Political career Phil Gaglardi

1 political career

1.1 minister of highways
1.2 minister of social welfare/minister of rehabilitation , social improvement
1.3 mayor of kamloops

political career

gaglardi first elected legislature in 1952 election member of legislative assembly (mla) part of british columbia social credit league. party had enough seats form minority government, had no leader. gaglardi ran post, lost in vote of caucus members. reported gaglardi lost 10 9 w.a.c. bennett, according bennett s biographer, bennett received 10 of 19 votes , gaglardi one. won total of 7 elections , served cabinet minister full duration of bennett s time premier.

minister of highways

gaglardi appointed minister of public works on day bennett s cabinet sworn office, august 1, 1952. office included responsibility highways. in 1955 bennett created new department of highways , appointed gaglardi first minister of highways. term marked rapid expansion of province s paved road system, completion of of major road bridges in british columbia. bennett described building program greatest highway building program...per capita in entire western world.

gaglardi minister of highways given responsibility bc ferries , rapid expansion after nationalized in 1960. claimed built whole system around own impatience.

what got him noticed way managed convince reluctant w.a.c. bennett buy government learjet (hence, flyin phil ). premier bennett travelling in newly inaugurated government-owned ferry prince rupert. demonstrate ferry slow government business, convinced pilot friend fly him prince rupert in learjet, thereby managing there before bennett did. gaglardi waited on dock greet premier purchase contract plane. plane purchased.

another explanation of gaglardi s nickname propensity getting speeding tickets whilst driving in large-engined cars around province checking on progress of road construction or in own words testing curves .

in 1963 provincial general election defeated davie fulton, had retired federal politics head bc progressive conservative party , chose kamloops preferred entry legislature.

in 1968 gaglardi came under fire in legislature on re-occurring allegations of preferred highway access property owned sons, use of departmental facilities provide sign material , construction benefit properties, , departmental work performed on private property. announced resignation in march 1968 after revelations of him having daughter-in-law , grandson in government jet. bennett subsequently let known gaglardi had been fired. continued in cabinet minister without portfolio.

minister of social welfare/minister of rehabilitation , social improvement

in 1969 gaglardi appointed social welfare portfolio renamed department of rehabilitation , social improvement. spoke publicly deadbeats , vowed become roughest, toughest, effective welfare minister world has ever known , , created agency assist indigent in getting jobs.

during 1972 provincial general election predicted bennett resign after winning election, accused premier of being old man doesn t understand happening young people of province , claimed cabinet filled square pegs in round holes , , stated m real choice job. gaglardi defeated in 1972 general election socreds lost new democratic party.

mayor of kamloops

phil gaglardi served mayor of kamloops 1988-1990. led fledgling municipal political party called team action candidates won majority of city council.