Bill Bennett

William Bennett (born 1950) is a former Canadian politician. From 2001 until 2017, Bennett represented the riding of Kootenay East in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. As part of the BC Liberal Party caucus, he served in several cabinet posts under Premiers Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark.

Early life and career Bennett grew up in Campbellford, Ontario, where his parents owned a furniture store. After leaving school at grade 9, he found work in his late teens at a fly-in fishing lodge near the Northern Ontario town of Red Lake.

He then returned to Campbellford with his family and attended law school at Queen's University, earning a law degree in 1992. After being re-elected at the 2005 provincial election, he was appointed to cabinet by Premier Gordon Campbell as Minister of State for Mining, but resigned from the post in February 2007 after it was revealed that he had sent a profanity-laden email to a constituent. He then returned to cabinet as Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts in June 2008. however, Bennett was dismissed from his post on November 17,

He sat in the legislature as an independent member following his ouster from caucus, and supported George Abbott in the subsequent Liberal leadership election to replace the outgoing Campbell. and was appointed Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development by Clark in September 2012.

Following his re-election as Kootenay East MLA in 2013, he was appointed as Minister of Energy and Mines and Minister Responsible for Core Review that June. After finishing his term as MLA in 2017, he received appointments to the boards of directors of Eagle Plains Resources and Copper Creek Gold.

Besides his cabinet posts, he had also served as chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, and the Special Committee on Cosmetic Pesticides while in legislature.

Electoral record NDP Erda Walsh

NDP Erda Walsh