Brian Smith (Canadian politician)

Brian Ray Douglas Smith
KC OBC
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Oak Bay-Gordon Head
In office
May 10, 1979 – November 15, 1989
Preceded byRiding Established
Succeeded byElizabeth Cull
Attorney General of British Columbia
In office
May 26, 1983 – June 29, 1988
PremierBill Bennett
Bill Vander Zalm
Preceded byAllan Williams
Succeeded byBud Smith
Personal details
Born (1934-07-07) July 7, 1934 (age 90)
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Political partySocial Credit

Brian Ray Douglas Smith (born July 7, 1934) is a Canadian politician and business executive.[1] He served for a decade on Oak Bay municipal council[2] and was mayor of Oak Bay from 1974 to 1979.[3] Smith was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1979 election to represent the riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head for the Social Credit Party.[4] He was re-elected in the 1983[5] and 1986 election.[6]

Life and career

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In the Bill Bennett government, he served as Minister of Education and then Minister of Energy, Mines, and Petroleum Resources, and was appointed to the post of Attorney General on May 26, 1983.[7]

In 1986, after Bennett's decision to step down, Smith was a candidate for the leadership of the Social Credit Party. In a field of twelve candidates, he finished second to Bill Vander Zalm, losing on the fourth ballot.[8] When Vander Zalm appointed a new cabinet, Smith was retained as Attorney General.[9]

On June 28, 1988, Smith resigned as Attorney General in dramatic fashion, during a speech to the Legislature. Smith charged that Vander Zalm did not adequately "appreciate the unique independence of the attorney general's ministry", citing the Toigo affair and abortion as instances of interference. He also disapproved of Vander Zalm's planned split of his ministry, believing it would weaken the ministry's independence and allow it to further fall under the control of the premier's office. Smith later told reporters that his resignation should not be seen as a challenge to Vander Zalm's leadership, and he remained a member of caucus. It was the first time an attorney general had resigned over differences from the premier since 1901, when Richard McBride resigned from James Dunsmuir's government; Smith made reference to McBride's resignation in his speech.[10] When the ministry was indeed split a week later, creating the Ministry of Solicitor General, Smith further criticized the move as one that would slow decision-making and hamper the ability to fight crime.[11]

On October 19, 1989, he announced that he was resigning his seat, effective November 15, 1989, and became chairman of CN Rail until 1994.[12] He was the Chairman of BC Hydro from 1996 to 2001.[13]

In 2016, Smith was appointed to the Order of BC as a "long-serving elected official who led social innovations in the arena of sports, education, law and business".[14]

References

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  1. ^ Lumley, Elizabeth (April 2002). Canadian Who's Who 2002. ISBN 9780802049704.
  2. ^ "Brian R.D. Smith QC". Gowlings. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  3. ^ "Causton landslide buries retiree's mayoralty bid". Times Colonist. Victoria. November 16, 2008. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  4. ^ "32nd General Election (continued)". Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 26, 2007.
  5. ^ "33rd general election (continued)". Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007.
  6. ^ "34th general election (continued)". Electoral History of British Columbia 1871-1986. Elections BC. Archived from the original on August 26, 2007.
  7. ^ "Alumni Profiles: The Hon. Brian R.D. Smith, Q.C." (PDF). UBC Law Faculty Newsletter. Victoria. 1988. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  8. ^ "High-tech Socreds, old-style count". Times Colonist. The Canadian Press. July 31, 1986. pp. A3.
  9. ^ Leyne, Les (August 15, 1986). "Loyal trio promoted to cabinet". Times Colonist. pp. A1, A3.
  10. ^ Mason, Gary; Baldrey, Keith; Bolan, Kim (June 29, 1988). "B.C.'s top lawman shocks premier, house by quitting". Vancouver Sun. pp. A1–A2.
  11. ^ Leyne, Les (July 8, 1988). "Split ministry weakens war on crime — Smith". Times Colonist. pp. A1.
  12. ^ Barbara McClintock & Brian Kiernan (October 20, 1989). "Another Byelection; Smith to Become Chairman". Vancouver Province. p. 6.
  13. ^ Sandler, Jeremy (June 5, 2001). "NDP axes B.C. Hydro chair for Liberals". Vancouver Sun. pp. A4.
  14. ^ Bruce Claggett (June 14, 2016). "Spirit of the West founder among the Order of BC recipients". Vancouver: News 1130. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
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