Andrew Wilkinson

Andrew Wilkinson
QC, MLA
Leader of the Opposition in British Columbia
Assumed office
February 3, 2018
Premier John Horgan
Preceded by Rich Coleman
Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly
for Vancouver-Quilchena
Assumed office
May 14, 2013
Preceded by Colin Hansen
Leader of the BC Liberal Party
Assumed office
February 3, 2018
Preceded by Rich Coleman (interim)
Attorney General of British Columbia
In office
June 12, 2017 – July 17, 2017
Premier Christy Clark
Preceded by Suzanne Anton
Succeeded by David Eby
Minister of Advanced Education
In office
December 18, 2014 – June 12, 2017
Preceded by Amrik Virk
Succeeded by Linda Reid
Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services
In office
June 10, 2013 – December 17, 2014
Premier Christy Clark
Preceded by Ben Stewart
Succeeded by Amrik Virk
Personal details
Born 1957/58 (age 59–61)
Australia[1]
Political party BC Liberal Party
Residence Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Alma mater University of Alberta (MD)
Magdalen College, Oxford (BA)
Dalhousie University (LLB)
Profession Physician, lawyer and politician

Andrew Wilkinson, QC is a Canadian politician. He is the leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party,[2] and currently serves as the leader of BC's Legislative Official Opposition. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election.[3] He represents the electoral district of Vancouver-Quilchena as a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party. He served as Minister of Justice and Attorney General from June 12, 2017 until an NDP minority government was sworn in the following month. He previously served as Minister of Advanced Education from December 18, 2014 [4] and the Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services from June 10, 2013. He was the deputy minister of the British Columbia Ministry of Economic Development from 2003 to 2006,[5] where he was responsible for economic issues, trade and tourism. He also served as deputy minister for Intergovernmental Relations in the Premier's Office for two years from 2001 to 2003.

Early life and education

Wilkinson was born in Australia. He immigrated to Canada at the age of four and grew up in Kamloops, Wilkinson graduated from the University of Alberta with his M.D. (with distinction). He was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford in 1980, where he completed he attended Magdalen College, and obtained his first degree in law. He went on to receive his L.L.B. from Dalhousie University in 1987.

Prior to his election as MLA, Wilkinson was a partner in the Vancouver office of McCarthy Tétrault, a major national law firm, where he practised as a litigator. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2008. Prior to being called to the British Columbia bar in 1988, Wilkinson lived and worked as a doctor in Campbell River, Lillooet and Dease Lake. He has also served as president of the BC Civil Liberties Association from 1993 to 1995,[5] and the BC Mountaineering Club.

Politics

Wilkinson served as the president of the BC Liberal Party from 1998 to 2001.[5]

After defeating Suzanne Anton for the Liberal party nomination,[5] Wilkinson was elected to represent the constituency of Vancouver-Quilchena in the 2013 provincial election.

Premier Christy Clark appointed Wilkinson as the Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens' Services on June 10, 2013, and he was then appointed as Minister of Advanced Education on December 17, 2014. He served as the Attorney General from June 12, 2017 to July 18, 2017.

In 2015, as Minister of Advanced Education, Wilkinson told a CBC interviewer that "...70 per cent of students go through their higher education with no debt whatsoever,". That fact was quickly refuted by the Canadian Federation of Students who pointed to a B.C. Stats report from 2013 which recorded that, in fact, 51% of students leave post-secondary debt-free.[6]

Following a January, 2017 New York Times article entitled "British Columbia: The 'Wild West' of Canadian Political Cash"[7] Wilkinson was delegated to speak on behalf of the BC Liberal party, saying: "No one gets special treatment by being a campaign donor," and "It's a system that works." Wilkinson himself hosted a $1000-per-plate fundraiser in September 2014 in his riding of Vancouver-Quilchena.[8]

He announced his candidacy to replace Clark as leader of the British Columbia Liberal Party on September 25, 2017,[9] and was subsequently elected leader in the February 3, 2018, election.[10]

Personal life

Wilkinson is married with three children and lives in Vancouver.[1] Wilkinson is past-president of the Vancouver Institute and has served on boards including the Canadian Tourism Commission, Tourism B.C., and the Federation of B.C. Mountain Clubs. He is a former president of the B.C. Mountaineering Club.

Electoral history

British Columbia general election, 2017: Vancouver-Quilchena
Party Candidate Votes%
LiberalAndrew Wilkinson12,46455.96
New DemocraticMadeline Lalonde6,24428.03
GreenMichael Barkusky3,30114.82
LibertarianWilliam Morrison2651.19
Total valid votes 22,274100.00
Total rejected ballots 116
Turnout 22,390
Source: Elections BC[11]
B.C. General Election 2013: Vancouver-Quilchena
Party Candidate Votes % ±
LiberalAndrew Wilkinson14,49664.32-5.9
New DemocraticNicholas Scapillati5,70525.31+4.57
GreenDamian Kettlewell1,6677.40-1.64
ConservativeBill Clarke6712.98+2.98
Total Valid Votes 22,539 100
Total Rejected Ballots
Turnout

References

  1. 1 2 Chan, Cheryl (Feb 17, 2013). "Andrew Wilkinson beats Suzanne Anton as Vancouver-Quilchena candidate". Vancouver Sun. Postmedia News. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  2. ↑ “Andrew Wilkinson elected leader of B.C. Liberals”. CBC News, February 3, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Vancouver: Eby defeats Clark in Point Grey, Sullivan takes False Creek". The Province, May 15, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Andrew Wilkinson-Today's BC Liberals". BC Liberal Website, April 8, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Woo, Andrea (May 6, 2013). "Candidate Profile: Outdoor pursuits factor into Liberal candidate's political thinking". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Andrew Wilkinson's student debt numbers don't match government survey". cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "British Columbia: The 'Wild West' of Canadian Political Cash". nytimes.com. New York Times. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "In 'Wild West' of Political Cash, Wilkinson Was a Shameless Cowboy". thetyee.ca. The Tyee. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Former advanced education minister Andrew Wilkinson announces bid to lead B.C. Liberals". CBC News. September 25, 2017.
  10. ↑ "How Andrew Wilkinson won the B.C. Liberal leadership race". Vancouver Sun. 2018-02-06. Retrieved 2018-09-27.
  11. ↑ "2017 Provincial General Election Preliminary Voting Results". Elections BC. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
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