Prime Minister

Okook pej kopa Chinook Wawa: Elip Tyee

The Prime Minister is the head of the government of British Columbia.

Per convention, the Governor General must appoint as prime minister the person who holds the confidence of the House of Commons; in practice, this is typically the leader of the political party that holds more seats than any other party in that chamber. Should no party hold a majority in the Commons, the leader of one party — either the one with the most seats or one supported by other parties — will be called by the Governor General to form a minority government. Once sworn in by the viceroy, the prime minister holds office until he or she resigns or is removed by the Governor General, after either a motion of non-confidence or his party's defeat in a general election.

Prime Ministers of the Dominion of BC

Party politics were not introduced to BC until 1903.

• Dr. Sir John Sebastian Helmcken KCMG PC (1875–1878)
• Dr. Sir John Sebastian Helmcken KCMG PC (1878–1882; resigned)
  Robert Beaven PC (1882–1883)
• William Smithe PC (1883–1886)
• William Smithe PC (1886–1887; died in office)
  Alexander Edmund Batson Davie PC (1887–1889; died in office)
  John Robson PC (1889–1890)
• John Robson PC (1890–1892; died in office)
  Theodore Davie PC (1892–1894)
• Theodore Davie PC (1894–1898)
• Charles Augustus Semlin PC (1898–2/1900; removed by vote of non-confidence)
  Joseph Martin PC (2/1900–8/1900; removed by vote of non-confidence)
  James Dunsmuir, 2nd Baron Esquimalt GCMG GCVO PC (8/1900–1903)
• Sir Richard McBride KCMG PC (Conservative, 1903–1907)
• Sir Richard McBride KCMG PC (Conservative, 1907–1909)
• Sir Richard McBride KCMG PC (Conservative, 1909–1912)
• Sir Richard McBride KCMG PC (Conservative, 1912–1916)
• Harlan Carey Brewster PC (Liberal, 1916–1918; died in office)
  Sir John Oliver KCMG PC (Liberal, 1918–1920)
• Sir John Oliver KCMG PC (Liberal, 1920–1924)
• Sir John Oliver KCMG PC (Liberal, 1924–1928)
• Simon Fraser Tolmie PC (Conservative, 1928–1933)
• Sir Thomas Dufferin Pattullo KCMG PC (Liberal, 1933–1937)
• Sir Thomas Dufferin Pattullo KCMG PC (Liberal, 1937–1941)
• Sir Thomas Dufferin Pattullo KCMG PC (Liberal, 1941–1945)
• Harold Edward Winch PC (Labour, 1945–1949)
• Björn Ingemar Jónsson PC (Liberal, 1949–1952)
• Harold Edward Winch PC (Labour, 1952–1953; removed by vote of non-confidence)
• Sir William Andrew Cecil Bennett KCMG KBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1953–1956)
• Sir William Andrew Cecil Bennett KCMG KBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1956–1960)
• Sir William Andrew Cecil Bennett KCMG KBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1960–1966)
• Sir William Andrew Cecil Bennett KCMG KBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1966–1969)
• Sir William Andrew Cecil Bennett KCMG KBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1969–1972)
• David Barrett MBC PC (Labour, 1972–1975)
• William Richards Bennett MBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1975–1979)
• William Richards Bennett MBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1979–1983)
• William Richards Bennett MBC OD PC (Social Credit, 1983–1986)
• Dame Grace Mary McCarthy DBC PC (Social Credit, 1986–1991)
• Dame Grace Mary McCarthy DBC PC (Social Credit, 1991–1993)
• Andrew William O'Connor MBC PC (Social Credit, 1993–1996)
• Sir Michael Franklin Harcourt KBC PC (Labour, 1996–2001)
• Sir Wilson F. T. Leung KBC PC (Liberal, 2001–2005)
• Sir Wilson F. T. Leung KBC PC (Liberal, 2005–2009)
• Sir Wilson F. T. Leung KBC PC (Liberal-Conservative Coalition, 2009–2013)
• Dame Victoria Elizabeth Spintlum DBC OD PC (Labour, 2013–2018)
• Annie May Bennett PC (Social Credit, 2018 to date)