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For other men named William Bennett, see William Bennett (disambiguation).

William Richards Bennett, PC, OBC, (born August 18, 1932 in Kelowna, British Columbia) was Premier of the Canadian province of British Columbia 1975–1986. He is the son of the former Premier, W.A.C. Bennett. He was a 3rd cousin, twice removed of Richard Bedford Bennett, eleventh Prime Minister of Canada.

Following his father's resignation, Bill Bennett was elected on September 7, 1973 as the British Columbia Social Credit Party Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for South Okanagan.

To distinguish him from his famous father, he was often called simply Bill Bennett. One media term coined to describe the younger Bennett was "Mini-Wac."

He was elected the leader of the Party in 1973, at a convention in Whistler, British Columbia. He became premier of the province in the 1975 election when his party defeated the New Democratic Party . In the election of December 11, 1979, the Social Credit Party was re-elected with a reduced majority, followed by another one in the 1983 election. He served until August 6, 1986.

His cabinet included a vast array of politicians new to the provincial scene who would soon become some of BC's most prominent political players. These included Grace McCarthy, Bill Vander Zalm, Garde Gardom, and Rafe Mair.

He is currently retired and dividing his time between his hometown of Kelowna and Palm Springs.

Though still reviled by the left, Bennett remains generally highly respected among conservatives in BC, who view his rule as a "golden era" before the corruption of the Vander Zalm government and the NDP that succeeded him. In recent years Bennett has advised current BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell, who has openly stated his desires to emulate the policies associated with Bennett's government.

In 2007 Bennett was awarded the Order of British Columbia, B.C.'s highest award for achievement.

In recognition for his time-honored efforts in British Columbia, the new replacement bridge across Okanagan Lake in Kelowna is named after him.^[1]

1. ^ William R. Bennett Bridge Project website - Bridge Name

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