||||
| 19 | John Oliver (1856–1927) | 6 March 1918 – 17 August 1927 | Appointment (14th Leg.) 1920 election (15th Leg.) 1924 election (16th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1918) | MLA for Dewdney (1918–1920) MLA for Victoria City MLA for Nelson | Oliver ministry | ||||
| Developed the produce industry in the Okanagan Valley, and tried to persuade the federal government to lower the freight rate for rail transport. In 1923, hosted the visit of Warren Harding to Vancouver, the first ever visit of a sitting United States President to Canada. | ||||||||||
| 20 | John Duncan MacLean (1873–1948) | 20 August 1927 – 21 August 1928 | Appointment (16th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1927) | MLA for Yale | MacLean ministry | ||||
| 21 | Simon Fraser Tolmie (1867–1937) | 21 August 1928 – 15 November 1933 | 1928 election (17th Leg.) | Conservative (Ldr. 1926) | MLA for Saanich | Tolmie ministry | ||||
| Attempted to apply "business principles to the business of government" during the Great Depression hit. Unemployment reached 28% – the highest in Canada. Set up relief camps. The Kidd Report recommended such sharp cuts to social services that the Conservative Party split and decided to run no candidates in the 1933 election. Local riding associations that supported Tolmie ran "Unionist" candidates while those supporting former premier Bowser stood "non-partisan" candidates and others ran as Independent Conservatives, resulting in electoral collapse and only 2 Conservative MLAs (one pro-Bowser, one pro-Tolmie) being returned and Tolmie losing his own seat. | ||||||||||
| 22 | Thomas Dufferin Pattullo (1873–1956) | 15 November 1933 – 9 December 1941 | 1933 election (18th Leg.) 1937 election (19th Leg.) 1941 election (20th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1929) | MLA for Prince Rupert | Pattullo ministry | ||||
| Attempted to extend government services and relief to the unemployed during the Great Depression. Re-elected in 1937 using the slogan "socialized capitalism". Failed to win a majority in 1941 and removed as leader by his party when he was unwilling to form a coalition government with the Conservative Party to keep the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation out of power. | ||||||||||
| 23 | John Hart (1879–1957) | 9 December 1941 – 29 December 1947 | Appointment (20th Leg.) 1945 election (21st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1941) | MLA for Victoria City | Hart ministry | [Co.] | |||
| Became Liberal leader and premier in order to form a coalition government with the Conservatives, which his predecessor had refused to do, in order to keep the socialist CCF out of power. Undertook an ambitious program of rural electrification, hydroelectric and highway construction. Built Highway 97 to northern British Columbia and relaunched the Bridge River Power Project, which was the province's first major hydroelectric development. Established the BC Power Commission to provide power to smaller communities that were not serviced by private utilities. | ||||||||||
| 24 | Boss Johnson (1890–1964) | 29 December 1947 – 1 August 1952 | Appointment (21st Leg.) 1949 election (22nd Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1947) | MLA for New Westminster | Johnson ministry | [Co.] | |||
| Introduced compulsory health insurance, and a 3% provincial sales tax to pay for it, expanded the highway system, extended the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, and negotiated the Alcan Agreement, which facilitated construction of the Kenney Dam. Coalition government collapsed when Conservatives left to form the Official Opposition in January 1952, leaving Johnson to lead a straight Liberal government until its defeat in that year's general election. | ||||||||||
| 25 | W. A. C. Bennett (1900–1979) | 1 August 1952 – 15 September 1972 | 1952 election (23rd Leg.) 1953 election (24th Leg.) 1963 election (27th Leg.) 1966 election (28th Leg.) 1969 election (29th Leg.) | Social Credit | MLA for South Okanagan | W. A. C. Bennett ministry | ||||
| Longest-serving premier. Oversaw rapid expansion of the province's highway system and BC Rail, creation of BC Ferries, BC Hydro, and the Bank of British Columbia, hydro-electric dam-building projects on the Columbia and Peace Rivers and the creation of the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University. | ||||||||||
| 26 | Dave Barrett (1930–2018) | 15 September 1972 – 22 December 1975 | 1972 election (30th Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 1970) | MLA for Coquitlam | Barrett ministry | ||||
| Reformed the welfare system, established the province's Labour Relations Board, and expanded the public sector. Reformed Legislative Assembly by introducing question period and full Hansard transcripts of legislative proceedings. Brought in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) to protect the supply of farm land and Insurance Corporation of British Columbia to provide public car insurance. | ||||||||||
| 27 | Bill Bennett (1932–2015) | 22 December 1975 – 6 August 1986 | 1975 election (31st Leg.) 1979 election (32nd Leg.) | Social Credit (Ldr. 1973) | MLA for South Okanagan (1975–1979) MLA for Okanagan South | B. Bennett ministry | ||||
| Implemented significant cuts to social services and education and repealed labour laws, resulting in a general strike. Spent hundreds of millions of dollars on Expo 86 and the construction of BC Place, Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system, and the Vancouver Convention Centre. Built the Coquihalla Highway. | ||||||||||
| 28 | Bill Vander Zalm (b. 1934) | 6 August 1986 – 2 April 1991 | Appointment (33rd Leg.) | Social Credit (Ldr. 1986) | MLA for Richmond | Vander Zalm ministry | ||||
| Granted five community colleges authority to grant baccalaureate degrees (Cariboo, Fraser Valley, Kwantlen, Malaspina, and Okanagan). Built Phase 3 of the Coquihalla Highway. Forced to resign due to Fantasy Gardens conflict of interest controversy. | ||||||||||
| 29 | Rita Johnston (b. 1935) | 2 April 1991 – 5 November 1991 | Appointment (34th Leg.) | Social Credit (Ldr. 1991) | MLA for Surrey-Newton | Johnston ministry | ||||
| 30 | Mike Harcourt (b. 1943) | 5 November 1991 – 22 February 1996 | 1991 election (35th Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 1987) | MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant | Harcourt ministry | ||||
| Reformed the welfare system. Resigned due to Bingogate. | ||||||||||
| 31 | Glen Clark (b. 1957) | 22 February 1996 – 25 August 1999 | Appointment (35th Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 1996) | MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway | G. Clark ministry | ||||
| Signed the Nisga'a Final Agreement, continued welfare reform. Resigned due to the Fast Ferry Scandal and Casinogate. | ||||||||||
| 32 | Dan Miller (b. 1944) | 25 August 1999 – 24 February 2000 | Appointment (36th Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 1999) | MLA for North Coast | Miller ministry | ||||
| 33 | Ujjal Dosanjh (b. 1947) | 24 February 2000 – 5 June 2001 | Appointment (36th Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 2000) | MLA for Vancouver-Kensington | Dosanjh ministry | ||||
| Created the Sex Offenders Registry | ||||||||||
| 34 | Gordon Campbell (b. 1948) | 5 June 2001 – 14 March 2011 | 2001 election (37th Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 1993) | MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey | Campbell ministry | ||||
| Privatized BC Rail, hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, oversaw the launch of the Canada Line, introduced the provincial carbon tax, oversaw the completion of Golden Ears Bridge, resigned in HST controversy | ||||||||||
| 35 | Christy Clark (b. 1965) | 14 March 2011 – 18 July 2017 | Appointment (39th Leg.) 2013 election (40th Leg.) 2017 election (41st Leg.) | Liberal (Ldr. 2011) | MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey (2011–2013) MLA for N/A MLA for Westside-Kelowna MLA for Kelowna West | C. Clark ministry | ||||
| Increased minimum wage from $8.00/hr to $10.25/hr, oversaw completion of the Gateway Program, introduced Family Day statutory holiday, oversaw completion of Evergreen Extension. Resigned after she lost the confidence of the Assembly. | ||||||||||
| 36 | John Horgan (1959–2024) | 18 July 2017 – 18 November 2022 | Appointment (41st Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 2014) | MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca | Horgan ministry | ||||
| Continued construction of Site C dam, replaced medical service plan fee with payroll tax, increased minimum wage from $10.25/hr to $15.65/hr, indexed minimum wage to inflation. | ||||||||||
| 37 | David Eby (b. 1976) | 18 November 2022 – incumbent | Appointment (42nd Leg.) | New Democratic (Ldr. 2022) | MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey | Eby ministry | ||||
| ||||||||||
List of premiers by time in office
| Rank | Premier | Total time in office | Dates in office | Mandates | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W. A. C. Bennett | 20 years, 45 days | August 1, 1952 – September 15, 1972 | 7 | █ Social Credit |
| 2 | Richard McBride | 12 years, 197 days | June 1, 1903 – December 15, 1915 | 5 | █ Conservative |
| 3 | Bill Bennett | 10 years, 227 days | December 22, 1975 – August 6, 1986 | 3 | █ Social Credit |
| 4 | Gordon Campbell | 9 years, 282 days | June 5, 2001 – March 14, 2011 | 3 | █ Liberal |
| 5 | John Oliver | 9 years, 164 days | March 6, 1918 – August 17, 1927 | 3 | █ Liberal |
| 6 | Thomas Dufferin Pattullo | 8 years, 24 days | November 15, 1933 – December 9, 1941 | 3 | █ Liberal |
| 7 | Christy Clark | 6 years, 126 days | March 14, 2011 – July 18, 2017 | 3 | █ Liberal |
| 8 | John Hart | 6 years, 20 days | December 9, 1941 – December 29, 1947 | 2 | █ Liberal |
| 9 | George Anthony Walkem | 5 years, 343 days | February 11, 1874 – February 1, 1876 June 25, 1878 – June 13, 1882 | 3 | █ Non-partisan |
| 10 | John Horgan | 5 years, 123 days | July 18, 2017 – November 18, 2022 | 2 | █ New Democratic |
| 11 | Simon Fraser Tolmie | 5 years, 86 days | August 21, 1928 – November 15, 1933 | 1 | █ Conservative |
| 12 | Bill Vander Zalm | 4 years, 239 days | August 6, 1986 – April 2, 1991 | 2 | █ Social Credit |
| 13 | Boss Johnson | 4 years, 216 days | December 29, 1947 – August 1, 1952 | 2 | █ Liberal |
| 14 | Mike Harcourt | 4 years, 109 days | November 5, 1991 – February 22, 1996 | 1 | █ New Democratic |
| 15 | William Smithe | 4 years, 58 days | January 29, 1883 – March 28, 1887 | 2 | █ Non-partisan |
| 16 | Glen Clark | 3 years, 184 days | February 22, 1996 – August 25, 1999 | 2 | █ New Democratic |
| 17 | John Herbert Turner | 3 years, 164 days | March 4, 1895 – August 15, 1898 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 18 | Dave Barrett | 3 years, 98 days | September 15, 1972 – December 22, 1975 | 1 | █ New Democratic |
| 19 | David Eby | 3 years, 30 days | November 18, 2022 – present | 2 | █ New Democratic |
| 20 | John Robson | 2 years, 332 days | August 2, 1889 – June 29, 1892 | 2 | █ Non-partisan |
| 21 | Theodore Davie | 2 years, 243 days | July 2, 1892 – March 4, 1895 | 2 | █ Non-partisan |
| 22 | James Dunsmuir | 2 years, 159 days | June 15, 1900 – November 21, 1902 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 23 | Andrew Charles Elliott | 2 years, 144 days | February 1, 1876 – June 25, 1878 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 24 | Alexander E. B. Davie | 2 years, 122 days | April 1, 1887 – August 1, 1889 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 25 | Charles Augustus Semlin | 1 year, 196 days | August 15, 1898 – February 27, 1900 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 26 | Ujjal Dosanjh | 1 year, 101 days | February 24, 2000 – June 5, 2001 | 1 | █ New Democratic |
| 27 | Harlan Carey Brewster | 1 year, 98 days | November 23, 1916 – March 1, 1918 | 1 | █ Liberal |
| 28 | Amor De Cosmos | 1 year, 50 days | December 23, 1872 – February 11, 1874 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 29 | John Foster McCreight | 1 year, 39 days | November 14, 1871 – December 23, 1872 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 30 | John Duncan MacLean | 1 year, 1 day | August 20, 1927 – August 21, 1928 | 1 | █ Liberal |
| 31 | William John Bowser | 344 days | December 15, 1915 – November 23, 1916 | 1 | █ Conservative |
| 32 | Robert Beaven | 230 days | June 13, 1882 – January 29, 1883 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 33 | Rita Johnston | 217 days | April 2, 1991 – November 5, 1991 | 1 | █ Social Credit |
| 34 | Edward Gawler Prior | 192 days | November 21, 1902 – June 1, 1903 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
| 35 | Dan Miller | 183 days | August 25, 1999 – February 24, 2000 | 1 | █ New Democratic |
| 36 | Joseph Martin | 107 days | February 28, 1900 – June 15, 1900 | 1 | █ Non-partisan |
Political parties by time in office
| Party | Time in office (days) | # | Premiers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Party | 17,010 | 8 | Harlan Carey Brewster, John Oliver, John Duncan MacLean, Duff Pattullo, John Hart, Boss Johnson, Gordon Campbell, and Christy Clark | |
| Social Credit Party | 13,151 | 4 | W. A. C. Bennett, Bill Bennett, Bill Vander Zalm, and Rita Johnston | |
| New Democratic Party | 7,775 | 7 | Dave Barrett, Mike Harcourt, Glen Clark, Dan Miller, Ujjal Dosanjh, John Horgan, and David Eby (incumbent) | |
| Conservative Party | 6,839 | 3 | Richard McBride, William John Bowser, and Simon Fraser Tolmie | |
| Party | Time in office (days) | # | Cabinets | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Party | 13,317 | 7 | Brewster, Oliver, MacLean, Pattullo, Johnson, Campbell, and C. Clark | |
| Social Credit Party | 13,151 | 4 | W. A. C. Bennett, B. Bennett, Vander Zalm, and Johnston | |
| New Democratic Party | 7,775 | 7 | Barrett, Harcourt, G. Clark, Miller, Dosanjh, Horgan, and Eby (incumbent) | |
| Conservative Party | 6,839 | 3 | McBride ministry, Bowser ministry, and Tolmie ministry | |
| Liberal–Conservative coalition | 3,694 | 2 | Hart, and Johnson | |
See also
- List of British Columbian ministries
- Leader of the Opposition (British Columbia)
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