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John van Dongen

John van Dongen
JohnvanDongen.jpg
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Abbotsford South
Abbotsford-Clayburn (2001-2009)
Abbotsford (1995-2001)
In office
May 3, 1995 – May 12, 2009
Preceded by Harry de Jong
Succeeded by Darryl Plecas
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries of British Columbia
In office
June 5, 2001 – January 28, 2003
Premier Gordon Campbell
Preceded by Ed Conroy
Succeeded by Stan Hagen
In office
April 3, 2003 – June 16, 2005
Preceded by Stan Hagen
Succeeded by Pat Bell
Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations
of British Columbia
In office
June 16, 2005 – June 23, 2008
Premier Gordon Campbell
Preceded by Sindi Hawkins
Succeeded by Joan McIntyre
Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General of British Columbia
In office
April 1, 2008 – April 27, 2009
Premier Gordon Campbell
Preceded by John Les
Succeeded by Rich Coleman
Personal details
Born (1949-12-13) December 13, 1949 (age 67)
Vancouver, British Columbia
Political party Liberal (1995-2012)
Conservative (2012)
Independent (2012-present)

John van Dongen (born December 13, 1949) was a Member of the Legislative Assembly, representing the riding of Abbotsford South, in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. At one time, van Dongen was one of the longest serving BC Liberal MLAs in the BC Legislature. He was first elected in 1995 in a by-election and was re-elected in 1996, 2001, 2005, and 2009. On March 26, 2012, van Dongen announced he was leaving the BC Liberal Party to sit as the only BC Conservative Party MLA in the legislature. He competed in the May 2013 election running as an independent and lost to Darryl Plecas.

On April 24, 2009, van Dongen announced that the BC Office of the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, a department for which he is responsible in the Legislature, had suspended his driver's licence for a period of four months. In an interview with CBC Radio van Dongen said the suspension was a result of his being cited twice in one year for driving in excess of 41 km/h above the posted speed limit. Van Dongen featured prominently in anti-speeding advertising campaigns for the provincial government in recent years. Three days later, van Dongen resigned as Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor-General.

After the 2009 provincial election, van Dongen was appointed Party Whip, and continued in his roles as Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Government Services, and Chair of the Caucus Committee on Government Restructuring. In 2010, he was appointed as the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee to Appoint a Chief Electoral Officer for BC.

On March 26, 2012, van Dongen crossed the floor of the Legislative Assembly to become the first BC Conservative Party Member of the Legislative Assembly. On September 22, 2012, he then announced he was resigning from the BC Conservative Party to sit as an independent.


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