Robert Bonner (politician)
| Robert Bonner | |
|---|---|
| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Cariboo |
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In office November 28, 1966 – July 22, 1969 |
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| Preceded by | William C. Speare |
| Succeeded by | Alex Fraser |
| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Vancouver-Point Grey |
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In office June 9, 1953 – September 12, 1966 Serving with Thomas Audley Bate (1953-1963) Arthur Laing (1953-1956) Buda Brown (1956-1962) Pat McGeer (1962-1966) Ralph Loffmark (1963-1966) |
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| Preceded by | George Clark Miller |
| Succeeded by | Garde Gardom |
| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Columbia |
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In office November 24, 1952 – June 9, 1953 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Orr Newton |
| Succeeded by | Richard Orr Newton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
September 10, 1920 Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Died | August 12, 2005 (aged 84) Vancouver, British Columbia |
| Political party | Social Credit |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Robert Bonner, LL.B. (September 10, 1920 – August 12, 2005) was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and corporate executive. He pursued his career working in the British Columbia government and in B.C.-based companies.
Bonner was born and raised in Vancouver, and served with the Seaforth Highlanders in Italy in the Second World War. Upon his return to Canada, Bonner took a law degree from the University of British Columbia in 1948, and joined a practice in Vancouver. Active in politics from an early age, Bonner became a supporter and confidant of W.A.C. Bennett, who would go on to lead the Social Credit Party to victory in the 1952 provincial election. To the surprise of many, Bennett appointed the unelected, 32 year-old Bonner as the province's Attorney General — the youngest in B.C.'s history. Bonner would be elected to represent the riding of Vancouver-Point Grey in the provincial election of 1953, which was also the first Social Credit majority government in the province. He would retain the position of Attorney General for the next sixteen years, quickly becoming one of the most powerful ministers and closest advisors to Bennett in the Socreds' long spell of governance.
Bonner's tenure as Attorney General was marked by legal clashes with First Nations tribes over land and resource rights, especially in light of the rapid hydroelectric, mining, and forestry development of the province's hinterland. Perhaps more significantly, from a historical perspective, was the provincial government's conflicts with the Sons Of Freedom, an anti-government sect of Doukhobors resident in the Kootenay region of the province. Clashes over public education led to the apprehension en masse of Freedomite children, and their confinement in government schools.
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