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.
__TOC__
List of parliaments Following is a list of the 43 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.
AssemblyElectionOpening dateDissolution dateGoverning partyPremierOfficial Opposition partyOther official partiesSpeaker1st Parliament1st generalNovember 20, 1871August 30, 1875NonePolitical parties did not exist in the British Columbia legislature before 1903John Foster McCreightUntil December 1872 Amor De CosmosUntil February 1874 George Anthony WalkemNoneDid not exist until 1903NoneJames Trimble2nd Parliament2nd generalJanuary 10, 1876April 12, 1878NoneGeorge Anthony WalkemUntil January 25, 1876 Andrew Charles ElliottNoneNoneJames Trimble3rd Parliament3rd generalJuly 29, 1878June 13, 1882NoneGeorge Anthony WalkemUntil June, 1882 Robert BeavenNoneNoneFrederick W. Williams4th Parliament4th generalJanuary 25, 1883June 3, 1886NoneRobert BeavenUntil January, 1883 William SmitheNoneNoneJohn Andrew Mara5th Parliament5th generalJanuary 24, 1887May 10, 1890NoneWilliam SmitheUntil March, 1887 Alexander Edmund Batson DavieUntil August, 1889 John RobsonNoneNoneCharles Edward PooleyUntil 1889 David Williams Higgins6th Parliament6th generalJanuary 15, 1891June 2, 1894NoneJohn RobsonUntil June, 1892 Theodore DavieNoneNoneDavid Williams Higgins7th Parliament7th generalNovember 12, 1894June 7, 1898NoneTheodore DavieUntil March, 1895 John Herbert TurnerNoneNoneDavid Williams HigginsUntil March, 1898 John Paton Booth8th Parliament8th generalJanuary 5, 1899April 10, 1900NoneJohn Herbert TurnerUntil August, 1898 Charles Augustus SemlinUntil February, 1900 Joseph MartinNoneNoneWilliam Thomas Forster9th Parliament9th generalJuly 19, 1900June 16, 1903NoneJames DunsmuirUntil November, 1902 Edward Gawler PriorUntil June, 1902 Richard McBrideNoneNoneJohn Paton BoothUntil February 26, 1902 Charles Edward Pooley10th Parliament10th generalNovember 26, 1903December 24, 1906ConservativeRichard McBrideLiberal James Alexander MacDonaldNoneCharles Edward Pooley11th Parliament11th generalMarch 7, 1907October 20, 1909ConservativeRichard McBrideLiberal James Alexander MacDonaldNoneDavid McEwen Eberts12th Parliament12th generalJanuary 20, 1910February 27, 1912ConservativeRichard McBrideLiberal James Alexander MacDonaldNoneDavid McEwen Eberts13th Parliament13th generalJanuary 16, 1913May 31, 1916ConservativeRichard McBrideUntil December, 1915 William John BowserLiberal Harlan Carey BrewsterNoneDavid McEwen Eberts14th Parliament14th generalMarch 1, 1917October 23, 1920LiberalHarlan Carey BrewsterUntil March, 1918 John OliverConservative William John BowserNoneJohn Walter WeartUntil February, 1918 John Keen15th Parliament15th generalFebruary 8, 1921May 10, 1924LiberalJohn OliverConservative James Alexander MacDonaldNoneAlexander Malcolm MansonUntil January 28, 1922 Frederick Arthur Pauline16th Parliament16th generalNovember 3, 1924June 7, 1928LiberalJohn OliverUntil August 17, 1927 John Duncan MacLeanConservative Robert Henry PooleyProvincial Alexander Duncan McRaeJohn Andrew Buckham17th Parliament17th generalJanuary 22, 1929August 1, 1933ConservativeSimon Fraser TolmieLiberal Thomas Dufferin PattulloNoneJames William JonesUntil 1930 Cyril Francis Davie18th Parliament18th generalFebruary 20, 1934April 12, 1937LiberalThomas Dufferin PattulloCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Robert ConnellAfter August 1936, following a split in the party, the Social Constructive Party led by Connell became the official oppositionUnionist Simon Fraser TolmieHenry George Thomas Perry19th Parliament19th generalOctober 26, 1937July 21, 1941LiberalThomas Dufferin PattulloConservative Frank Porter PattersonCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold WinchFrom June, 1939Norman William Whittaker20th Parliament20th generalDecember 4, 1941August 31, 1945Liberal-Conservative coalitionJohn HartCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold WinchNoneNorman William Whittaker21st Parliament21st generalFebruary 1, 1946April 16, 1949Liberal-Conservative coalitionJohn HartUntil December 28, 1947 Byron Ingemar JohnsonCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold WinchNoneNorman William WhittakerUntil 1947 Robert Henry CarsonUntil January, 1949 John Hart22nd Parliament22nd generalFebruary 14, 1950April 10, 1952Liberal-Conservative coalitionByron Ingemar JohnsonCo-operative Commonwealth FederationUntil February, 1952 Harold Winch
Conservative Herbert AnscombNoneNancy Hodges23rd Parliament23rd generalFebruary 3, 1953March 27, 1953Social CreditW. A. C. BennettCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Harold WinchLiberal Arthur Laing
Progressive Conservative Herbert AnscombThomas James Irwin24th Parliament24th generalSeptember 15, 1953August 13, 1956Social CreditW. A. C. BennettCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Arnold WebsterLiberal Arthur Laing
Progressive Conservative Deane FinlaysonThomas James Irwin25th Parliament25th generalFebruary 7, 1957August 3, 1960Social CreditW. A. C. BennettCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Robert StrachanLiberal Ray PerraultThomas James IrwinUntil April, 1957 Lorne Shantz26th Parliament26th generalJanuary 26, 1961August 21, 1963Social CreditW. A. C. BennettCo-operative Commonwealth Federation Robert StrachanLiberal Ray PerraultLorne Shantz27th Parliament27th generalJanuary 23, 1964August 5, 1966Social CreditW. A. C. BennettNew Democratic Party Robert StrachanLiberal Ray PerraultWilliam Harvey Murray28th Parliament28th generalJanuary 24, 1967July 21, 1969Social CreditW. A. C. BennettNew Democratic Party Robert StrachanLiberal Ray PerraultWilliam Harvey Murray29th Parliament29th generalJanuary 22, 1970July 24, 1972Social CreditW. A. C. BennettNew Democratic Party Dave BarrettLiberal Pat McGeerWilliam Harvey Murray30th Parliament30th generalOctober 17, 1972November 3, 1975New Democratic PartyDave BarrettSocial Credit W. A. C. BennettUntil November, 1973 Bill BennettLiberal David Anderson
Progressive Conservative Derril Thomas WarrenGordon Dowding31st Parliament31st generalMarch 17, 1976April 3, 1979Social CreditBill BennettNew Democratic Party William Stewart KingUntil June, 1976 Dave BarrettLiberal Gordon Gibson
Progressive Conservative George Scott WallaceEd SmithUntil 1978 Harvey Schroeder32nd Parliament32nd generalJune 6, 1979April 7, 1983Social CreditBill BennettNew Democratic Party Dave BarrettNoneHarvey SchroederUntil 1982 Kenneth Walter Davidson33rd Parliament33rd generalJune 23, 1983September 24, 1986Social CreditBill BennettUntil August 1986 Bill Vander ZalmNew Democratic Party Dave BarrettUntil May 1984 Bob SkellyNoneKenneth Walter Davidson34th Parliament34th generalMarch 9, 1987September 19, 1991Social CreditBill Vander ZalmUntil April 2, 1991 Rita JohnstonNew Democratic Party Bob SkellyNoneJohn Douglas ReynoldsUntil 1989 Stephen Rogers35th Parliament35th generalMarch 17, 1992April 30, 1996New Democratic PartyMike HarcourtUntil February 22, 1996 Glen ClarkLiberal Gordon WilsonSocial Credit Rita JohnstonJoan SawickiUntil 1994 Emery Barnes36th Parliament36th generalJune 25, 1996April 18, 2001New Democratic PartyGlen ClarkUntil August 25, 1999 Dan MillerUntil February 24, 2000 Ujjal DosanjhLiberal Gordon CampbellReform Jack Weisgerber
Progressive Democrat Gordon WilsonDale LovickUntil 1998 Gretchen BrewinUntil 2000 William James Hartley37th Parliament37th generalJune 19, 2001April 19, 2005LiberalGordon CampbellNew Democratic Party Joy MacPhailNoneClaude Richmond38th Parliament38th generalSeptember 12, 2005April 14, 2009LiberalGordon CampbellNew Democratic Party Carole JamesNoneBill Barisoff39th Parliament39th generalAugust 29, 2009April 16, 2013LiberalGordon CampbellUntil March 14, 2011 Christy ClarkNew Democratic Party Adrian DixNoneBill Barisoff40th Parliament40th generalJune 26, 2013April 11, 2017LiberalChristy ClarkNew Democratic Party Adrian DixUntil May 4, 2014John HorganGreen Andrew J. WeaverFrom December 9, 2015Linda Reid41st Parliament41st generalJune 26, 2017 September 21, 2020LiberalUntil July 18, 2017; government defeated in a non-confidence vote June 29, 2017New Democratic PartyChristy ClarkUntil July 18, 2017; government defeated in a non-confidence vote June 29, 2017John Horgan New Democratic PartyUntil July 18, 2017 John Horgan Liberal Christy ClarkUntil August 4, 2017 Rich ColemanUntil February 3, 2018 Andrew WilkinsonGreen Andrew J. WeaverUntil January 6, 2020 Adam OlsenUntil September 14, 2020 Sonia FurstenauSteve ThomsonUntil June 29, 2017 Darryl Plecas42nd Parliament42nd generalDec 7, 2020Sep 21, 2024New Democratic PartyJohn HorganUntil November 18, 2022 David EbyLiberal / BC United Andrew WilkinsonUntil November 21, 2020 Shirley BondUntil May 16, 2022 Kevin FalconGreen Sonia FurstenauRaj Chouhan43rd Parliament43rd generalFeb 18, 2025Sep 22, 2026New Democratic PartyDavid EbyConservativeJohn RustadUntil December 4, 2025 Trevor HalfordUntil June 29, 2026 Heather MaahsUntil September 20, 2026 Lorne Doerkson Green Jeremy Valeriote OneBC Dallas Brodie CentreBC Peter MilobarRaj Chouhan
Notes
References