Glen Clark
Encyclopedia
- For the baseball player, see Glen ClarkGlen Clark (baseball)Glen Ester Clark was a pinch hitter in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves during the season. Listed at 6' 1", 190 lb., Clark was a switch-hitter and threw right-handed. He was born in Austin, Texas....
- For the former lacrosse coach & player, see Glenn ClarkGlenn ClarkGlenn Clark is the former head coach of the Toronto Rock of the National Lacrosse League, and also a former NLL player. Clark played in the NLL from 1998-2006 for both the Rock and the Philadelphia Wings. With the Rock, Clark won five NLL Championships...
Glen David Clark (born November 22, 1957 in Nanaimo, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
) is a politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in British Columbia, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who served as the 31st Premier of British Columbia
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...
from 1996 to 1999.
Early life and education
Clark holds a Bachelor's degree from Simon Fraser UniversitySimon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
and a Master's Degree from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. Before entering politics he worked in the labour movement.
Politics
Clark was first elected to the BC Legislature in the 1986 provincial electionBritish Columbia general election, 1986
The British Columbia general election of 1986 was the 34th general election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on September 24, 1986...
. He served as the Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations and then as the Minister of Employment and Investment in the government of Mike Harcourt
Mike Harcourt
Michael Franklin Harcourt served as the 30th Premier of the province of British Columbia in Canada from 1991 to 1996, and before that as the 34th mayor of BC's major city, Vancouver from 1980 to 1986....
. When Harcourt resigned as a result of the Bingogate scandal, Clark stood for and won the leadership of the BC NDP and therefore became BC's 31st Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
.
Clark called an election in 1996
British Columbia general election, 1996
The British Columbia general election of 1996 was the thirty sixth provincial election in the Province of British Columbia, Canada. It was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The election was called on April 30, 1996, and held on May 28, 1996...
in which his party narrowly won a majority of seats, despite receiving fewer votes across the province than the second-place BC Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
.
Fast ferry scandal
In an effort to revitalize a shipbuilding industry, Clark undertook the B.C. fast ferries initiative, which was designed to upgrade the existing BC FerriesBC Ferries
British Columbia Ferry Services Inc. or BC Ferries is a de facto Crown Corporation that provides all major passenger and vehicle ferry services for coastal and island communities in the Canadian province of British Columbia...
fleet as well as jump start the shipbuilding industry in Vancouver. Although the ferries were eventually produced, the project had massive cost overruns and long delays, and the ferries were never able to function up to expectations. The ferries were later sold by the incoming Liberal government, for a fraction of their original price, to the American owned Washington Marine Group
Washington Marine Group
Seaspan Marine Corporation provides marine-related services to the Pacific Northwest. Within the Group are three shipyards, an intermodal ferry business, and a tug and barge transportation company that serves both domestic and international markets. Seaspan Marine Corporation is part of the...
.
Casino scandal
In March 1999, the R.C.M.P. executed a search warrant and searched the Clark household. The media was tipped off about the raid and television news showed live, primetime coverage of the Premier pacing inside his house while the search was conducted. Two weeks later the RCMP conducted a search of the Premier's office.The subsequent investigation spawned a media circus
Media circus
Media circus is a colloquial metaphor, or idiom, describing a news event where the media coverage is perceived to be out of proportion to the event being covered, such as the number of reporters at the scene, the amount of news media published or broadcast, and the level of media hype...
. It was never explained why the RCMP chose to invite BCTV to be present.
Clark resigned suddenly on the night of August 25, 1999 following allegations that he had accepted favours (in the form of free renovations worth $10,000) from Dimitrios Pilarinos in return for approving a casino application. He was later formally charged with committing breach of trust, a criminal offense.
Conflict of Interest Commissioner H.A.D. Oliver concluded that Clark had violated conflict of interest laws in British Columbia. However, Clark was acquitted of all criminal charges on August 29, 2002. Justice Elizabeth Bennett
Elizabeth Bennett (judge)
Justice Elizabeth Bennett is judge of the British Columbia Court of Appeal. During her term on the Supreme Court of British Columbia, she presided over two notable corruption trials.-Early life and career:...
of the Supreme Court of British Columbia
Supreme Court of British Columbia
The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges...
ruled that "there is nothing in his conduct that crosses the line from an act of folly to behaviour calling for criminal sanctions."
After political life
Clark was succeeded as Premier of B.C. by Deputy Premier Dan MillerDan Miller (Canadian politician)
Arthur Daniel Miller is a Canadian politician. He served as interim leader of the New Democratic Party of British Columbia and served as the 32nd Premier of British Columbia for six months from August 25, 1999 to February 24, 2000, following the resignation of Glen Clark.First elected to the BC...
, briefly, until a leadership convention
British Columbia New Democratic Party leadership conventions
This page covers the results of leadership elections in the British Columbia New Democratic Party .-Early developments:...
selected Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
. After Clark left office, the BC Liberal Party
British Columbia Liberal Party
The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...
led by Gordon Campbell won a landslide election in 2001.
Clark is currently employed as Executive Vice President of the Jim Pattison Group
Jim Pattison Group
The Jim Pattison Group is Canada’s third largest privately held company and, in a recent survey by the Financial Post, The Jim Pattison Group was ranked as Canada’s 62nd largest company. Jim Pattison, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur is the Chairman, President, CEO, and sole owner of the Jim Pattison...
and president of The News Group North America.
He has a wife, Dale and two children Reid (December 31, 1987) and Layne (April 26, 1990).