Brian Smith

Who is Brian Smith?

Brian Ray Douglas Smith is a Canadian politician and business executive. Smith who served for a decade on Oak Bay municipal council and was mayor of Oak Bay from 1974 to 1979, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1979 election to represent the riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head for the Social Credit Party. He was reelected in the 1983 and 1986 election.

Under the Bill Bennett government, he served as Minister of Education and Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources.

In 1986, after Bennett's decision to step down, Smith was a candidate for the leadership of the Social Credit Party. In a field of 12, he finished second to Bill Vander Zalm, losing on the fourth ballot.

Vander Zalm appointed Smith to the post of Attorney General. Smith resigned his post in a speech to the Legislature on June 28, 1988. On October 19, 1989, he announced that he was resigning his seat, effective November 15, 1989, and became chairman of CN Rail until 1994. He was the Chairman of BC Hydro from 1996-2001.