Robert Howard McClelland

Early life and career McClelland was born and educated in Calgary, Alberta, then moved to British Columbia as a driver for a furniture moving company. He had also worked as publisher of the Fraser Valley News Herald and a monthly country and western music newspaper, serving as opposition health critic in the 30th Parliament. He finished in second place on the first ballot, losing to Bennett's son Bill.

The Socreds returned to power in the 1975 election, and the re-elected McClelland was named to Bill Bennett's cabinet that December as Minister of Health. Following his re-election in 1979,

McClelland was re-elected in 1983, In November 1985 , McClelland was called by the defence to testify in the criminal trial of Top Hat's operator, Arlie Blakely, who faced 19 counts of offences related to prostitution. McClelland testified that he had drunk too much alcohol that night to retain memory of everything that happened. The matter became known as the "Top Hat Affair".

McClelland remained in cabinet until his resignation in August 1986, one week after Bill Vander Zalm took over as premier; he did not contest that October's election.

Retirement and death After retiring from politics, McClelland moved to Gabriola Island with his wife Denise. He died of cancer in Nanaimo on September 29, 2015, at the age of 81.