Gordon Campbell - Liberal Leader

Liberal Leader

Campbell became leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party in 1993 in a three-way race with Gordon Gibson, Jr. and Gordon Wilson, the incumbent party leader who had lost the confidence of his party, at least partly due to a romantic affair with a member of his caucus. Campbell was elected to the Legislative Assembly the next year in a Vancouver-Quilchena by-election.

In the 1996 campaign, Campbell was elected to the Vancouver-Point Grey riding, which he has held ever since. The Liberals entered the election leading in polls, due to a fundraising scandal in the NDP. Campbell's party gained 16 seats and won a slight majority of the popular vote, but the NDP retained enough seats to continue a majority government. Campbell stayed on as Leader of the Opposition, opposing New Democratic Party Premiers Glen Clark, Dan Miller and Ujjal Dosanjh.

In May 2000, Campbell, along with Michael de Jong and Geoffrey Plant, brought a court case against the Nisga'a Nation, the Attorney General of Canada and the Attorney General of British Columbia, parties to the first modern day Aboriginal Treaty in British Columbia, known as the Nisga'a Final Agreement. Campbell and the other plaintiffs claimed that the treaty signed with the Nisga'a Nation was "in part inconsistent with the Constitution of Canada and therefore in part of no force and effect." However, Justice Williamson dismissed the application, judging that the enacting legislation did "establish a treaty as contemplated by Section 35 of the Constitution Act, l982. The legislation and the Treaty are constitutionally valid."

Premier Glen Clark's government was beset by controversy, difficult economic and fiscal conditions and attacks on the NDP's building of the Fast Ferries, and charges against Clark in relation to casino licensing, known as Casinogate (Clark was eventually vindicated, though resigned his post because of the investigation). In the BC election of 2001 Campbell's Liberals defeated the two-term NDP incumbents, taking 77 of 79 seats in the legislature. This was the largest majority of seats, and the second-largest majority of the popular vote in BC history.