# Johnston ministry

The Johnston ministry was the combined Cabinet (formally the Executive Council of British Columbia) that governed British Columbia from April 2, 1991, to November 5, 1991. It was led by Rita Johnston, the 29th premier of British Columbia, and consisted of members of the Social Credit Party.
The Johnston ministry was in office for the last seven months of the 34th Parliament of British Columbia. Johnston was Deputy Premier of British Columbia in the preceding Vander Zalm ministry; following Bill Vander Zalm's resignation, the Social Credit caucus selected her to be the interim leader (and thus premier) while the party could organize a leadership convention. Johnston successfully stood for the permanent leadership. She was the first woman to serve as a first minister in Canada.
Following the 1991 election, which the Social Credit Party lost, the ministry was replaced by the Harcourt ministry.

## List of ministers

Johnston ministry by portfolio :
| Portfolio | Minister | Tenure | Tenure |
| Portfolio | Minister | Start | End |
| Premier of British Columbia | Rita Johnston | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technology | Bruce Strachan | April 2, 1991 | May 7, 1991 |
| Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technology | Stan Hagen | May 7, 1991 | May 29, 1991 |
| Minister of Advanced Education, Training and Technology | Peter Albert Dueck | May 29, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | Harry de Jong | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food | Larry Chalmers | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Attorney General | Russell Fraser | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Crown Lands | Dave Parker | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Development, Trade and Tourism | Howard Dirks | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Education | Stan Hagen | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources | Jack Weisgerber | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Environment | Clifford Serwa | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Environment | David Mercier | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister responsible for Families | Carol Gran | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations | Elwood Veitch | April 2, 1991 | April 8, 1991 |
| Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations | Mel Couvelier | April 8, 1991 | May 7, 1991 |
| Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations | John Jansen | May 7, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Forests | Claude Richmond | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Government Management Services | Carol Gran | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Health | John Jansen | April 2, 1991 | May 7, 1991 |
| Minister of Health | Bruce Strachan | May 7, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of International Business and Immigration | Elwood Veitch | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Labour and Consumer Services | James Rabbitt | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Lands and Parks | Dave Parker | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister responsible for Multiculturalism and Immigration | Elwood Veitch | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture | Lyall Hanson | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Municipal Affairs, Recreation and Culture | Graham Bruce | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Native Affairs | Jack Weisgerber | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Native Affairs | John Savage | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Parks | John Savage | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Provincial Secretary | Howard Dirks | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Provincial Secretary | Elwood Veitch | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Regional and Economic Development | Bud Smith | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister responsible for Seniors | John Jansen | April 2, 1991 | May 7, 1991 |
| Minister responsible for Seniors | Bruce Strachan | May 7, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Social Services and Housing | Norman Jacobsen | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Solicitor General | Ivan Messmer | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Tourism | Cliff Michael | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Transportation and Highways | Rita Johnston | April 2, 1991 | April 15, 1991 |
| Minister of Transportation and Highways | Lyall Hanson | April 15, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |
| Minister of Women's Programs and Government Services | Carol Gran | April 2, 1991 | November 5, 1991 |

## Cabinet shuffles

On April 8, Johnston reappointed Mel Couvelier as finance minister. Couvelier had previously been finance minister under Vander Zalm, but had resigned on March 6 as a protest against Vander Zalm's conflict-of-interest investigation. Elwood Veitch, who had taken over the finance ministry after Couvelier's resignation, remained in cabinet as minister of international business and immigration.
Johnston shuffled her cabinet on April 15. Three new members joined: Graham Bruce, Larry Chalmers and David Mercier. Notably, Bruce and Mercier were two of the four MLAs who had quit the party caucus in 1989 in protest of Vander Zalm's leadership. Meanwhile, four ministers left cabinet: Harry de Jong, Cliff Michael, Cliff Serwa and Bud Smith. Several portfolios were reconfigured or merged to accommodate the slightly smaller cabinet. The new Ministry of Lands and Parks was created by joining the Ministry of Parks and Ministry of Crown Lands; the tourism and international business portfolios were combined as the new Ministry of Development, Trade and Tourism; and the remaining immigration portfolio was expanded to include multiculturalism.
On May 7, Johnston fired Couvelier from cabinet for allegedly breaching the confidentiality provisions of the Financial Institutions Act. Couvelier's departure caused a mini-shuffle: John Jansen was named the new finance minister, Bruce Strachan moved into Jansen's old role as health minister, and Stan Hagen took over Strachan's old portfolio of advanced education (while remaining education minister).
On May 29, Peter Albert Dueck was appointed Minister of Advanced Education. Dueck had previously been in Vander Zalm's cabinet until being forced to resign in May 1990 over an expenses scandal; after an RCMP investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing, Johnston invited him back to cabinet.