Colin Hansen
{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1952)}}
{{distinguish|text = American journalist Collin Hansen}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image = Colin Hansen - 2011 Budget.jpg
| honorific-prefix =
| name = Colin Hansen
| honorific-suffix =
| birth_place = Port Alberni, British Columbia
| assembly = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM = Vancouver-Quilchena
| term_start = May 28, 1996
| term_end = May 14, 2013
| predecessor = Gordon Campbell
| successor = Andrew Wilkinson
|office2 = 11th Deputy Premier of British Columbia
|premier2 = Gordon Campbell
|predecessor2 = Shirley Bond
|successor2 = Kevin Falcon
|term_start2 = June 10, 2009
|term_end2 = March 10, 2011
|office3 = Minister of Health Services
of British Columbia
|premier3 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start3 = June 5, 2001
|term_end3 = December 15, 2004
|predecessor3 = Corky Evans
|successor3 = Shirley Bond
|office5 = Minister of Finance
|premier5 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start5 = December 15, 2004
|term_end5 = June 16, 2005
|predecessor5 = Gary Collins
|successor5 = Carole Taylor
|premier6 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start6 = June 23, 2008
|term_end6 = March 14, 2011
|predecessor6 = Carole Taylor
|successor6 = Kevin Falcon
|office7 = Minister responsible for Asia-Pacific Initiative
|premier7 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start7 = June 16, 2005
|term_end7 = June 23, 2008
|predecessor7 =
|successor7 = Ida Chong
|office8 = Minister of Economic Development
|premier8 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start8 = June 16, 2005
|term_end8 = June 23, 2008
|predecessor8 = John Les
|successor8 = Ida Chong
|office9 = Minister responsible for Olympics
|premier9 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start9 = June 16, 2005
|term_end9 = June 10, 2009
|predecessor9 =
|successor9 = Mary McNeil
|office10 = Minister of Health Services
|premier10 = Gordon Campbell
|term_start10 = November 30, 2010
|term_end10 = March 14, 2011
|predecessor10 = Kevin Falcon
|successor10 = Michael de Jong
| party = BC Liberal
| religion =
| occupation = businessman
}}
Colin Hansen (born 1952) is a former politician in the Canadian province of British Columbia. He served as member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1996 to 2013, representing the electoral district of Vancouver-Quilchena. As a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party caucus, he served in a variety of cabinet posts while that party was in power, including as the 11th Deputy Premier from June 2009 to March 2011, and twice as the province's Minister of Finance.
Early life and education
Hansen was born and raised in the city of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Victoria in 1975.{{cite web |url=https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/archive/2001-2005/2004otp0095-001079-attachment1.htm |title=BIOGRAPHIES |publisher=Government of British Columbia |accessdate=2020-12-14 |date=2004-12-14 |archive-date=2020-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221153411/https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/archive/2001-2005/2004otp0095-001079-attachment1.htm }} He served as vice-president of finance and administration for the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, before founding Vancouver-based promotional products company Image Group with his wife Laura in 1988.
Political career
Running for the British Columbia Liberal Party, Hansen was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 1996 provincial election to serve in the riding of Vancouver-Quilchena. He was re-elected member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vancouver-Quilchena in the 2001, 2005 and 2009 elections.{{cite web |url=https://www.leg.bc.ca/pages/bclass-legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Flegacy%2Fweb%2Fmla%2F39thparl%2Fhansenc.htm |title=39th Parliament Members at dissolution on April 16, 2013: Colin Hansen |publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia |accessdate=2020-12-15 |archive-date=2019-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820154630/https://www.leg.bc.ca/pages/bclass-legacy.aspx#%2Fcontent%2Flegacy%2Fweb%2Fmla%2F39thparl%2Fhansenc.htm }}
While the Liberals formed the official opposition between 1996 and 2001, Hansen served as critic for health, employment and investment, and labour. Following the Liberals' landslide win in 2001, Hansen was named to Premier Gordon Campbell's cabinet as Minister of Health Services in June 2001, before taking over as Minister of Finance in December 2004. He was then named Minister of Economic Development and Minister responsible for Asia-Pacific Initiative and the Olympics in June 2005, before resuming his post as Minister of Finance in 2008 in the wake of Carole Taylor's resignation.
With the Liberals forming government again in 2009, he retained his portfolio in finance, and in addition was named Deputy Premier. He added Minister Responsible for Small Business to his portfolio on October 25, 2010, before being additionally appointed as Minister of Health Services on November 30 that year.{{cite web|title=38th Parliament Members|url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/38thparl/hansen.htm|publisher=Legislative Assembly of British Columbia|accessdate=6 July 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2009-2013/2010PREM0206-001511.htm |title=Health Services Minister Appointed |publisher=Office of the Premier of British Columbia |date=2010-11-30 |accessdate=2020-12-15 |archive-date=2020-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221153412/https://archive.news.gov.bc.ca/releases/news_releases_2009-2013/2010PREM0206-001511.htm }}
On March 30, 2010, Hansen introduced legislation to bring in the harmonized sales tax (HST), replacing the previously separate 5% federal goods and services tax and 7% provincial sales tax.{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hst-legislation-introduced-in-b-c-1.949503 |title=HST legislation introduced in B.C. |publisher=CBC News |accessdate=2023-03-06 |date=2010-03-30 }} However, the proposal was met with strong opposition from most members of the public.{{cite web |author=Global BC; Ipsos Reid: Wednesday, August 5, 2009 |url=http://www.globaltvbc.com/Ipsos+Reid+Global+News+Poll/1863303/story.html |title=Ipsos Reid/Global News HST Poll |publisher=Globaltvbc.com |date=August 5, 2009 |access-date=November 29, 2010 |archive-date=February 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229202019/http://www.globaltvbc.com/Ipsos+Reid+Global+News+Poll/1863303/story.html |url-status=usurped }}{{cite web |author=Angus Reid Public Opinion |url=http://www.visioncritical.com/2010/06/referendum-and-recall-drive-loom-as-serious-threats-to-bc-liberals/ |title=Angus Reid Public Opinion |publisher=Vision Critical |access-date=November 29, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810205127/http://www.visioncritical.com/2010/06/referendum-and-recall-drive-loom-as-serious-threats-to-bc-liberals/ |archive-date=August 10, 2010 |df=mdy-all }} Facing low approval ratings, Campbell announced his intention to resign as Premier and Liberal leader on November 3, 2010.{{cite magazine |url=https://thetyee.ca/News/2010/11/03/CampbellResigns/ |title='Politics Can Be a Nasty Business': Campbell Steps Down |magazine=The Tyee |date=November 3, 2010 |first=Andrew |last=MacLeod |access-date=December 10, 2010 |archive-date=November 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101107062840/http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/11/03/CampbellResigns/ |url-status=live }}{{cite magazine |url=https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/10/19/NinePerCentGordo/ |title=Nine Per Cent Gordo |magazine=The Tyee |date=October 19, 2010 |first=Steve |last=Burgess |access-date=December 10, 2010 |archive-date=October 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028135546/http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/10/19/NinePerCentGordo/ |url-status=live }} Hansen threw his support behind Kevin Falcon in the ensuing Liberal leadership election,{{cite web |url=https://www.straight.com/article-375887/vancouver/significance-colin-hansens-endorsement-bc-liberal-leadership-candidate-kevin-falcon |title=The significance of Colin Hansen's endorsement of B.C. Liberal leadership candidate Kevin Falcon |publisher=The Georgia Straight |first=Charlie |last=Smith |date=2011-02-19 |accessdate=2020-12-16 |archive-date=2011-04-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427083910/http://www.straight.com/article-375887/vancouver/significance-colin-hansens-endorsement-bc-liberal-leadership-candidate-kevin-falcon }} which was won by Christy Clark in 2011; she did not name Hansen to a cabinet post.{{cite web |last=MacLeod |first=Andrew |url=https://thetyee.ca/News/2011/03/15/ChristyClarkCabinet/ |title='Christy Has a Whole New Team' |publisher=The Tyee |date=2011-03-15 |accessdate=2020-12-15 |archive-date=2017-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613110151/https://thetyee.ca/News/2011/03/15/ChristyClarkCabinet/ }}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/hst-minister-out-as-b-c-s-clark-names-cabinet-1.1007009 |title=HST minister out as B.C.'s Clark names cabinet |publisher=The Canadian Press, via CBC News |accessdate=2023-03-06 |date=2011-03-14 }} In September 2012, Hansen announced he would not seek re-election as Vancouver-Quilchena MLA in the 2013 provincial election.{{cite web |url=https://ipolitics.ca/2012/09/21/veteran-politician-colin-hansen-bows-out-of-b-c-politics/ |title=Veteran politician Colin Hansen bows out of B.C. politics |publisher=The Canadian Press, via iPolitics |date=2012-09-21 |accessdate=2020-12-15 |archive-date=2012-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031112654/http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/09/21/veteran-politician-colin-hansen-bows-out-of-b-c-politics/ }}
Post-politics
After politics, Hansen served from 2014 to 2019 as the president of AdvantageBC, a non-government organization dedicated to promoting British Columbia as a place for international business.{{cite web |last=Hyslop |first=Lucy |url=https://www.bcbusiness.ca/colin-hansen-on-vancouvers-future-as-a-yuan-trading-hub |title=Colin Hansen on Vancouver's future as a yuan trading hub |publisher=BC Business |date=2015-02-13 |accessdate=2020-12-16 |archive-date=2020-12-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201221153417/https://www.bcbusiness.ca/colin-hansen-on-vancouvers-future-as-a-yuan-trading-hub }} He continues to sit on the board of AdvantageBC following his term as president.{{cite web |url=https://advantagebc.ca/our-board/ |title=Our Board |date=21 August 2020 |publisher=AdvantageBC |accessdate=2023-03-06 }}
He serves on several not-for-profit boards including serving as Chair of the Fraser Basin Council, Honorary Governor of the Vancouver Foundation, Arthritis Research Canada, Jack Austin School of Asia Pacific Business Studies and the Canada-Japan Society.
Hansen has participated on a politics panel for CBC Vancouver's radio show CBC Early Edition.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091022033541/http://www.colinhansenmla.bc.ca/ Colin Hansen]
- [http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/39thParl/hansenC.htm 39th Parliament Members at dissolution on April 16, 2013: Colin Hansen]
{{Gordon Campbell Ministry}}
{{Deputy Premiers of British Columbia}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hansen, Colin}}
Category:Ministers of finance of British Columbia
Category:Businesspeople from Vancouver
Category:Ministers of health of British Columbia
Category:Canadian people of Norwegian descent
Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia
Category:People from Port Alberni
Category:Politicians from Vancouver
Category:University of Victoria alumni
Category:Deputy premiers 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