Bill Barisoff
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Bill Barisoff
| honorific-suffix =
| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{Birth based on age as of date|63|2012|8|20}}{{cite news|url=http://bc.ctvnews.ca/liberal-mla-bill-barisoff-won-t-seek-re-election-1.922229|title=Liberal MLA Bill Barisoff won't seek re-election |first=Micki |last=Cowan |publisher=CTV British Columbia |date=2012-08-20 |accessdate=2024-05-24}}}}
| birth_place = Oliver, British Columbia{{cite book|title=The Canadian Who's who|author=Lumley, E.|date=2008|volume=43|publisher=University of Toronto Press|isbn=9780802040718|issn=0068-9963|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gPsLAQAAMAAJ|accessdate=2015-03-02}}{{Cite web |title=Barisoff, Hon. Bill (Penticton-Okanagan Valley) Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection |url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/barisoff-hon-bill-penticton-okanagan-valley-minister-water-land-and-air-protection |publisher=Canadian Parliamentary Guide |accessdate=2024-05-24}}
| office = 36th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
| term_start = September 12, 2005
| term_end = June 25, 2013
| predecessor = Claude Richmond
| successor = Linda Reid
| assembly1 = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM1 = Penticton
Penticton-Okanagan Valley (2001-2009)
Okanagan-Boundary (1996-2001)
| term_start1 = May 28, 1996
| term_end1 = May 14, 2013
| predecessor1 = Bill Barlee
| successor1 = Dan Ashton
| office2 = Minister of Provincial Revenue of British Columbia
| premier2 = Gordon Campbell
| term_start2 = June 5, 2001
| term_end2 = January 26, 2004
| predecessor2 = Position established
| successor2 = Rick Thorpe
| office3 = Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection of British Columbia
| premier3 = Gordon Campbell
| term_start3 = January 26, 2004
| term_end3 = June 16, 2005
| predecessor3 = Joyce Murray
| successor3 = Barry Penner (Minister of Environment)
| party = BC Liberal
| spouse = Edna Barisoff
| occupation =
}}
Bill Barisoff is a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia from 1996 to 2013, representing the districts of Okanagan-Boundary, Penticton-Okanagan Valley and Penticton over the course of his career. A caucus member of the British Columbia Liberal Party, he served in the cabinet of Premier Gordon Campbell as Minister of Provincial Revenue and Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection. He was also the 36th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2005 to 2013.
Biography
Born in Oliver, British Columbia, Barisoff owned a trucking company and served as a volunteer firefighter before entering politics.{{cite web |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/pages/bclass-legacy.aspx#/content/legacy/web/mla/39thparl/barisoffb.htm |title=MLA: Hon. Bill Barisoff |publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |accessdate=2024-05-24}} He was also a trustee with School District 53 for 18 years, including eight years as the district's chair.
He was approached by BC Liberal leader Gordon Campbell to contest the 1996 provincial election for that party,{{cite news|url=https://www.pentictonwesternnews.com/news/barisoff-stepping-out-of-political-arena-3535986|title=Barisoff stepping out of political arena |publisher=Penticton Western News |agency=Black Press Media |date=2012-08-21 |accessdate=2024-05-24}} and was elected MLA in Okanagan-Boundary by narrowly defeating the incumbent Bill Barlee.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/penticton-mla-bill-barisoff-stepping-down-1.1151981|title=Penticton MLA Bill Barisoff stepping down |publisher=CBC News |date=2012-08-20 |accessdate=2024-05-24}} While the Liberals were the Official Opposition, he served as critic for agriculture, transportation and highways, and aboriginal affairs.
With the Okanagan-Boundary riding dissolved ahead of the 2001 election, he ran in Penticton-Okanagan Valley and was re-elected there. The Liberals gained power in that election, and Barisoff was appointed to the cabinet that June to serve as Minister of Provincial Revenue; he was re-assigned as Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection in January 2004.{{cite web|title=Campbell Cabinet: 37th Parliament 2001-2005, 38th Parliament 2005-2009, 39th Parliament 2009-2011 |url=https://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/reference/campbell_cabinet.pdf|publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|accessdate=2024-05-24}}
He was re-elected MLA in 2005, and was chosen as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly that September. In 2009 he won re-election in the renamed riding of Penticton, and continued as speaker. He faced criticism in 2012 following a report from the province's auditor general stating that basic accounting practices were not followed in the legislature, such as asking for receipts when approving MLA expenses; Barisoff was responsible for overseeing the legislature's budget ($63 million as of 2012) in his capacity as speaker.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-mlas-promise-to-reform-expense-account-records-1.1241289|title=B.C. MLAs promise to reform expense account records |publisher=CBC News |date=2012-08-01 |access-date=2024-05-24}} He announced in August 2012 that he would not run in the next election.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia}}
{{Gordon Campbell Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barisoff, Bill}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:British Columbia school board members
Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia
Category:People from Oliver, British Columbia
Category:Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia