British Columbia Social Credit Party leadership conventions
Encyclopedia
The British Columbia Social Credit Party
was a conservative
political party in the Province of British Columbia
, Canada
. The provincial Social Credit movement was divided in its early years and was largely under the influence of the Alberta Social Credit League and did not have a functional leadership before 1952.
The 1952 leadership convention was held when the party was largely dominated by the Alberta leadership of the national social credit movement. Alberta Premier Ernest Manning
hand picked Ernest George Hansell
to lead the BC party into the election despite the fact that Hansell was an Alberta politician. W.A.C. Bennett
was chosen party leader by Social Credit MLAs following the election.
In 1973, the party elected W.A.C. Bennett's son, Bill Bennett, on the first ballot.
All of the party's leadership conventions before 1993 were delegated, i.e., local party riding association
s selected delegates to attend a convention and elect a leader by secret ballot.
The 1993 leadership election was determined by a "one-member, one-vote" system, using mail-in preferential ballots. The 1994 leadership election used the same system, but did not incorporate preferential balloting as there were only two candidates.
At this time the Alberta Social Credit League still dominated the British Columbia association. Hansell, an Alberta Social Credit Member of Parliament, was the hand-picked candidate of Alberta Premier Ernest Manning
. Bennett and Wicks were both nominated from the floor, however, but declined allowing Hansell to be acclaimed. Following the general election in which Social Credit unexpectedly emerged as the largest party, Wicks, who was the British Columbia party's president, called a new leadership vote at which only elected Social Credit MLAs could vote. In this contest, held on July 15, 1952, Bennett defeated Philip Gaglardi
by a margin of 10 to 9 to become Social Credit leader and was invited by the lieutenant-governor to become Premier of the province.
First Ballot:
First Ballot:
Second Ballot (Campbell eliminated, five others withdraw):
Third Ballot (Nielsen eliminated, Reynolds and Bud Smith withdraw):
Fourth Ballot (McCarthy eliminated):
was elected by the party's MLAs as their interim leader, defeating Russ Fraser by 21 votes to 17 on the fourth ballot. Claude Richmond
, Norm Jacobsen and Mel Couvelier had previously been eliminated.
First Ballot:
Second Ballot (Couvelier supports Johnston):
First Ballot:
Second Ballot:
Third Ballot:
First Ballot:
British Columbia Social Credit Party
The British Columbia Social Credit Party, whose members are known as Socreds, was the governing political party of British Columbia, Canada, for more than 30 years between the 1952 provincial election and the 1991 election...
was a conservative
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
political party in the Province of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The provincial Social Credit movement was divided in its early years and was largely under the influence of the Alberta Social Credit League and did not have a functional leadership before 1952.
The 1952 leadership convention was held when the party was largely dominated by the Alberta leadership of the national social credit movement. Alberta Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
hand picked Ernest George Hansell
Ernest George Hansell
Rev. Ernest George Hansell was an ordained minister as well as a Canadian federal and provincial politician.-Federal politics:Hansell ran as a Social Credit candidate in the 1935 federal election...
to lead the BC party into the election despite the fact that Hansell was an Alberta politician. W.A.C. Bennett
W.A.C. Bennett
William Andrew Cecil Bennett, PC, OC was the 25th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. With just over 20 years in office, Bennett was and remains the longest-serving premier in British Columbia history. He was usually referred to as W.A.C...
was chosen party leader by Social Credit MLAs following the election.
In 1973, the party elected W.A.C. Bennett's son, Bill Bennett, on the first ballot.
All of the party's leadership conventions before 1993 were delegated, i.e., local party riding association
Riding association
In Canadian politics a riding association , officially called an electoral district association is the basic unit of a political party, that is it is the party's organization at the level of the electoral district, or "riding"...
s selected delegates to attend a convention and elect a leader by secret ballot.
The 1993 leadership election was determined by a "one-member, one-vote" system, using mail-in preferential ballots. The 1994 leadership election used the same system, but did not incorporate preferential balloting as there were only two candidates.
1952 leadership convention
Held April 27, 1952- Reverend Ernest George HansellErnest George HansellRev. Ernest George Hansell was an ordained minister as well as a Canadian federal and provincial politician.-Federal politics:Hansell ran as a Social Credit candidate in the 1935 federal election...
acclaimed - W.A.C. BennettW.A.C. BennettWilliam Andrew Cecil Bennett, PC, OC was the 25th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia. With just over 20 years in office, Bennett was and remains the longest-serving premier in British Columbia history. He was usually referred to as W.A.C...
(declined nomination) - Lyle WicksLyle WicksLyle Wicks was a British Columbia politician.Born in Calgary, Wicks graduated from McLean High School in Haney, British Columbia, Canada in 1930...
(declined nomination)
At this time the Alberta Social Credit League still dominated the British Columbia association. Hansell, an Alberta Social Credit Member of Parliament, was the hand-picked candidate of Alberta Premier Ernest Manning
Ernest Manning
Ernest Charles Manning, , a Canadian politician, was the eighth Premier of Alberta between 1943 and 1968 for the Social Credit Party of Alberta. He served longer than any premier in the province's history, and was the second longest serving provincial premier in Canadian history...
. Bennett and Wicks were both nominated from the floor, however, but declined allowing Hansell to be acclaimed. Following the general election in which Social Credit unexpectedly emerged as the largest party, Wicks, who was the British Columbia party's president, called a new leadership vote at which only elected Social Credit MLAs could vote. In this contest, held on July 15, 1952, Bennett defeated Philip Gaglardi
Philip Gaglardi
Philip Arthur Gaglardi , sometimes known as Flying Phil or even Sorry Phil, was a politician in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
by a margin of 10 to 9 to become Social Credit leader and was invited by the lieutenant-governor to become Premier of the province.
1973 leadership convention
(Held on November 24, 1973.)First Ballot:
- BENNETT, William R. 833
- MCCLELLAND, Bob 269
- SCHROEDER, Harvey 204
- CHABOT, James 97
- SMITH, Ed 74
- MASON, James 10
1986 leadership convention
(Held on July 29–30, 1986.)First Ballot:
- VANDER ZALM, BillBill Vander ZalmWilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
367 - MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
244 - SMITH, Bud 202
- SMITH, BrianBrian Smith (politician)Brian Ray Douglas Smith is a Canadian politician and business executive. After serving for a decade on Oak Bay municipal council, 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...
196 - NIELSEN, JimJim NielsenJames Wiley Nielsen is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican party. Nielsen served on the Yolo County Republican Committee before winning election to the California State Senate in 1978...
54 - REYNOLDS, JohnJohn Reynolds (Canadian politician)John Douglas Reynolds, PC was the Member of Parliament for the riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006...
54 - ROGERS, StephenStephen Rogers (politician)Stephen Rogers was a British Columbia politician and Cabinet minister from 1975 to 1991. Rogers ran for the leadership of the British Columbia Social Credit Party in the 1986 leadership race, but lost to Bill Vander Zalm....
43 - WENMAN, Bob 40
- MICHEL, Cliff 32
- RITCHIE, Bill 28
- COUVELIER, Mel 20
- CAMPBELL, KimKim CampbellAvril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
14
Second Ballot (Campbell eliminated, five others withdraw):
- VANDER ZALM, BillBill Vander ZalmWilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
457 - MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
280 - SMITH, BrianBrian Smith (politician)Brian Ray Douglas Smith is a Canadian politician and business executive. After serving for a decade on Oak Bay municipal council, 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...
255 - SMITH, Bud 219
- REYNOLDS, JohnJohn Reynolds (Canadian politician)John Douglas Reynolds, PC was the Member of Parliament for the riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country in the Canadian House of Commons from 1997 to 2006...
39 - NIELSEN, JimJim NielsenJames Wiley Nielsen is an American politician from California and a member of the Republican party. Nielsen served on the Yolo County Republican Committee before winning election to the California State Senate in 1978...
30
Third Ballot (Nielsen eliminated, Reynolds and Bud Smith withdraw):
- VANDER ZALM, BillBill Vander ZalmWilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
625 - SMITH, BrianBrian Smith (politician)Brian Ray Douglas Smith is a Canadian politician and business executive. After serving for a decade on Oak Bay municipal council, 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...
342 - MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
305
Fourth Ballot (McCarthy eliminated):
- VANDER ZALM, BillBill Vander ZalmWilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie "Bill" Vander Zalm is a politician and entrepreneur in British Columbia, Canada. He was the 28th Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991.-Early life:...
801 - SMITH, BrianBrian Smith (politician)Brian Ray Douglas Smith is a Canadian politician and business executive. After serving for a decade on Oak Bay municipal council, 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...
454
1991 interim leadership
On April 2, 1991, Rita JohnstonRita Johnston
Rita Margaret Johnston was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded William Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th Premier of British Columbia.Much of her early life was spent running a successful trailer park in the...
was elected by the party's MLAs as their interim leader, defeating Russ Fraser by 21 votes to 17 on the fourth ballot. Claude Richmond
Claude Richmond
Claude Richmond is a former BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He represented the riding of Kamloops from 1981 to 1991 and from 2001 to 2009....
, Norm Jacobsen and Mel Couvelier had previously been eliminated.
1991 leadership convention
(Held on July 20, 1991.)First Ballot:
- MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
659 - JOHNSTON, RitaRita JohnstonRita Margaret Johnston was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded William Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th Premier of British Columbia.Much of her early life was spent running a successful trailer park in the...
652 - COUVELIER, Mel 331
- JACOBSEN, Norm 169
- CRANDELL, Duane 35
Second Ballot (Couvelier supports Johnston):
- JOHNSTON, RitaRita JohnstonRita Margaret Johnston was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. Johnston became the first female premier in Canadian history when she succeeded William Vander Zalm in 1991 to become the 29th Premier of British Columbia.Much of her early life was spent running a successful trailer park in the...
941 - MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
881
1993 leadership election
(Held on November 6, 1993.)First Ballot:
- MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
7,338 - BRUCE, GrahamGraham BruceGraham Bruce is a former Canadian politician, who served as a Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1983 to 1991 in the electoral district of Cowichan-Malahat. He was later re-elected as a BC Liberal, representing the district of Cowichan-Ladysmith from 2001 to...
5,321 - RICHMOND, ClaudeClaude RichmondClaude Richmond is a former BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He represented the riding of Kamloops from 1981 to 1991 and from 2001 to 2009....
2,083 - TURNER, Jim 91
Second Ballot:
- MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
7,351 - BRUCE, GrahamGraham BruceGraham Bruce is a former Canadian politician, who served as a Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1983 to 1991 in the electoral district of Cowichan-Malahat. He was later re-elected as a BC Liberal, representing the district of Cowichan-Ladysmith from 2001 to...
5,352 - RICHMOND, ClaudeClaude RichmondClaude Richmond is a former BC Liberal Member of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He represented the riding of Kamloops from 1981 to 1991 and from 2001 to 2009....
2,099
Third Ballot:
- MCCARTHY, GraceGrace McCarthyGrace Mary McCarthy, OC, OBC is a former Canadian politician and florist in British Columbia. Nicknamed Amazing Grace by members of her longtime political party, the Social Credit Party of B.C, she was largely responsible for rebuilding the party after its defeat in the 1972 provincial...
7,700 - BRUCE, GrahamGraham BruceGraham Bruce is a former Canadian politician, who served as a Social Credit Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1983 to 1991 in the electoral district of Cowichan-Malahat. He was later re-elected as a BC Liberal, representing the district of Cowichan-Ladysmith from 2001 to...
6,245
1994 leadership election
(Announced on November 4, 1994.)First Ballot:
- GILLANDERS, Larry 1,034
- CALEB, John 787