Herbert Anscomb

Herbert Bertie Anscomb (February 23, 1892 – November 12, 1972) was a Canadian politician in the province of British Columbia. He was leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia from 1946 to 1952, and a cabinet minister in the Hart and Johnson ministries.

He was born in England and moved to Canada in 1911. He settled in Victoria, British Columbia where he found work as a bookkeeper for the Victoria Brewing Company eventually becoming manager of the company even though he was a tea-totaller.

In 1925 he was elected reeve of Oak Bay and in 1928 he became mayor of Victoria serving until 1931. A fiscal conservative, Anscomb introduced British Columbia's provincial sales tax at a rate of 3% in 1948. Premier Johnson dismissed his Conservative ministers including Anscomb and continued as a minority government with Anscomb as Leader of the Opposition beginning in February 1952. The government soon collapsed and in the ensuing 1952 provincial election the Liberals were reduced to 6 seats, the Conservatives to 4 and Johnson and Anscomb both lost their seats while the Social Credit Party was able to form a government under Bennett that would rule the province for the next two decades.

Aside from serving as Minister of Finance between 1946 and 1952, Anscomb also served as Minister of Mines (1941 to 1942), Minister of Municipal Affairs (1944 to 1946), Minister of Public Works (1942 to 1946), Minister of Railways (1942 to 1946), and Minister of Trade and Industry (1941 to 1942).