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{{Английская Википедия/Панель перехода}}
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{About|the Canadian politician|the fictional character|Ben Stewart (Blue Heelers)|other uses|Benjamin Stewart (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| name                = Ben Stewart
| honorific-suffix    = [[British Columbia Legislative Assembly|MLA]]
| image               = Ben Stewart 2013.jpg
| caption             = 
| birth_date          = 
| birth_place         = [[Kelowna]], [[British Columbia]], Canada
| residence           = [[West Kelowna]], British Columbia, Canada
| assembly1           = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM1    = [[Kelowna West]]
| term_start1         = February 14, 2018
| term_end1           = 
| predecessor1        = [[Christy Clark]]
| successor1          = 
| assembly2           = British Columbia Legislative
| constituency_AM2    = [[Westside-Kelowna]]
| term_start2         = May 12, 2009
| term_end2           = June 5, 2013
| predecessor2        = ''Riding Established''
| successor2          = [[Christy Clark]]
| office3             = Minister of Citizens' Services and Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and the Public Affairs Bureau of [[Executive Council of British Columbia|British Columbia]]
| premier3            = [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]]
| term_start3         = June 10, 2009
| term_end3           = June 11, 2010
| predecessor3        = [[Wally Oppal]]
| successor3          = [[Mary McNeil]]
| office4             = Minister of Community and Rural Development of [[Executive Council of British Columbia|British Columbia]]
| premier4            = [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]]
| term_start4         = June 11, 2010
| term_end4           = October 25, 2010
| predecessor4        = [[Bill Bennett (politician)|Bill Bennett]]
| successor4          = [[Stephanie Cadieux]]
| office5             = Minister of Agriculture of [[Executive Council of British Columbia|British Columbia]]
| premier5            = [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]]
| term_start5         = October 25, 2010
| term_end5           = March 14, 2011
| predecessor5        = [[Steve Thomson (politician)|Steve Thomson]]
| successor5          = [[Don McRae (politician)|Don McRae]]
| office6             = Minister of Citizens' Services and Open Government of [[Executive Council of British Columbia|British Columbia]]
| premier6            = [[Christy Clark]]
| term_start6         = September 5, 2012
| term_end6           = April 2013
| predecessor6        = [[Margaret MacDiarmid]]
| successor6          = [[Andrew Wilkinson (Canadian politician)|Andrew Wilkinson]]
| party               = [[British Columbia Liberal Party|BC Liberal]]
| otherparty          = [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] (federal)
| religion            = 
| occupation          = Vintner
}}

'''Benjamin Richard Stewart''' is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] politician, who has represented the riding of [[Kelowna West]] in the [[Legislative Assembly of British Columbia]] since 2018 as a member of the [[British Columbia Liberal Party]]. He previously represented the riding of [[Westside-Kelowna]] from 2009 to 2013.

He was first elected in the [[2009 British Columbia general election|2009 provincial election]]. In the [[39th Parliament of British Columbia|39th Parliament]], as a member of the [[Executive Council of British Columbia|provincial government]] he worked as Minister of Citizens' Services (June 2009 - June 2010), Minister of Community and Rural Development (June 2010 - October 2010), and Minister of Agriculture (October 2010 - March 2011). On September 5, 2012, he was reappointed to cabinet as Minister of Citizens' Services and Open Government.

==Background==
Stewart was born and raised in [[Kelowna]], British Columbia. His grandfather, Dick Sr., had moved to the [[Okanagan (wine)|Okanagan]] in 1911 where he started a nursery growing fruit and shade trees.<ref name=Courier>{{cite news |first=Tim |last= Pawsey |title= Quails Gate exemplifies B.C.: Okanagan winery achieves great success in just over a decade |newspaper=[[Vancouver Courier]] |location= Vancouver, BC |date= September 15, 2002 |page= 30}}</ref> Stewart's father Dick Jr. purchased a [[West Kelowna]] vineyard in 1956 which Ben would later incorporate as [[Quails' Gate Winery|Quails' Gate Estate Winery]].<ref name=background>{{cite news |first=Steve |last= Berry |title= It's been a good summer in the Okanagan, and they've got a message for the wine lovers of B.C. |newspaper=[[The Province]] |location= Vancouver, BC |date= September 20, 1998 |page= A32}}</ref> Along with his wife, Ruth, and brother, Tony, they began making their own wine in 1989, with bottling beginning in 1990.<ref name=festival>{{cite news |title= Winery's grown with festival |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= September 30, 2007 |page= 10}}</ref> In the first couple of years, they were producing about 4,000 cases of wine.<ref name=expand>{{cite news |first=Alan |last= Daniels|title= PM to pop cork as Kelowna winery expands: Increase in the size of production facilities will enable vintner to double production |newspaper=[[The Vancouver Sun]] |location= Vancouver, BC |date= August 22, 1998 |page= E1}}</ref>  Sufficient demand allowed them to expand numerous times so that in 1997 they produced 28,000 cases.<ref name=expand/> A $4 million expansion in 1998 increased their production to 60,000 cases.<ref name=expand/> The winery specialized in [[pinot noir]]s.<ref name=background/> Their tasting room and wine shop was located in an historical building, built by one of the first white settlers in the area,<ref name=Courier/> before being replaced with a more modern facility during their 2007 expansion.<ref name=festival/>

Stewart was a proponent of attracting tourism to the Okanagan, as well as promoting exports of [[British Columbia wine]].<ref>{{cite news |title= Awaiting arrival of wine tourists |newspaper=[[The Province]] |location= Vancouver, BC |date= May 9, 2003 |page= A37}}</ref> In 2006, their local Chamber of Commerce awarded Stewart their President's Award for his efforts in promoting Okanagan businesses.<ref>{{cite news |title= Chamber of commerce recognizes the best in the business on Westside |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= October 29, 2006 |page= C10}}</ref> The next year [[Quails' Gate Winery|Quails' Gate Estate Winery]] was awarded the Canadian Association of Family Enterprise's regional Family Enterprise of the Year Award.<ref>{{cite news |title= Family-owned winery up for national award |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= April 30, 2006 |page= 22}}</ref> Stewart also served as the marketing chair of the BC Wine Institute, chairman of the [[Vintners Quality Alliance]], and as a member of the [[UBC Okanagan]] Advisory Council.<ref>{{cite press release |title= UBC Okanagan Advisory Council Biographies |publisher= British Columbia Ministry of Advanced Education |date= June 29, 2004 |url= http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/nrm_news_releases/2004MAE0033-000515-Attachment1.htm |access-date= November 18, 2010 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120528020106/http://www2.news.gov.bc.ca/nrm_news_releases/2004MAE0033-000515-Attachment1.htm |archive-date= May 28, 2012 }}</ref>

==Politics==
In 2005, following Member of Parliament [[Werner Schmidt]]'s announcement that he would not stand for re-election in the next federal election, Stewart campaigned to be the next [[Conservative Party of Canada]] candidate in the [[Kelowna—Lake Country (federal electoral district)|Kelowna—Lake Country]] riding. While six other candidates ran, Kelowna city councillor [[Ron Cannan]] eventually won the Conservative Party nomination and went on to win the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 general election]].<ref>{{cite news |title= New venue secured for Tory candidate showdown |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= May 11, 2005 |page= 9}}</ref> In 2008, following [[Member of the Legislative Assembly|MLA]] [[Rick Thorpe]]'s decision not to stand in the next provincial election, and following the re-alignment of electoral boundaries to create the [[Westside-Kelowna]] riding, Stewart sought to be the [[British Columbia Liberal Party|B.C. Liberal Party]] candidate. Only two candidates stood for the nomination: Stewart and Rick de Jong, brother of then-Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister [[Mike de Jong]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Luciw |first=Jason |title= Liberals choose Stewart as candidate |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= November 18, 2008 |page= D3}}</ref> Stewart won the nomination and was the B.C. Liberal candidate in the [[2009 British Columbia general election|2009 provincial election]].  He campaigned on an economic platform: that the BC Liberals in power would be more beneficial for the provincial economy than a [[British Columbia New Democratic Party|New Democrat]] government. Stewart won the election, with 53% of the vote, over the NDP candidate and mental health worker Tish Lakes, who received 29% of the vote and stated "I was never running against Ben Stewart. I was running against the policies of [Liberal leader] [[Gordon Campbell (Canadian politician)|Gordon Campbell]] and the B.C. Liberals."<ref>{{cite news |last=Luciw |first=Jason |title= Stewart rides the Liberal wave |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= May 12, 2009 |page= 1}}</ref>

As the [[39th Parliament of British Columbia|39th Parliament]] began, BC Premier Gordon Campbell immediately promoted Stewart to the [[Executive Council of British Columbia]] as the Minister of Citizens' Services and the Minister Responsible for Multiculturalism and the Public Affairs Bureau.<ref>{{cite news |last=Waters |first=Alistair|title= Two local MLAs given cabinet posts |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |location= Kelowna, BC |date= June 10, 2009 |page= 1}}</ref> As minister, Stewart was immediately thrust into the spotlight as allegations against the Public Affairs Bureau arose concerning the suppression of a report, that should have been released prior to the election, showing a 50% increase in welfare enrollments in 2009. Stewart responded with the statement that the bureau was following protocol regarding the release of information during an election campaign and that the same bureau also withheld a report showing positive job growth during the month of April 2009, a month prior to the election.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kines |first=Lindsay |title= Government kept welfare stats secret before vote; Internal e-mails show B.C. Liberals delayed posting info by two weeks |newspaper=[[Times-Colonist]] |location= Victoria, BC |date= June 23, 2009 |page= A.1}}</ref> In December 2009 Stewart also had to defend the Ministry of Housing and Social Development who was under investigation regarding the leak of "mailed sensitive government information to someone in the United States" Stewart stated that "We don't exactly know who this other individual is, but it's believed they could be in the United States."<ref>{{cite news |last=Shaw |first=Rob |title= B.C. government probes another privacy breach; Employee accused of e-mailing information from provincial files to someone in the U.S. |newspaper=[[Times-Colonist]] |location= Victoria, BC |date= December 18, 2009 |page= A.1}}</ref>

In his October 25, 2010 cabinet re-shuffling, Campbell promoted Stewart to Minister of Agriculture. Within the first few weeks, he toured the [[Peace River Country|Peace River region]], which had suffered a dry summer, and spoke about improving ministry programs like Agristability and production insurance. Shortly afterwards, he was consulted by the [[Minister of Agriculture (Canada)|federal agricultural minister]] [[Gerry Ritz]] regarding Canada farm-disaster aid.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lux |first=Ryan |title= New Minister of Agriculture has plans |newspaper=Dawson Creek Daily News |location= Dawson Creek, BC |date= November 5, 2010 |page= A.8}}</ref> Stewart has spoken favourably about [[local purchasing]] and considered re-establishing the "Buy B.C." program.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lux |first=Ryan |title= Agriculture minister visits Peace Region |newspaper=Alaska Highway News |location= Fort St. John, BC |date= November 17, 2010 |page= A.1}}</ref> Stewart signed a memorandum of understanding with the federal [[Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)|Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]] [[Gail Shea]] for regulating [[aquaculture]] as a "shared responsibility".<ref>{{cite news |last=Penner |first=Derrick |title= Feds lay out plan to take over fish-farm regulation from province |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun |date= December 11, 2010 |page= D.1}}</ref> In late 2010, a comprehensive review of the [[Agricultural Land Reserve|Agricultural Land Commission]] was done and recommendations submitted to Stewart who said he would review the report and discuss with fellow cabinet ministers before making it public.<ref>{{cite news |last=Steeves |first=Judie |title= Agricultural Land Reserve recommendations under wraps |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |date= January 14, 2011 |page= A.5}}</ref>

In the [[2011 British Columbia Liberal Party leadership election|2011 BC Liberal Party leadership election]], following Campbell's resignation, Stewart endorsed [[Kevin Falcon]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Klaudia |last= Ceglarz |title= Abbott, Falcon discuss voting system |newspaper=The Review |publisher=Global TV |date= February 2, 2011 |url= http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/Abbott+Falcon+discuss+voting+system/4213860/story.html |access-date= March 3, 2011}}</ref> noting his approval of Falcon's "support of deregulation for businesses" and his performance as Minister of Health;<ref>{{cite news |last=Simmons |first=Mike |title= Westside-Kelowna MLA throws his support behind Falcon |newspaper=Kelowna Capital News |date= February 4, 2011 |page= B.4}}</ref> however, [[Christy Clark]] eventually won. Clark did not include Stewart in her first [[Executive Council of British Columbia|cabinet]], but did appoint him [[Whip (politics)|Government Whip]]. He served on the Special Committee on Cosmetic Pesticides, the Select Standing Committee on Legislative Initiatives, as well as on the BC Liberals Priorities and Planning Committee and Legislative Review Committee.

Stewart was re-elected in the [[2013 British Columbia general election|2013 provincial election]]. Shortly after, on June 5, he resigned his seat so that Clark, who was defeated in her own riding of [[Vancouver-Point Grey]], could contest the seat in a [[by-election]].<ref>[https://vancouversun.com/news/Stewart+steps+aside+Kelowna+Premier+Christy+Clark/8483307/story.html "Ben Stewart steps aside in Kelowna for B.C. Premier Christy Clark"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190111004508/http://www.vancouversun.com/news/stewart+steps+aside+kelowna+premier+christy+clark/8483307/story.html |date=2019-01-11 }}. ''[[Vancouver Sun]]'', June 5, 2013.</ref>

In October 2013, Premier Clark appointed Stewart as BC Special Representative in Asia, a position based in [[Beijing]].<ref>{{cite web|title=BC Special Representative in Asia|url=http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/global/bc-special-representative-in-asia.aspx|website=Trade and Investment British Columbia|publisher=Government of British Columbia|access-date=11 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713185249/http://www.britishcolumbia.ca/global/bc-special-representative-in-asia.aspx|archive-date=13 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> He departed the $150,000 salaried position on December 30, 2016,<ref>{{cite press release |title= Province thanks Ben Stewart for his work in Asia|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/13306 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |date= December 20, 2016 |publisher= Province of British Columbia|agency=Ministry of International Trade}}</ref> and the position was not re-filled.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/04/27/news/bc-poured-millions-office-china-why |title= B.C. poured millions into an office in China. Why? |first= Jenny |last=Uechi |date= April 27, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017}}</ref>

In 2018, Stewart returned to politics following Clark's resignation from the legislature and ran to succeed her in a February 14, 2018 by-election in what is now [[Kelowna West]].<ref>{{cite news|title=B.C. parties name their candidates for byelection to replace Christy Clark|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/kelowna-west-byelection-december-2017-1.4433536|access-date=February 3, 2018|work=CBC News|date=December 5, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=B.C. Premier John Horgan calls Kelowna West by-election for Christy Clark's former seat|url=https://www.straight.com/news/1020976/bc-premier-john-horgan-calls-kelowna-west-election-christy-clarks-former-seat|access-date=February 3, 2018|work=The Georgia Straight|date=January 17, 2018}}</ref> Ben Stewart won the riding with 56.46% of the votes.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/BY-KLW-2018-02-14_Candidate.html |title=2018 Kelowna West By-election Preliminary Voting Results |access-date=2018-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180215092130/https://electionsbcenr.blob.core.windows.net/electionsbcenr/BY-KLW-2018-02-14_Candidate.html |archive-date=2018-02-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On August 1, 2019, Stewart departed from the BC Liberal Party to sit as an independent due to a matter related to an Elections BC investigation involving him exceeding his contribution limit for the year of 2019.<ref>{{cite news|title=Ben Stewart out of BC Liberal caucus|url=https://thebreaker.news/news/ben-stewart-out/|access-date=August 1, 2019|work=theBreaker|date=August 1, 2019}}</ref> On October 1, 2019, he was cleared by Elections BC and rejoined the Liberal caucus.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zussman |first1=Richard |title=BC Liberal MLA Ben Stewart returning to caucus after being cleared by Elections BC |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5976313/ben-stewart-cleared-elections-bc/ |access-date=16 January 2020 |publisher=[[Global News]] |date=1 October 2019}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
{{British Columbia provincial election, 2020/Kelowna West}}
{{Canadian election result/top|BC|February 14, 2018|by=yes|Kelowna West|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{CANelec|BC|Liberal|[[Ben Stewart]]|8,406|56.28|−2.77|$87,790}}
{{CANelec|BC|NDP|Shelley Cook|3,511|23.51 |−1.63|$49,337}}
{{CANelec|BC|Green|Robert Stupka|1,893|12.67|−1.00|$54,984}}
{{CANelec|BC|Conservative|Mark Thompson|1,006|6.73|&ndash;|$6,419}}
{{CANelec|BC|Libertarian|Kyle Michael Ernest Geronazzo|121|0.81|&ndash;|$250}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|14,937|100.00|&ndash;}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|35|0.23|+0.07}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|14,972|31.55|−9.29}} 
{{Canadian election result/total|Registered voters|47,461}}
{{CANelec/hold|BC|Liberal|−0.57}}
{{CANelec/source|Source: [[Elections BC]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Report of the Chief Electoral Officer: 2018 Kelowna West By-election |url=https://elections.bc.ca/docs/rpt/2018-CEO-KLW-By-election-report.pdf|publisher=Elections BC|access-date=December 7, 2019}}</ref>}}
{{end}}
{{British Columbia provincial election, 2013/Westside-Kelowna}}

{{Election FPTP begin | title=[[2009 British Columbia general election|B.C. General Election 2009]] Westside-Kelowna}}
|-
{{CANelec |BC |Liberal |'''Ben Stewart'''|10,334 |53% |''n/a'' |$95,251}}
{{Canadian party colour|BC|NDP|row}}
|[[New Democratic Party of British Columbia|NDP]]
|Tish Lakes
|align="right"|5,656
|align="right"|29%
|align="center"|''n/a''
|align="right"|$26,122
{{CANelec|BC|Conservative| Peter Neville|1,772|9%|''n/a''|$9,705}}
{{CANelec |BC |Green |Robin McKim |1,617 |8%}}
|align="center"|''n/a''
|align="right"|$1,075
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Valid Votes
!align="right"|19,379
!align="right"|100%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total Rejected Ballots
!align="right"|107
!align="right"|0.55%
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|19,486
!align="right"|47%
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
*{{cite web |url= http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/ |title = Filed Financial Reports |year = 2009 |work  = Financial Reports and Political Contributions System |publisher = [[Elections BC]] |format = database |access-date = March 13, 2011}}

==External links==
*[http://www.leg.bc.ca/mla/39thParl/stewartb.htm Legislative Assembly of British Columbia] - Honourable Ben Stewart
*[http://www.benstewart.ca/ British Columbia Liberal Party] - Ben Stewart (Westside-Kelowna)

{{British Columbia MLAs}}
{{Christy Clark Ministry}}
{{Gordon Campbell Ministry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Ben}}
[[Category:BC United MLAs]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia]]
[[Category:People from Kelowna]]
[[Category:Canadian winemakers]]
[[Category:21st-century Canadian politicians]]
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