Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

RITA JOHNSTON ... 29th Premier of British Columbia and the first female premier in Canada

 

Tomorrow, Friday April 2nd, will mark the 30th anniversary of Rita Johnston becoming Premier of British Columbia.

 


No matter whether your political beliefs are in line with them, these days women becoming the leader of a province or country is no big thing; think of Alison Redford and Rachael Notley in Alberta, Margaret Thatcher in Great Britain, Kathleen Wynne in Ontario, Angela Merkel in Germany, BC’s Christy Clark, Jacinda Ardern in New Zealand, and Caroline Cochrane in the Northwest Territory just to name a few.

 

BUT by becoming Premier of British Columbia in 1991, Rita Johnston made history becoming the first female premier in Canada.

 

Johnston first held public office as a city councillor in Surrey, a position she continued until 1982. One year later (1983) she was elected as an MLA for the governing Social Credit Party, initially under Premier Bill Bennett, and went on to hold several Cabinet positions including Municipal Affairs and Transportation and Highways.

 

When Bill Bennet retired as Premier and leader of the Social Credit Party, in 1986, he was succeeded by Bill Vander Zalm. Regrettably, his controversial leadership and on-going scandals eventually led to his resignation.

 

On April 2nd, 1991 Johnston then became the Socred leader, and the 29th Premier of BC.  Under her leadership she committed to giving social issues a higher priority with “more emphasis placed on violence against women, violence against children and seniors.”

 

In an election called later that year Rita Johnston lost her own seat as the Social Credit government was defeated, unable to recover from the scandals that had surrounded Vander Zalm and tarnished the party. Johnston then retired from public life.

 

In 2009 the former Premier briefly returned to politics as she joined former federal Members of Parliament Reed Elley, Randy White, Jim Hart and John Cummins – along with Brian Peckford who had been the Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador -- in an advisory role with BC's Conservatives.

 

In speaking about Rita Johnston, the website No Second Chances recalled the words of an unnamed by reporter who stated:

”She became the leader of the Social Credit Party after her predecessor Bill Vander Zalm resigned in scandal and had just a few months to turn it around. She didn’t manage to do this, which was no huge surprise.

 

You know what they say, when a political party is really desperate, they turn to a woman and get her to run the thing. In Canada, that really started with Johnston.”

 

Rita Johnston was a woman who upon taking on the role as Premier was initially dubbed Premier Mom, and like any mother, she worked hard to serve the people of BC starting first in her early days on Surrey City council, through to her time in the legislature in Victoria.

 

Thank you, Rita, for your service.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper to step down for Conservative Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay to run in a by-election

Deputy Whip and MLA Reann Gasper has informed the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia of her decision to step down as MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, creating an opportunity for Conservative Party of British Columbia Leader Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay to seek the seat in a forthcoming by-election. Gasper said the decision was made carefully and deliberately, with the future of British Columbia firmly in mind. Abbotsford-Mission MLA Reann Gasper “This is a decision I have made after a great deal of careful consideration, and I believe it is the right decision for me, for our Party, and for the work ahead,” said MLA Gasper. “It has been a privilege to represent the people of Abbotsford-Mission, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me. I am also grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside my colleagues in the Conservative Caucus and to contribute to our leadership team.” “I have confidence in Kerry-Lynne, in her leadership, and in her ability to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Sits on $61 Million With No Start Date for Burnaby Hospital

Phase 2 of Burnaby Hospital redevelopment  was green lit to go ahead in September 2023 The NDP spent $45 million on the Burnaby Hospital redevelopment, cancelled the second phase, and now has another $61 million listed for the project in the province’s Public Accounts, with no start date for construction. If the NDP cancelled the project, what is happening to the $61 million set aside for it? The Phase 2 project was expected to cost between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion and was intended to expand the hospital’s capacity. With Burnaby’s population growing and residents struggling to access healthcare, the government should be investing in healthcare capacity, not leaving millions of dollars tied up in limbo. “The NDP spent $45 million on this project before cancelling it, and now $61 million remains listed for it in the Public Accounts,” said MLA Misty Van Popta, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure. “If the government isn’t going to build the hospital expansion, it should explain whe...
Post a Comment
Read more

BC Conservatives Point to Warning Signs in BC’s Economy

While Canada posted modest job gains in July, warning lights are still flashing in British Columbia. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, leaving too many first-time jobseekers shut out of the workforce. BC also lost 3,400 public administration jobs in July, likely as temporary Census positions ended. “BC's jobs divide remains stark. Unemployment is far higher in business-driven communities like Kelowna (9.3%) and Abbotsford-Mission (8.3%) than in Victoria (5.0%). Government should be focused on creating the conditions for private-sector investment and job growth,” said Gavin Dew, MLA for Kelowna-Mission and Shadow Minister for Economic Development. “We need an economy where young people can find work, businesses can hire, and every region has the opportunity to prosper.” This comes as BC faces five straight quarters where more businesses are closing than opening, an NDP cabinet rift over job-creating projects like Tilbury LNG, and fresh signs that even the province's to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more