Premier of British Columbia
The
Premier of British Columbia is the
first minister,
head of government, and
de facto chief executive for the
Canadian province of
British Columbia. Until the early 1970s the title
Prime Minister of British Columbia was often used. The word
Premier is derived from the French word of the same spelling, meaning "first"; and ultimately from the Latin word
primarius, meaning "primary".
[Onions, C.T. Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1985.]The current Premier of British Columbia is
Gordon Campbell.
Although the Premier is the day-to-day leader of the provincial government, he or she receives the authority to govern from
the Crown (represented in British Columbia by the
Lieutenant Governor). Formally, in fact, the
executive branch of government in British Columbia is said to be vested in the Lieutenant Governor acting by and with the advice of the Premier.
The
political party that wins the largest number of seats in a
general election is usually invited by the Lieutenant Governor to form the government. Its leader becomes the head of the provincial government and is known as the Premier.
Interestingly, the position of the Premier is not described in detail in Canadian constitutional statutes. Instead, the position's power and authority largely depend on his or her relationship with other Members of the
Legislative Assembly, with his or her political party and with the public in general.
The responsibilities of the Premier usually include:
* serving as the President of the
Executive Council and head of the provincial
Cabinet. The Executive Council is the formal name of the Cabinet when it is acting in its legal capacity.
* serving as the head of the provincial government
* leading the development and implementation of government policies and priorities
* serving as the senior communicator of government priorities and plans between:
** the Lieutenant Governor and Cabinet
** the British Columbia government and other provincial and territorial governments
** the British Columbia Government and the federal government and international governments
* providing advice to the Lieutenant Governor on the exercise of the
Queen's and the Lieutenant Governor's powers
* functions in respect of the Province of British Columbia, such as recommending to the Lieutenant Governor the appointment of cabinet ministers and allocating ministerial portfolios
* serving as leader of a major political party and its caucus of
MLAs
* representing his or her constituency in the Legislative Assembly
Generally, the Premier selects MLAs from his or her party to be appointed ministers of the Crown by the Lieutenant Governor. Cabinet appointees are designated ministers in charge of government ministries; they are responsible for the day-to-day activities of individual government ministries such as the Ministry of Forests, and for proposing new laws or changing existing ones. The Premier may also choose an individual who is not an MLA to be a cabinet minister, although on the rare occasion that this does happen, the practice is that the minister proceeds to obtain a seat in the House. The appointment of an MLA to Cabinet is based on his or her ability and expertise and is also influenced by political considerations such as geography, gender and ethnicity.
A cabinet minister remains in office solely at the pleasure of the Premier. The resignation of the Premier dissolves the Cabinet, but does not involve the resignation of the Executive Council as a whole or individual cabinet ministers.
[Much of the information above is adapted from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia website article "Discover more about the role of an MLA". Please see the external links.]
*
Prime Minister of Canada*
Premier (Canada)*
List of British Columbia premiers*
Premier of British Columbia Official Site*
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia*
BC Premiers who were Masons (Grand Lodge of BC website); includes circumstances of end of term (resignation, defeat, death).
