Mike Harcourt

Michael Franklin Harcourt (born January 6, 1943) is a Canadian politician and lawyer. He was the 34th mayor of Vancouver. He was elected on January 1, 1981. Harcourt was also the 30th Premier of British Columbia from 1991 until 1996 and the leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party from 1987 until 1996.

Before becoming a politician, Harcourt studied at the University of British Columbia, earning a BA and LLB degree. After graduating, he became a lawyer and opened the Vancouver Community Legal Assistance Society.

On January 1, 1981, the people of Vancouver elected Harcourt to be their 30th mayor. As Mayor of Vancouver, he oversaw the planning and building of venues for the Expo 86 world's fair. On November 21, 1982, Harcourt won re-election in a landslide victory, earning 61,000 votes to the second place Jonathan Baker's 33,000 votes. His term as mayor ended on December 8, 1986.

In the 1991 British Columbia general election, Harcourt was elected as the 30th Premier of British Columbia. On November 5, 1991, he assumed office. His NDP party won 51 of 75 seats in the legislature and it was only the second time that the NDP had taken power in BC. He increased the rate of welfare from $500 to $525 but later changed this because of the party's view on welfare fraud. He ended up reducing the rate of welfare and made it harder for families to get welfare, claiming it was a way to crackdown on "cheats, deadbeats and varmints". On February 22, 1996, Harcourt resigned from being premier. He resigned because a scandal known a Bingogate but he was not directly involved in it. NDP MLA David Stupich ran the Nanaimo Commonwealth Bingo Association which used kickback schemes and refunded charity donations to the company.

In November 2002, Harcourt suffered life-threatening injuries and was left with a spinal cord injury after he slipped on his deck and fell six metres from his home on Pender Island. The fall left him partially paralyzed and quadriplegic.

Harcourt is a cannabis advocate and had supported and advocated for the legalization of cannabis.

References

Category:1943 births
Category:Living people
Category:Academics of the University of British Columbia
Category:Canadian activists
Category:Canadian lawyers
Category:Mayors of Vancouver
Category:Politicians from Edmonton
Category:Premiers of British Columbia