Legislature of British Columbia

Legislature of British Columbia
43rd Parliament of British Columbia
Type
Type	Unicameral
Houses	Legislative Assembly
Sovereign	The lieutenant governor (representing the King of Canada)
History
Founded	July 20, 1871 (1871-07-20)
Preceded by	Governor-in-Council of the United Colony of British Columbia
Leadership
Monarch	Charles III September 8, 2022
Lieutenant Governor	Wendy Lisogar-Cocchia January 30, 2025
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly	Raj Chouhan, New Democratic December 7, 2020
Premier	David Eby, New Democratic November 18, 2022
Leader of the Opposition	John Rustad, Conservative November 12, 2024

The Legislature of British Columbia is made of two elements: the lieutenant governor (representing the King of Canada), and the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (which meets at the British Columbia Parliament Buildings). The Legislature of British Columbia has existed since the province joined 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 the Executive Council of British Columbia. The premier is British Columbia's head of government, while the King of Canada is its head of state and is represented by the lieutenant governor. Before 1903, candidates in British Columbia elections were not affiliated with political parties.

List of parliaments

Following is a list of the 42 times the Legislature 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	Opening date[1]	Dissolution date	Governing party	Premier[2]	Official Opposition party Leader[3]	Other official parties Leader[4]	Speaker[5]
1st Parliament 4 sessions	1st general	November 20, 1871	August 30, 1875	None[nb 1]	John Foster McCreight[nb 2] Amor De Cosmos[nb 3] George Anthony Walkem	None[nb 4]	None	James Trimble
2nd Parliament 3 sessions	2nd general	January 10, 1876	April 12, 1878	None	George Anthony Walkem[nb 5] Andrew Charles Elliott	None	None	James Trimble
3rd Parliament 5 sessions	3rd general	July 29, 1878	June 13, 1882	None	George Anthony Walkem[nb 6] Robert Beaven	None	None	Frederick W. Williams
4th Parliament 4 sessions	4th general	January 25, 1883	June 3, 1886	None	Robert Beaven[nb 7] William Smithe	None	None	John Andrew Mara
5th Parliament 4 sessions	5th general	January 24, 1887	May 10, 1890	None	William Smithe[nb 8] Alexander Edmund Batson Davie[nb 9] John Robson	None	None	Charles Edward Pooley[nb 10] David Williams Higgins
6th Parliament 4 sessions	6th general	January 15, 1891	June 2, 1894	None	John Robson[nb 11] Theodore Davie	None	None	David Williams Higgins
7th Parliament 4 sessions	7th general	November 12, 1894	June 7, 1898	None	Theodore Davie[nb 12] John Herbert Turner	None	None	David Williams Higgins[nb 13] John Paton Booth
8th Parliament 2 sessions	8th general	January 5, 1899	April 10, 1900	None	John Herbert Turner[nb 14] Charles Augustus Semlin[nb 15] Joseph Martin	None	None	William Thomas Forster
9th Parliament 4 sessions[6]	9th general	July 19, 1900	June 16, 1903	None	James Dunsmuir[nb 16] Edward Gawler Prior[nb 17] Richard McBride	None	None	John Paton Booth[nb 18] Charles Edward Pooley
10th Parliament	10th general	November 26, 1903	December 24, 1906	Conservative	Richard McBride	Liberal James Alexander MacDonald	None	Charles Edward Pooley
11th Parliament	11th general	March 7, 1907	October 20, 1909	Conservative	Richard McBride	Liberal James Alexander MacDonald	None	David McEwen Eberts
12th Parliament	12th general	January 20, 1910	February 27, 1912	Conservative	Richard McBride	Liberal James Alexander MacDonald	None	David McEwen Eberts
13th Parliament	13th general	January 16, 1913	May 31, 1916	Conservative	Richard McBride[nb 19] William John Bowser	Liberal Harlan Carey Brewster	None	David McEwen Eberts
14th Parliament	14th general	March 1, 1917	October 23, 1920	Liberal	Harlan Carey Brewster[nb 20] John Oliver	Conservative William John Bowser	None	John Walter Weart[nb 21] John Keen
15th Parliament	15th general	February 8, 1921	May 10, 1924	Liberal	John Oliver	Conservative James Alexander MacDonald	None	Alexander Malcolm Manson[nb 22] Frederick Arthur Pauline
16th Parliament	16th general	November 3, 1924	June 7, 1928	Liberal	John Oliver[nb 23] John Duncan MacLean	Conservative Robert Henry Pooley	Provincial Alexander Duncan McRae	John Andrew Buckham
17th Parliament	17th general	January 22, 1929	August 1, 1933	Conservative	Simon Fraser Tolmie	Liberal Thomas Dufferin Pattullo	None	James William Jones[nb 24] Cyril Francis Davie
18th Parliament	18th general	February 20, 1934	April 12, 1937	Liberal	Thomas Dufferin Pattullo	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Robert Connell[nb 25]	Unionist Simon Fraser Tolmie	Henry George Thomas Perry
19th Parliament	19th general	October 26, 1937	July 21, 1941	Liberal	Thomas Dufferin Pattullo	Conservative Frank Porter Patterson	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold Winch[nb 26]	Norman William Whittaker
20th Parliament	20th general	December 4, 1941	August 31, 1945	Liberal-Conservative coalition	John Hart	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold Winch	None	Norman William Whittaker
21st Parliament	21st general	February 1, 1946	April 16, 1949	Liberal-Conservative coalition	John Hart[nb 27] Byron Ingemar Johnson	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold Winch	None	Norman William Whittaker[nb 28] Robert Henry Carson[nb 29] John Hart
22nd Parliament	22nd general	February 14, 1950	April 10, 1952	Liberal-Conservative coalition	Byron Ingemar Johnson	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation[nb 30] Harold Winch Conservative Herbert Anscomb	None	Nancy Hodges
23rd Assembly	23rd general	February 3, 1953	March 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 Parliament	24th general	September 15, 1953	August 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 Parliament	25th general	February 7, 1957	August 3, 1960	Social Credit	W. A. C. Bennett	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Robert Strachan	Liberal Ray Perrault	Thomas James Irwin[nb 31] Lorne Shantz
26th Parliament	26th general	January 26, 1961	August 21, 1963	Social Credit	W. A. C. Bennett	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Robert Strachan	Liberal Ray Perrault	Lorne Shantz
27th Parliament	27th general	January 23, 1964	August 5, 1966	Social Credit	W. A. C. Bennett	New Democratic Party Robert Strachan	Liberal Ray Perrault	William Harvey Murray
28th Parliament	28th general	January 24, 1967	July 21, 1969	Social Credit	W. A. C. Bennett	New Democratic Party Robert Strachan	Liberal Ray Perrault	William Harvey Murray
29th Parliament 3 sessions	29th general	January 22, 1970	July 24, 1972	Social Credit	W. A. C. Bennett	New Democratic Party Dave Barrett	Liberal Pat McGeer	William Harvey Murray
30th Parliament 5 sessions	30th general	October 17, 1972	November 3, 1975	New Democratic Party	Dave Barrett	Social Credit W. A. C. Bennett[nb 32] Bill Bennett	Liberal David Anderson Progressive Conservative Derril Thomas Warren	Gordon Dowding
31st Parliament 4 sessions	31st general	March 17, 1976	April 3, 1979	Social Credit	Bill Bennett	New Democratic Party William Stewart King[nb 33] Dave Barrett	Liberal Gordon Gibson Progressive Conservative George Scott Wallace	Ed Smith[nb 34] Harvey Schroeder
32nd Parliament 4 sessions	32nd general	June 6, 1979	April 7, 1983	Social Credit	Bill Bennett	New Democratic Party Dave Barrett	None	Harvey Schroeder[nb 35] Kenneth Walter Davidson
33rd Parliament 4 sessions	33rd general	June 23, 1983	September 24, 1986	Social Credit	Bill Bennett[nb 36] Bill Vander Zalm	New Democratic Party Dave Barrett[nb 37] Bob Skelly	None	Kenneth Walter Davidson
34th Parliament 5 sessions	34th general	March 9, 1987	September 19, 1991	Social Credit	Bill Vander Zalm[nb 38] Rita Johnston	New Democratic Party Bob Skelly	None	John Douglas Reynolds[nb 39] Stephen Rogers
35th Parliament 5 sessions	35th general	March 17, 1992	April 30, 1996	New Democratic Party	Mike Harcourt[nb 40] Glen Clark	Liberal Gordon Wilson	Social Credit Rita Johnston	Joan Sawicki[nb 41] Emery Barnes
36th Parliament 5 sessions	36th general	June 25, 1996	April 18, 2001[7]	New Democratic Party	Glen Clark[nb 42] Dan Miller[nb 43] Ujjal Dosanjh	Liberal Gordon Campbell	Reform Jack Weisgerber Progressive Democrat Gordon Wilson	Dale Lovick[nb 44] Gretchen Brewin[nb 45] William James Hartley
37th Parliament 6 sessions	37th general	June 19, 2001	2005	Liberal	Gordon Campbell	New Democratic Party Joy MacPhail	None	Claude Richmond
38th Parliament 5 sessions	38th general	September 12, 2005	2009	Liberal	Gordon Campbell	New Democratic Party Carole James	None	Bill Barisoff
39th Parliament 5 sessions[8]	39th general	August 29, 2009	April 16, 2013	Liberal	Gordon Campbell[nb 46] Christy Clark	New Democratic Party Adrian Dix	None	Bill Barisoff
40th Parliament	40th general	June 26, 2013	April 11, 2017	Liberal	Christy Clark	New Democratic Party Adrian Dix[nb 47] John Horgan	Green Andrew J. Weaver[nb 48]	Linda Reid
41st Parliament	41st general	June 26, 2017	September 21, 2020	Liberal[nb 49] New Democratic Party	Christy Clark[nb 50] John Horgan	New Democratic Party John Horgan[nb 51] Liberal Christy Clark	Green Andrew J. Weaver[nb 52] Adam Olsen[nb 53] Sonia Furstenau	Steve Thomson[nb 54] Darryl Plecas
42nd Parliament	42nd general	Dec 7, 2020	Sep 21, 2024	New Democratic Party	John Horgan[nb 55] David Eby	Liberal / BC United Andrew Wilkinson[nb 56] Shirley Bond[nb 57] Kevin Falcon	Green Sonia Furstenau	Raj Chouhan
43rd Parliament	43rd general	Feb 18, 2025	(n/a)	New Democratic Party	David Eby	Conservative John Rustad[nb 58]	Green Sonia Furstenau[nb 59]	Raj Chouhan

Notes

1. Political parties did not exist in the British Columbia legislature before 1903
2. Until December 1872
3. Until February 1874
4. Did not exist until 1903
5. Until January 25, 1876
6. Until June, 1882
7. Until January, 1883
8. Until March, 1887
9. Until August, 1889
10. Until 1889
11. Until June, 1892
12. Until March, 1895
13. Until March, 1898
14. Until August, 1898
15. Until February, 1900
16. Until November, 1902
17. Until June, 1902
18. Until February 26, 1902
19. Until December, 1915
20. Until March, 1918
21. Until February, 1918
22. Until January 28, 1922
23. Until August 17, 1927
24. Until 1930
25. After August 1936, following a split in the party, the Social Constructive Party led by Connell became the official opposition
26. From June, 1939
27. Until December 28, 1947
28. Until 1947
29. Until January, 1949
30. Until February, 1952
31. Until April, 1957
32. Until November, 1973
33. Until June, 1976
34. Until 1978
35. Until 1982
36. Until August 1986
37. Until May 1984
38. Until April 2, 1991
39. Until 1989
40. Until February 22, 1996
41. Until 1994
42. Until August 25, 1999
43. Until February 24, 2000
44. Until 1998
45. Until 2000
46. Until March 14, 2011
47. Until May 4, 2014
48. From December 9, 2015
49. until July 18, 2017; government defeated in a non-confidence vote June 29, 2017
50. until July 18, 2017; government defeated in a non-confidence vote June 29, 2017
51. until July 18, 2017
52. until January 6, 2020
53. until September 14, 2020
54. until June 29, 2017
55. until November 18, 2022
56. until November 21, 2020
57. until May 16, 2022
58. Leader of the Conservative Party.
59. Lost seat in 2024 election. Leads party from outside the legislature.

References

1. "Electoral History of British Columbia, 1871-1986" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
2. "Premiers of British Columbia 1871-" (PDF). BC Legislature. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
3. "Leaders of the Opposition in British Columbia 1903-" (PDF). BC Legislature. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
4. "Party Leaders in British Columbia 1900-" (PDF). BC Legislature. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 20, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
5. "Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 1872-" (PDF). BC Legislature. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
6. Magurn, A J (1905). Canadian Parliamentary Guide 1905.
7. "Electoral History of British Columbia, Supplement, 1987-2001" (PDF). Elections BC. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
8. "Previous Sessions Debates and Indexes". Hansard Services. Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Archived from the original on February 19, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2014.