1991 British Columbia general election

Canadian provincial election From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 1991 British Columbia general election was the 35th provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 19, 1991, and held on October 17, 1991.

Quick facts 75 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia 38 seats were needed for a majority, Turnout ...
1991 British Columbia general election

 1986
October 17, 1991
1996 

75 seats of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
38 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout64.03%[1] Decrease 1.77 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
BCL
SC
Leader Mike Harcourt Gordon Wilson Rita Johnston
Party New Democratic Liberal Social Credit
Leader since 1987 1987 1991
Leader's seat Vancouver-Mount Pleasant Powell River-Sunshine Coast Surrey-Newton (lost re-election)
Last election 22 seats 0 seats 47 seats
Seats won 51 17 7
Seat change Increase29 Increase17 Decrease40
Popular vote 595,391 486,208 351,660
Percentage 40.71% 33.25 24.27
Swing Decrease1.89 Increase26.51 Decrease25.27


Premier before election

Rita Johnston
Social Credit

Premier after election

Mike Harcourt
New Democratic

Close

The New Democratic Party of Mike Harcourt defeated the incumbent Social Credit Party of British Columbia, which had been beset by scandals during Bill Vander Zalm's only term as premier. Liberal Party leader Gordon Wilson surprised observers by leading his party to winning one-third of the votes cast and 23 percent of the seats, and forming the official opposition in the legislature after having held no seats at all since 1979. The new legislature met for the first time on March 17, 1992.

The election was held at the same time as a referendum on recall and initiative.[2] It was also the first British Columbia general election with only single-member districts.[3]

Background

Under Vander Zalm's leadership, Socred's control shifted from urban fiscal conservatives to social conservatives. Vander Zalm seemingly cruised to victory in the 1986 provincial election, held just a month after he was sworn in. In truth, however, a number of more moderate Socreds were not comfortable with the party's rightward turn on social issues, and began defecting to the BC Liberals.

This process was exacerbated by Vander Zalm's eccentricity,[4][5] and the constant scandals that plagued his government. As well, Vander Zalm allowed his principal secretary, David Poole,[6] to amass a substantial amount of power, despite being unelected.

Vander Zalm resigned in April 1991 amid a conflict of interest scandal surrounding the sale of a theme park that he owned. Socred members elected the lesser-known Deputy Premier Rita Johnston, a close ally of Vander Zalm, to be their new leader, over Grace McCarthy, a longtime associate of former Premier Bill Bennett. Many viewed this as a mistake, as Johnston was close to the Vander Zalm legacy; even NDP leader Mike Harcourt admitted later that he preferred Johnston over McCarthy, as the latter would be a much tougher opponent in an election.

Campaign

Johnston had little time to make up ground in the polls or distance herself from the now-detested Vander Zalm. Additionally, the Socreds were still bitterly divided over the bruising leadership contest. The NDP went into the elections as heavy favourites after leading in opinion polls for almost four years.

The Liberals, who had not been represented in the legislature since 1979, gained slightly in the polls due to great resentment against the ruling Socreds and skepticism towards the NDP. A turning point came when Wilson successfully took legal action to be included in the televised leaders' debate, which took place on 8 October. During the debate Johnston and Harcourt exchanged many bitter attacks, while Wilson, still not considered a serious contender, was able to successfully portray himself as an "outsider" who was above the partisan bickering of the other two parties. Liberal support surged dramatically as a result of Wilson's performance. One of the memorable moments of the debate came as Harcourt and Johnston argued loudly amongst each other, when Wilson pointed towards them and declared, "Here's a classic example of why nothing ever gets done in the province of British Columbia."[7]

Opinion polls

More information Last day of poll, New Democratic ...
Last day
of poll
New Democratic Liberal Social Credit Others Pollster Sample Margin Source
Results 40.7 33.3 24.1 1.9
10 October 1991 38 30 29 3 Angus Reid 1,004 ± 3,1 [8]
25 September 1991 48
(39)
11
(9)
39
(32)
2
(2)
N/a N/a N/a [9]
15 July 1990 47 8 36 9 Angus Reid 801 ± 3,5 [10]
21 January 1990 49 N/a 43 N/a Angus Reid 470 ± 4,2 [11]
25 April 1989 53 10 32 5 Angus Reid 807 ± 3,5 [12]
20 April 1989 48 11 35 6 Marktrend N/a N/a [12]
4 November 1988 43 18 34 5 Marktrend N/a N/a [12]
1 October 1988 41 N/a 23 N/a Goldfarb 1,000 ± 3,0 [13]
29 November 1987 46
(31)
6
(4)
40
(27)
7
(5)
N/a 475 ± 4,5 [14]
1986 Elections 42.6 6.7 49.3 1.4
Close

Riding-specific polls

Oak Bay-Gordon Head by-election

More information Polling firm, Last day of survey ...
Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level
Polling firm Last day
of survey
Source BCNDP BCSC BCLP Other ME Sample
By-election 1989 December 13, 1989 45.26 43.68 9.11 1.94
Angus Reid December 1989 [15] 52 38 N/a N/a N/a N/a
Angus Reid December 1989 [16] 45 41 N/a N/a N/a 400
McIntyre & Mustel December 7, 1989 [17] 49 44 4 N/a 5.0 350
Election 1986 December 13, 1989 35.91 52.50 2.38 9.21
Close

Results

The Socreds were swept from power in a massive NDP landslide. This was not due to the NDP winning a higher percentage of the vote as much as it was due to Socred support collapsing in favour of the BC Liberals, splitting the vote. The defeat was magnified by moderate Socred supporters voting Liberal, continuing a shift that dated to early in Vander Zalm's tenure. The combined effect was to decimate the Socred caucus, which was reduced from 47 members to only seven—only three over the minimum for official party status. Johnston herself lost her own seat in Surrey-Newton to NDP challenger Penny Priddy, and all but five members of her cabinet were defeated.

The Liberals returned to the legislature as the official opposition after a 12-year absence, replacing Social Credit as the main alternative to the NDP in the province.

More information Party, Party leader ...
Party Party leader # of
candidates
Seats Popular vote
1986 Elected % Change # % % Change
  New Democrats Michael Harcourt 75 22 51 +131.8% 595,391 40.71% -1.89%
Liberal Gordon Wilson 71 - 17   486,208 33.25% +26.51%
Social Credit Rita Johnston 74 47 7 -85.1% 351,660 24.27% -25.27%
Green   42 - - 12,650 0.86% +0.62%
  Independents 16 - - 10,281 0.70% +0.57%
Reform Ron Gamble 4 * - * 2,673 0.18% *
Family Coalition   8 * - * 1,310 0.09% *
  Libertarian   11 - - 860 0.06% +0.04%
  Western Canada Concept Doug Christie 5 - - 651 0.04% +0.02%
  Conservative Peter B. Macdonald[18] 4 - - 426 0.03% -0.70%
  Human Race   2 * - * 110 0.01% *
  Green Go (Green Wing/Rhino)   1 * - * 93 0.01% *
  Communist League   3 - - 92 0.01% -0.02%
  Interdependence Party   1 * - * 62 x *
Total 317 69 75 +8.7% 1,462,467 100%  
Source: Elections BC
Close

Notes: x – less than 0.005% of the popular vote.

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

Popular vote
NDP
40.71%
Liberal
33.25%
Social Credit
24.05%
Others
1.99%
Seats summary
NDP
68.00%
Liberal
22.67%
Social Credit
9.33%

Synopsis of results

More information Riding, Winning party ...
1991 British Columbia general election – results by riding[19]
Riding Winning party Votes[a 1]
1st place Votes Share Margin
#
Margin
%
2nd place % NDP Lib. SC Green Ind Other Total
 
Abbotsford SC6,64736.12%1380.75%Lib35.37%5,2466,5096,64718,402
Alberni NDP7,13653.39%3,47125.97%SC27.42%7,1362,3583,66520613,365
Bulkley Valley-Stikine NDP3,74433.97%2652.40%Lib31.56%3,7443,4793,799[a 2]11,022
Burnaby-Edmonds NDP9,94747.15%3,04914.45%Lib32.70%9,9476,8983,900199747721,095
Burnaby North NDP9,80948.43%3,47217.14%Lib31.29%9,8096,3373,8331948120,254
Burnaby-Willingdon NDP10,59744.36%2,57410.78%Lib33.59%10,5978,0235,03623223,888
Cariboo North NDP4,91939.10%7145.67%SC33.42%4,9192,3174,2051,14112,582
Cariboo South NDP6,36945.37%1,63911.68%SC33.70%6,3692,5674,73037114,037
Chilliwack Lib8,60138.83%9824.43%SC34.40%5,6888,6017,61924122,149
Columbia River-Revelstoke NDP6,24145.08%1,87913.57%SC31.51%6,2413,2414,36213,844
Comox Valley NDP10,35539.20%1,6016.06%Lib33.14%10,3558,7546,734432499326,417
Coquitlam-Maillardville NDP11,13647.18%2,2069.35%Lib37.84%11,1368,9303,3541176523,602
Cowichan-Ladysmith NDP11,03848.53%4,22918.59%SC29.94%11,0384,8966,80922,743
Delta North NDP8,06838.65%7623.65%Lib35.00%8,0687,3065,2527217820,876
Delta South Lib8,78339.82%2,0709.39%SC30.44%6,5598,7836,71322,055
Esquimalt-Metchosin NDP13,45859.16%6,57028.88%Lib30.28%13,4586,8882,40222,748
Fort Langley-Aldergrove Lib8,66343.57%2,63613.26%NDP30.31%6,0278,6634,8802278719,884
Kamloops NDP8,92643.67%2,89314.15%Lib29.52%8,9266,0335,48120,440
Kamloops-North Thompson NDP5,84339.43%1,1497.75%Lib31.67%5,8434,6944,28314,820
Kootenay NDP7,35246.48%2,33814.78%SC31.70%7,3523,4505,01415,816
Langley Lib7,14938.95%1,3877.56%NDP31.39%5,7627,1495,2016218018,354
Malahat-Juan de Fuca NDP8,57944.18%9404.84%Lib39.34%8,5797,6392,62838019319,419
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows NDP11,59145.16%2,80510.93%Lib34.23%11,5918,7864,98630525,668
Matsqui SC8,23643.74%1,8059.59%Lib34.15%4,1636,4318,23618,830
Mission-Kent NDP7,65944.78%3,08018.01%Lib26.77%7,6594,5794,5562466317,103
Nanaimo NDP11,13551.24%3,57916.47%Lib34.77%11,1357,5562,48034221621,729
Nelson-Creston NDP8,58346.90%2,84415.54%SC31.36%8,5833,5105,73946718,299
New Westminster NDP10,38449.89%3,26715.70%Lib34.20%10,3847,1173,31120,812
North Coast NDP6,36559.75%3,89636.58%Lib23.18%6,3652,4691,81810,652
North Island NDP8,42750.39%2,75716.49%Lib33.91%8,4275,6702,21740816,722
North Vancouver-Lonsdale NDP7,53538.63%4762.44%Lib36.19%7,5357,0594,6222078519,508
North Vancouver-Seymour Lib12,12050.84%4,99420.95%NDP29.89%7,12612,1204,3042058423,839
Oak Bay-Gordon Head NDP10,52239.61%8373.15%Lib36.46%10,5229,6855,55680326,566
Okanagan-Boundary NDP7,22846.82%3,25021.05%SC25.77%7,2283,8593,97837415,439
Okanagan East Lib8,57838.47%6823.06%SC35.41%5,8258,5787,89622,299
Okanagan-Penticton NDP7,88534.84%4481.98%Lib32.86%7,8857,4376,89441622,632
Okanagan-Vernon SC8,61537.99%8953.95%NDP34.05%7,7206,0658,61527522,675
Okanagan West SC11,66741.15%2,6579.37%Lib31.78%7,3619,01011,66731228,350
Parksville-Qualicum NDP10,40840.24%1,2824.96%Lib35.29%10,4089,1265,84630318025,863
Peace River North SC5,75854.79%3,41132.45%NDP22.33%2,3472,0485,7583035410,510
Peace River South SC4,61737.21%7736.23%NDP30.98%3,8443,5124,61743512,408
Port Coquitlam NDP11,43545.48%1,5065.99%Lib39.49%11,4359,9293,78125,145
Port Moody-Burnaby Mountain NDP9,82145.62%1,7308.04%Lib37.59%9,8218,0913,4501511421,527
Powell River-Sunshine Coast Lib11,48654.68%4,36920.80%NDP33.88%7,11711,4862,1741616621,004
Prince George-Mount Robson NDP5,75150.99%1,61614.33%SC36.66%5,7514,1351,39311,279
Prince George North NDP5,46838.74%9626.82%Lib31.93%5,4684,5064,13914,113
Prince George-Omineca SC6,65652.05%5254.11%NDP47.95%6,1316,65612,787
Richmond Centre Lib7,80642.44%1,2846.98%NDP35.46%6,5227,8063,8891086818,393
Richmond East Lib6,87040.91%7744.61%NDP36.30%6,0966,8703,70312316,792
Richmond-Steveston Lib6,66438.32%6103.51%NDP34.81%6,0546,6644,6096517,392
Rossland-Trail NDP8,34051.73%4,53828.15%Ind23.58%8,3403,2677133,802[a 3]16,122
Saanich North and the Islands Lib13,63352.53%4,88818.84%NDP33.70%8,74513,6332,91765625,951
Saanich South NDP10,25444.63%1,9458.47%Lib36.17%10,2548,3094,21819322,974
Shuswap NDP7,68735.50%4051.87%Lib33.63%7,6877,2826,26242221,653
Skeena NDP5,59746.67%8316.93%SC39.74%5,5971,6294,76611,992
Surrey-Cloverdale Lib9,01238.28%1,7517.44%NDP30.84%7,2619,0126,92034823,541
Surrey-Green Timbers NDP8,70846.16%2,38412.64%Lib33.52%8,7086,3243,7448918,865
Surrey-Newton NDP10,19342.28%2,3979.94%SC32.34%10,1935,9237,79619724,109
Surrey-Whalley NDP7,24347.76%2,38115.70%Lib32.06%7,2434,8622,92213715,164
Surrey-White Rock Lib11,00838.84%1,9456.86%NDP31.98%9,06311,0088,06220928,342
Vancouver-Burrard NDP9,72550.93%2,99815.70%Lib35.23%9,7256,7272,20144119,094
Vancouver-Fraserview NDP8,01644.16%2,17912.00%Lib32.16%8,0165,8374,0601419818,152
Vancouver-Hastings NDP10,08755.93%4,99527.69%Lib28.23%10,0875,0922,58926818,036
Vancouver-Kensington NDP8,32346.85%3,62320.39%Lib26.45%8,3234,7004,38915520017,767
Vancouver-Kingsway NDP9,29254.79%4,90228.90%Lib25.88%9,2924,3903,1121372916,960
Vancouver-Langara Lib7,24136.95%4672.38%NDP34.56%6,7747,2415,3741347519,598
Vancouver-Little Mountain NDP10,38345.43%2,2039.64%Lib35.79%10,3838,1803,9442599022,856
Vancouver-Mount Pleasant NDP10,10863.33%6,97143.67%Lib19.65%10,1083,1372,14343214215,962
Vancouver-Point Grey NDP12,07649.26%3,05412.46%Lib36.80%12,0769,0222,8173881387524,516
Vancouver-Quilchena Lib11,37349.53%5,20122.65%NDP26.88%6,17211,3735,11330222,960
Victoria-Beacon Hill NDP10,93947.95%3,50515.36%Lib32.59%10,9397,4343,71272822,813
Victoria-Hillside NDP11,11751.39%3,88417.95%Lib33.44%11,1177,2332,71456921,633
West Vancouver-Capilano Lib13,19456.63%7,03330.18%SC26.44%3,74013,1946,1611406523,300
West Vancouver-Garibaldi Lib11,18258.36%6,67634.84%NDP23.52%4,50611,1823,02045419,162
Yale-Lillooet NDP7,74052.31%6834.62%SC47.69%7,7407,05714,797
Close
  1. Minor political parties receiving less than 1% of the popular vote (and fielding candidates in fewer than half the ridings) are aggregated under Other
  2. Jack Kempf, who received 2,842 votes, was the incumbent Social Credit MLA for Omineca, but opted to campaign as an Independent in 1991.
  3. Christopher D'Arcy was the incumbent NDP MLA for Rossland-Trail.
  = Winning candidate held seat in previous Legislature
  = Incumbent had switched allegiance
  = Previously incumbent in another riding
  = Not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = Incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = Other incumbents renominated
  = Previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = Multiple candidates

Legacy

This was considered a political realignment due to the high turnover in MLAs and the effective end of the Socreds as a political force. The party was completely shut out of the legislature in the 1996 election, never to return. Meanwhile, the Liberals replaced them as the main non-socialist party in British Columbia. The NDP and Liberals would go on to be the two main parties in the province until 2024, when the Liberals, who by then had renamed themselves BC United, withdrew from that year's general election and endorsed the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

However, neither Harcourt, Wilson, or Johnston would contest the subsequent 1996 election as leaders of the major parties, with Johnston and Harcourt having retired from politics by that campaign. Johnston, having lost her seat, resigned the leadership of the Socreds immediately in early 1992. Harcourt resigned as premier in 1996 due to a scandal among the MLAs in his caucus. Wilson proved unable to consolidate the party's leadership due to inexperience and he was eventually deposed in 1993, and he crossed to the NDP in 1997 after a brief spell as founder, leader and sole MLA of the Progressive Democratic Alliance. He served as an MLA and minister until his defeat in 2001. Wilson was also a candidate for the NDP's leadership in 2000, won by Ujjal Dosanjh.

See also

References

Further reading

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