Bill Bennett
Encyclopedia : B : BI : BIL : Bill Bennett
For other men named William Bennett, see William Bennett (disambiguation).
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| Rank: | 27th Premier |
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| Term of Office: | December 22, 1975–August 6, 1986 |
| Predecessor: | Dave Barrett |
| Successor: | Bill Vander Zalm |
| Date of Birth: | August 18, 1932 |
| Place of Birth: | Vancouver, B.C. |
| Spouse: | Audrey Bennett |
| Profession: | Businessman |
| Political affiliation: | Social Credit Party |
Born in Kelowna, British Columbia, he was the son of the former Premier, W.A.C. Bennett and following his father's resignation, Bill Bennett was elected on September 7, 1973 as the British Columbia Social Credit Party Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for South Okanagan.
To distinguish him from his famous father, he was often called simply Bill Bennett. One media term coined to describe the younger Bennett was "Mini-Wac."
He was elected the leader of the Party in 1973, at a convention in Whistler, British Columbia. He became premier of the province in the 1975 election when his party defeated the New Democratic Party . In the election of December 11, 1979, the Social Credit Party was re-elected with a majority. He served until August 6, 1986.
His cabinet included a vast array of new politicians who would soon become some of BC's most prominent political players. These included Grace McCarthy, Bill Vander Zalm, Garde Gardom, and Rafe Mair.
He is currently retired and dividing his time between his hometown of Kelowna and Palm Springs.
Though still reviled by the left, Bennett remains generally highly respected among conservatives in BC, who view his rule as a "golden era" before the corruption of the Vander Zalm government and the NDP that succeeded him. In recent years Bennett has advised current BC Premier Gordon Campbell, who has openly stated his desires to emulate the policies associated with Bennett's government.
In recoginition for his time-honored efforts in British Columbia, the new replacement bridge in Kelowna is named after him.
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| Premiers of British Columbia |
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|---|---|
| McCreight | De Cosmos | Walkem | Elliott | Walkem | Beaven | Smithe | A. Davie | Robson | T. Davie | Turner | Semlin | Martin | Dunsmuir | Prior | McBride | Bowser | Brewster | Oliver | MacLean | Tolmie | Pattullo | Hart | Johnson | W. Bennett | Barrett | B. Bennett | Vander Zalm | Johnston | Harcourt | Clark | Miller | Dosanjh | Campbell |
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