The 39th Parliament of British Columbia sat from 2009 to 2013, succeeding the 38th parliament. It was composed of two elements: the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, as elected by the general election of May 12, 2009, and The Queen represented by the lieutenant governor (Steven Point until 2012, then Judith Guichon). That election resulted in a majority government for the BC Liberal Party led by Gordon Campbell, and a BC New Democratic Party official opposition.
Shortly after the election, the government revealed it had been running record high deficits and that it intended to replace the PST and GST system with the harmonized sales tax. The deficit made an amendment to the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act necessary for the remainder of the 39th Parliament and resulted in reduced spending in most ministries. A petition against the Harmonized Sales Tax was circulated around the province and resulted in a summer 2011 referendum on the issue.
The unpopularity of the move towards HST led to the resignation of Premier Campbell. The ensuing leadership election was won by Christy Clark, who was subsequently sworn in as the new Premier on March 14, 2011. Separately and independently, the New Democrats also held a leadership election, and Adrian Dix became the new leader of the Opposition.
Seven MLAs spent time as independents: Vicki Huntington was elected as an independent, Blair Lekstrom left the BC Liberals in protest of its implementation of the HST, Pat Pimm briefly left the BC Liberals as he was being investigated for a domestic dispute incident, John Slater withdrew from the BC Liberal Party after they refused to endorse his re-election nomination in 2013, John van Dongen crossed the floor to the BC Conservatives before leaving that party to sit as an independent, and both BC Liberal Bill Bennett and NDP Bob Simpson were removed from their caucuses for criticizing their leaders. Three MLAs were subject of police investigations: Kash Heed for election irregularities, Jane Thornthwaite for drunk driving, and Pat Pimm for a domestic dispute. Two MLAs, both from the BC Liberals, resigned their seats forcing by-elections: Iain Black in Port Moody-Coquitlam and Barry Penner in Chilliwack-Hope.
In addition to the Consumption Tax Rebate and Transition Act which implemented the HST, major new legislation adopted during the 39th Parliament included the Clean Energy Act, which listed and enabled provincial objectives regarding electricity generation and consumption. The Ambulance Services Collective Agreement Act forced the workers at the BC Ambulance Service back to work after a seven-month strike. The Sled Dog Task Force and the Braidwood Inquiry led to legislative amendments, the New West Partnership (Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement) had enabling legislation enacted, and inheritance laws were modernized. The Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park was created, as well as six new parks in the Lillooet region
1st Session The 1st session of the 39th Parliament began on August 25, 2009 with the Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point. Gordon Campbell was Premier and Colin Hansen was Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance. Shortly after the May 2009 elections they revealed their intention to replace the separate provincial and federal sales tax (PST and GST) system with a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST). This 'harmonization' of provincial and federal sales taxes became highly controversial throughout the province. In September, the 2009 budget update revealed they would run a much higher deficit than had been forecast which led to charges that the BC Liberals had been misleading the public during the elections regarding the financial health of the province. The deficit projection was increased to $2.8 billion, the largest in BC history, the result of declining tax revenue and natural resource royalties from the continuing recession. The budget update accepted the deficit with small increases in funding for health care, education and social services, with reductions in all other ministries, combined with cuts to personal and small-business taxes and an amendment to the Balanced Budget and Ministerial Accountability Act allowing four years of deficit.
By the time the session ended on February 9, 2010, there were 24 bills given royal assent: 21 government bills and 3 private bills. Among the bills was modernization of insurance and inheritance laws with the Insurance Amendment Act, 2009 and the Wills, Estates and Succession Act. The Labour Mobility Act enacted portions of the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement. In light of the ongoing Braidwood Inquiry, Kash Heed, the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, introduced the Police (Misconduct, Complaints, Investigations, Discipline and Proceedings) Amendment Act which increased the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner's ability to investigate public complaints against police, though the bill was criticized for perpetuating "cops investigating cops" investigations rather than implementing civilian oversight. Heed also sponsored the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2009 which banned the use of cell phones while driving (except with the use of hands-free technology) and the Body Armour Control Act which introduced the requirement for permits and licensing for the sale and ownership of body armour. To help cope with the pine beetle epidemic, the Minister of Forests and Range Pat Bell introduced the Wood First Act, which required that all new provincially funded buildings use wood as the primary building material and increased the maximum height for wood structures from four storeys to six in the Building Code. The Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2009 created the Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park near Penticton and the Det san Ecological Reserve near Smithers.
Controversial new laws included the Assistance to Shelter Act which allowed police to use force in taking a person at risk to emergency shelters. Even though it was a government bill sponsored by Rich Coleman, the Minister of Housing and Social Development, it was opposed by backbencher and fellow BC Liberal Norm Letnick. The law was prompted by the death of a homeless Vancouver woman during a weather event, but critics saw it as a measure to remove undesirable people from streets during the Winter Olympic Games. An amendment to the Housing and Social Development Statutes Act stopped the payments of welfare, disability, or other income assistance to people with outstanding warrants. It was criticized as targeting people accused, not proven guilty, of crimes and resulted in several protests. Following a labour dispute and a seven-month strike by the BC Ambulance Service, the Minister of Health Kevin Falcon introduced back-to-work legislation on November 2 (and given royal assent five days later) with the Ambulance Services Collective Agreement Act forcing the union to accept the latest contract offer.
2nd Session The 2nd session of the 39th Parliament began on February 9, 2010 with the Speech from the Throne delivered by Lieutenant-Governor Point. Premier Gordon Campbell kept the same executive council as the first session. Following the Olympics, that year's budget was released, projecting a $1.7 billion deficit, with little changes to taxation but more funding for Ministry of Community and Rural Development and a significant cut to the Ministry of Forests and Range. In April Mike de Jong added Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor-General to his duties, replacing Kash Heed who resigned the posts in response to RCMP investigations into political fundraising irregularities. A small cabinet shuffle was made in June, when Blair Lekstrom resigned from the BC Liberals in protest of the implementation of the HST. Bill Bennett replaced Lekstrom as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources and Ben Stewart replaced Bennett as Minister of Community and Rural Development. In the same June re-shuffle, Mary McNeil was promoted from Minister of State (Olympics and ActNow BC) to Minister of Citizens Services. Before the end of the year, both BC Liberal Bill Bennett and NDP Bob Simpson were removed from their caucuses due to criticism of their leaders.
By the time the session ended in June, there were 23 bills given royal assent: 21 government bills and 2 private bills. Among the bills was the Zero Net Deforestation Act requiring equal areas of trees be planted as are cleared, the Forestry Service Providers Protection Act creating an insurance fund for small logging contractors, the Armoured Vehicle and After-Market Compartment Control Act prohibiting aftermarket installations of hidden compartments in vehicles while requiring permits for vehicles reinforced with armour, the Gunshot and Stab Wound Disclosure Act requiring health-care facilities to report to police treated gunshot and stab wounds, and a modernization of the Veterinarians Act. The Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act legally turned the name of the Queen Charlotte Islands to Haida Gwaii. The Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 2010 converted much of the Spruce Lake Protected Area into the South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park, added six new provincial parks in the Lillooet region (South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park, Bridge River Delta, French Bar Creek, Gwyneth Lake, Fred Antoine and Yalakom), added one park in the Shuswap area (Oregana Creek Provincial Park), and added land to twelve other existing parks.
The Clean Energy Act was introduced by Blair Lekstrom on April 28 (and given royal assent on June 3). The legislation was based on the recommendations of the Green Energy Advisory Task Force. The act updated the feed-in tariff system, exempted projects such as the Site C dam, new installations at Mica Dam, and the northwest transmission line from review by the British Columbia Utilities Commission, restricted the use of the Burrard Generating Station, re-integrated parts of the BC Transmission Corporation back into BC Hydro, created a First Nations Clean Energy Business Fund, required smart meters be installed onto buildings, prohibited future dam construction on certain rivers, and listed provincial energy-related objectives. It was criticized based on the belief that the act would result in increased electricity rates and disallow the development of natural gas-fuelled power plants.