William Richards Bennett
|
The Honourable Bill Bennett PC OBC |
|
|---|---|
| 27th Premier of British Columbia | |
|
In office December 22, 1975 – August 6, 1986 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister |
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Joe Clark Pierre Elliott Trudeau John Turner Brian Mulroney |
| Lieutenant Governor |
Walter S. Owen Henry P. Bell-Irving Robert G. Rogers |
| Preceded by | Dave Barrett |
| Succeeded by | Bill Vander Zalm |
| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Okanagan South South Okanagan (1973-1979) |
|
|
In office September 7, 1973 – October 22, 1986 |
|
| Preceded by | W. A. C. Bennett |
| Succeeded by |
Clifford Jack Serwa Larry Chalmers |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Richards Bennett April 14, 1932 Kelowna, British Columbia |
| Died |
December 3, 2015 (aged 83) Kelowna, British Columbia |
| Political party | Social Credit Party |
| Spouse(s) | Audrey Bennett |
| Children | 4 |
| Religion | United Church |
William Richards "Bill" Bennett, PC, OBC (April 14, 1932 – December 3, 2015) was the 27th Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He was a son of Annie Elizabeth May (Richards) and former Premier, W. A. C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed, of R.B. Bennett, eleventh Prime Minister of Canada.
Following his father's resignation, Bill Bennett was elected on September 7, 1973, as the British Columbia Social Credit League Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for South Okanagan.
His father was also named William, but was usually called "W.A.C." in the media or "Ceece" by his friends. To distinguish the son from his father, he was usually called "Bill". Some in the media referred to the younger Bennett as "Mini-Wac", which was derived from another of his father's nicknames, "Wacky". The nickname was created by his opponents, but also embraced by some supporters.
He was elected the leader of the Socred Party in November 1973, at a convention in Whistler, British Columbia. This convention also changed the name of the party to the British Columbia Social Credit Party. Bennett set about establishing a political organization modelled closely on, and using staff loaned by, Bill Davis's Ontario "Big Blue Machine". Bennett's organization was called the "Baby Blue Machine". He embraced a new coalition of Liberals, social conservatives, and the corporate sector, rather that appealing to the populist base as his father had done.
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