Bob McClelland | |
|---|---|
| Member of theBritish Columbia Legislative Assembly forLangley | |
| In office August 30, 1972 – October 22, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Hunter Vogel |
| Succeeded by | Carol Gran Dan Peterson |
| Minister of Industry and Small Business Development ofBritish Columbia | |
| In office February 27, 1985 – August 13, 1986 | |
| Premier | Bill Bennett Bill Vander Zalm |
| Preceded by | Don Phillips |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Minister of Labour ofBritish Columbia | |
| In office August 10, 1982 – February 27, 1985 | |
| Premier | Bill Bennett |
| Preceded by | Jack Heinrich |
| Succeeded by | Terry Segarty |
| Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources ofBritish Columbia | |
| In office November 24, 1979 – August 10, 1982 | |
| Premier | Bill Bennett |
| Preceded by | Jim Hewitt |
| Succeeded by | Brian Smith |
| Minister of Health ofBritish Columbia | |
| In office December 22, 1975 – November 24, 1979 | |
| Premier | Bill Bennett |
| Preceded by | Dennis Cocke |
| Succeeded by | Rafe Mair |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Howard McClelland (1933-11-02)November 2, 1933 |
| Died | September 29, 2015(2015-09-29) (aged 81)[1] |
| Party | Social Credit |
| Occupation | Broadcaster |
Robert Howard McClelland (November 2, 1933 - September 29, 2015) was a broadcaster, journalist and political figure inBritish Columbia, Canada.[2] He representedLangley in theLegislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1972 to 1986 as a member of theSocial Credit Party, and served ascabinet minister underpremiersBill Bennett andBill Vander Zalm.
McClelland was born and educated inCalgary,Alberta,[1] then moved toBritish Columbia as a driver for a furniture moving company.[3] In the 1960s he worked at various radio stations includingCHWKChilliwack,CJJCLangley,CHQTEdmonton andCHQMVancouver; he subsequently returned to CJJC to serve as operations manager.[4][5] He had also worked as publisher of theFraser Valley News Herald and a monthly country and western music newspaper,[3][6] and served as Langley alderman from 1969 to 1972.[1]
He was married twice, and was father to two children.[3]
McClelland ran as aSocial Credit (Socred) candidate in the1972 provincial election, and was electedmember of the Legislative Assembly forLangley,[7]: 314 serving as opposition health critic in the30th Parliament.[1] With the Socreds losing power in that election, leaderW. A. C. Bennett resigned in 1973, and McClelland joined the subsequentleadership race.[6] He finished in second place on the first ballot, losing to Bennett's sonBill.[8]
The Socreds returned to power in the1975 election, and the re-elected McClelland was named to Bill Bennett'scabinet that December asMinister of Health.[7]: 324 [9] Following his re-election in1979,[7]: 334 he was re-assigned as Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources that November, then became Minister of Labour in August 1982.[9] He earned the nickname "Broadway Bob" from his opponents after a controversy arose in 1982 about a taxpayer-funded visit toNew York City in 1980; the trip included tickets to a burlesque Broadway musical and costs for keeping a limousine on standby for ten hours atPlaza Hotel.[10]
McClelland was re-elected in1983,[7]: 342 and in February 1985 became Minister of Industry and Small Business Development.[9] The night before taking on his new cabinet role, he phoned and paid $130 to Top Hat Productions, aVictoria escort service that was under surveillance by police.[3][11] In November 1985, McClelland was called by the defence to testify in the criminal trial of Top Hat's operator, Arlie Blakely, who faced 19 counts of offences related to prostitution. McClelland testified that he had drunk too much alcohol that night to retain memory of everything that happened.[3][12] The matter became known as the "Top Hat Affair".
McClelland remained in cabinet until his resignation in August 1986, one week afterBill Vander Zalm took over as premier;[13] he did not contestthat October's election.[11]
After retiring from politics, McClelland moved toGabriola Island with his wife Denise.[1] He died of cancer inNanaimo on September 29, 2015, at the age of 81.[1][4]
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