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Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

Canadian provincial legislative officer

Summary

Canadian provincial legislative officer

Field	Value
post	Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
image	Raj Chouhan, BC NDP Candidate for Burnaby-Edmonds (50442573231) (cropped).png
incumbent	Raj Chouhan
incumbentsince	December 7, 2020
style	The Honourable
Mr/Madam/Honourable Speaker (In the House)
appointer	Elected by the members of the Legislative Assembly
termlength	Elected at the start of each Parliament
salary	$150,000 (2017)
inaugural	James Trimble

Mr/Madam/Honourable Speaker (In the House)

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.

The office of Speaker in British Columbia

The Speaker is elected by the Members of the Legislative Assembly ("MLAs") by means of a secret ballot at the commencement of a new parliament, or on the death or retirement of the previous Speaker. Cabinet Ministers are the only MLAs not entitled to stand for election as Speaker. The business of the Legislative Assembly cannot continue without a Speaker. Under British Columbia's parliamentary tradition, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia will not open Parliament until a Speaker is elected.

Prior practice had been for the Premier to select the Speaker and have that selection ratified by a vote of the legislative assembly. The Legislative Assembly also appoints a Deputy Speaker, who presides in the absence of the Speaker. During the 38th Parliament, which was elected in the BC general election held on May 17, 2005, the position of Assistant Deputy Speaker was created. This office is usually held by an MLA who represents the official opposition party.

Traditionally, the Speaker has been a member of the governing party, though Speaker Darryl Plecas was an exception from 2017-2020; however, while holding the office of Speaker that MLA must act neutrally and treat all other MLAs impartially, and to preserve this impartiality the Speaker follows Speaker Denison's rule in breaking ties. The Speaker presides over the debates and procedures of the Legislative Assembly. The Speaker enforces the Rules of Procedure, commonly referred to as the Standing Orders. Any disputes or procedural rulings are made according to the Standing Orders or, in absence of a rule governing a specific situation, to parliamentary precedence and convention. The Speaker does not vote, except in the case of a tie.

Until the early 1990s, the traditional form of address and reference to the Speaker was "Mr. Speaker". Today, the office holder is now referred to as simply the "Speaker", but during debates the MLAs may continue to address the office holder as "Mr. Speaker" or "Madam Speaker". In accordance with parliamentary tradition, all speeches are addressed to the Speaker, and not the other MLAs.

The Speaker is responsible for the legislative precincts, including the Parliament Buildings. The Speaker also sponsors the British Columbia Legislative Internship Program. The Speaker represents the voters of their constituency as a member of the Legislative Assembly.

The channel televised proceedings is Hansard TV.

Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia

No.	Portrait	Name
Electoral district
(Birth–Death)	Term of office	Party	Parliament
1		James Trimble
MLA for Victoria City
(1817–1885)	1872–1878	BC	Independent}};		Independent
2nd
2		Frederick W. Williams
MLA for Esquimalt	1878–1882	BC	Independent}};		Independent
3		John Andrew Mara
MLA for Yale
(1840–1920)	1883–1886	BC	Independent}};		Independent
4		Charles Edward Pooley
MLA for Esquimalt
(1845–1912)	1887–1889	BC	Independent}};		Independent
5		David Williams Higgins
MLA for Esquimalt
(1834–1917)	1890–1898	BC	Independent}};		Independent
6th
7th
6		John Paton Booth
MLA for North Victoria
(1837–1902)	1898	BC	Independent}};		Independent
7		William Thomas Forster
MLA for Westminster-Delta
(1857–1938)	1899–1900	BC	Independent}};		Independent
(6)		John Paton Booth
MLA for North Victoria
(1837–1902)	1900–1902	BC	Independent}};		Independent
(4)		Charles Edward Pooley
MLA for Esquimalt
(1845–1912)	1902–1906	BC	Independent}};		Independent
BC	Conservative}};		Conservative	10th
8	[[File:David McEwen Eberts.png	99x99px]]	David McEwen Eberts
MLA for Saanich
(1850–1924)	1907–1916	BC	Conservative}};		Conservative
12th
13th
9		John Walter Weart
MLA for South Vancouver
(1861–1941)	1917–1918	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
10		John Keen
MLA for South Vancouver
(1844–1922)	1918–1920	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
11	[[File:Alexander Malcolm Manson.png	115x115px]]	Alexander Malcolm Manson
MLA for Omineca
(1883–1964)	1921–1922	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
12		Frederick Arthur Pauline
MLA for Saanich
(1861–1955)	1922–1924	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
13		John Andrew Buckham
MLA for Columbia
(1873–1931)	1924–1928	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
14		James William Jones
MLA for South Okanagan
(1869–1954)	1929–1930	BC	Conservative}};		Conservative
15		Cyril Francis Davie
MLA for Cowichan-Newcastle
(1882–1950)	1931–1933	BC	Conservative}};		Conservative
16		Henry George Thomas Perry
MLA for Fort George
(1889–1959)	1934–1937	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
17		Norman William Whittaker
MLA for Saanich
(1893–1985)	1937–1947	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
BC	Coalition}};		Liberal–Conservative coalition	20th
21st
18		Robert Henry Carson
MLA for Kamloops
(1885–1971)	1948–1949	BC	Coalition}};		Liberal–Conservative coalition
19	[[File:Canadian politician John Hart.png	103x103px]]	John Hart
MLA for Victoria City
(1879–1957)	1949	BC	Coalition}};		Liberal–Conservative coalition
20	[[File:Nance.jpg	118x118px]]	Nancy Hodges
MLA for Victoria City
(1888–1969)	1950–1952	BC	Coalition}};		Liberal–Conservative coalition
21		Thomas Irwin
MLA for Delta
(1889–1962)	1953–1957	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
24th
25th
22		Lorne Shantz
MLA for North Okanagan
(1920–1999)	1958–1963	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
26th
23		William Harvey Murray
MLA for Prince Rupert
(1916–1991)	1964–1972	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
28th
29th
24		Gordon Dowding
MLA for Burnaby
(1918–2003)	1972–1975	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
25		Ed Smith
MLA for Peace River North
(1928–2010)	1976–1978	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
26		Harvey Schroeder
MLA for Chilliwack
(born 1933)	1979–1982	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
27		Walter Davidson
MLA for Delta
(born 1937)	1982–1986	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
33rd
28		John Reynolds
MLA for
West Vancouver-Howe Sound
(born 1942)	1987–1989	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
29		Stephen Rogers
MLA for Vancouver South
(born 1942)	1990–1991	BC	Social Credit}};		Social Credit
30		Joan Sawicki
MLA for Burnaby-Willingdon
(born 1945)	1992–1994	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
31	[[File:Emery Barnes..jpg	103x103px]]	Emery Barnes
MLA for Vancouver-Burrard
(1929–1998)	1994–1996	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
32		Dale Lovick
MLA for Nanaimo
(born 1945)	1996–1998	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
33		Gretchen Brewin
MLA for Victoria-Beacon Hill
(born 1938)	1998–2000	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
34		William James Hartley
MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows
(born 1945)	2000–2001	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
35		Claude Richmond
MLA for Kamloops
(born 1935)	2001–2005	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
36		Bill Barisoff
MLA for Penticton-Okanagan Valley
(until 2009)
MLA for Penticton
(from 2009)
(born 1948 or 1949)	2005–2013	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
39th
37	[[File:LindaReid2016.jpg	98x98px]]	Linda Reid
MLA for Richmond East
(born 1959)	2013–2017	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
38	[[File:Steve Thomson 2011.jpg	101x101px]]	Steve Thomson
MLA for Kelowna-Mission
(born 1951 or 1952)	2017	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
39	[[File:DarrylPlecas.jpg	102x102px]]	Darryl Plecas
MLA for Abbotsford South
(born 1951)	2017–2020	BC	Liberal}};		Liberal
BC	Independent}};		Independent
40	[[File:Raj Chouhan, BC NDP Candidate for Burnaby-Edmonds (50442573231) (cropped).png	80x80px]]	Raj Chouhan
MLA for Burnaby-Edmonds
(until 2024)
MLA for Burnaby-New Westminster
(from 2024)	2020–present	BC	NDP}};		New Democratic
43rd

Notes

References

(2017-06-29). "Steve Thomson resigns as speaker of the B.C. legislature".
(September 8, 2017). "BC Liberal goes against party wishes, acclaimed as Speaker of the House".
"BC Liberals expel Darryl Plecas from party after Speaker move {{!}} CBC News".

Wikipedia Source

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