{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1952)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Elizabeth Cull, 1992.jpg | honorific_prefix = | name = Elizabeth Cull |birth_date={{Birth date and age|df=y|1952|2|21}} |birth_place=London, England, United Kingdom | honorific_suffix = | constituency_AM = Oak Bay-Gordon Head | assembly = British Columbia Legislative | term_start = December 13, 1989 | term_end = May 28, 1996 | predecessor = Brian Ray Douglas Smith | successor = Ida Chong |office3 = Minister of Health & Minister Responsible for Seniors of British Columbia |premier3 = Michael Harcourt |term_start3 = November 5, 1991 |term_end3 = September 15, 1993 |predecessor3 = William Bruce Strachan |successor3 = Paul Ramsey |office5 = 5th Deputy Premier of British Columbia |premier5 = Michael Harcourt |term_start5 = September 15, 1993 |term_end5 = February 22, 1996 |predecessor5 = Anita Hagen |successor5 = Dan Miller |office6 = Minister of Finance and Corporation Relations |premier6 = Michael Harcourt<br />Glen Clark |term_start6 = September 15, 1993 |term_end6 = June 17, 1996 |predecessor6 = Glen Clark |successor6 = Andrew Petter |office7 = Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks |premier7 = Michael Harcourt |term_start7 = May 10, 1995 |term_end7 = August 16, 1995 |predecessor7 = Moe Sihota |successor7 = Moe Sihota | party = NDP }}
'''Elizabeth Cull''' (born 21 February 1952) is a Canadian politician in the province of British Columbia and small-business owner. She was an NDP MLA for the riding of Oak Bay-Gordon Head from 1989 to 1996.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EKZDAQAAIAAJ&q=%22Cull,+hon.+elizabeth%22+oak+bay | title=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide | first=Peter | last=Normandin | year=1996 }}</ref>
== Political career == Cull was first elected to the legislature in a by-election held on December 13, 1989,<ref name="Legislature">{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/34th4th/constmla.htm |title=2nd Session, 34th Parliament |publisher=Hansard |access-date=2012-09-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128072537/http://leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/34th4th/constmla.htm |archive-date=2011-01-28 }}</ref> defeating Social Credit candidate Susan Brice and becoming the first New Democrat to win Oak Bay-Gordon Head. She was re-elected on October 17, 1991 in the subsequent provincial general election.
=== Minister of Health === In 1991, Cull was appointed Minister of Health in Premier Mike Harcourt's first cabinet,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/35th1st/names.htm |publisher=Hansard |title=Executive Council and Legislative Assembly, 1st Session, 35th Parliament |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128080614/http://leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/35th1st/names.htm |archive-date=2011-01-28 }}</ref> the first woman to be named to the position.
While Minister of Health, Cull opposed the federal government's proposal to extend patent protection for brand name drugs, and appeared in Ottawa before a Commons legislative committee to speak against the plan.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/emergenceofsocia03edgues | url-access=registration | page=[https://archive.org/details/emergenceofsocia03edgues/page/355 355] | quote=elizabeth cull + health minister. | title=The Emergence of Social Security in Canada | year=1997 | publisher=UBC Press | first=Dennis |last=Guest}}</ref> Cull established regional health authorities in BC to bring the governance and delivery of health services "closer to home",<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/35th2nd/1st_read/gov45-1.htm | title=Health Authorities Act}}</ref> legalized midwifery and initiated a home birth pilot project,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mana.org/IntMidDay.html | title=Midwives Alliance of North America | access-date=2012-10-01 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120806142605/http://mana.org/IntMidDay.html | archive-date=2012-08-06 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and commissioned a report to study access to reproductive health care services across BC.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.prochoiceactionnetwork-canada.org/prochoicepress/96spring.shtml | title=The Pro-Choice Action Network}}</ref>
===Minister of Finance=== In 1993, in the mid-term cabinet shuffle, Harcourt appointed Cull Minister of Finance (the first woman to ever hold the position)<ref name=douglas>{{cite web|url=http://www.pageonepublishing.ca/douglasmagazine/resources/42/70.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116105534/http://www.pageonepublishing.ca/douglasmagazine/resources/42/70.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-16 |title=Elizabeth Cull, Dig This |publisher=Douglas magazine }}</ref> and Deputy Premier.<ref name=hansard>{{cite web |url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/HANSARD/hansindx/35th2nd/names.htm |publisher=Hansard |title=2nd Session, 35th Parliament |access-date=2007-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061030002240/http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/hansindx/35th2nd/names.htm |archive-date=2006-10-30 }}</ref>
As Minister of Finance, Cull opposed the federal Liberal push to harmonize the HST in 1996,<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/flashbacks-this-week-in-bc-political-history/article577295/ | title = Flashbacks: This week in B.C. political history | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | date=August 23, 2012}}</ref> and brought in two provincial budgets.
The 1994 budget brought in a three-year tax freeze, eliminated the property transfer tax for first-time home buyers, exempted green power equipment from sales taxes, and added 8,100 post-secondary education spaces.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.leg.bc.ca/35th3rd/budget/index.htm | title=Budget, 3rd Session, 35th Parliament}}</ref> The 1995 budget extended the three-year tax freeze, increased post-secondary and health care funding, brought in a long-term debt management plan, and imposed a number of cost-savings measures.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/archive/budget95/index.html | title=Budget '95 Highlights|publisher=Ministry of Finance}}</ref>
The 1996 budget projected a $25M operating surplus, but when the public accounts were calculated at the end of 1996 the operating result was a $355M deficit,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/from-a-fudge-it-budget-to-sunday-drinking/article597692/ | title=Globe and Mail: From a 'fudge-it budget' to Sunday drinking (Apr. 28 2011) | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | date=April 28, 2011}}</ref> the result of a 1.8% revenue over-estimate. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/archive/budget95/95rpt_h.htm#Table%20H5 | title = 1995 BUDGET REPORTS |publisher=Ministry of Finance}}</ref> Opponents of the government tried and failed to use the error to unseat the government after the 1996 election, with the judge concluding that the Minister had used her best judgement in projecting revenues.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/sc/00/11/s00-1185.htm | title = Friesen v. Hammell, 2000 BCSC 1185}}</ref>
==After politics== Cull was defeated by Ida Chong in the 1996 general election. After leaving elected office, Elizabeth established her own consulting firm, assisting private and public sector organizations understand the public policy process.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://elizabethcull.ca/about-elizabeth/ |title=About Elizabeth }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
Cull later served as Chief of Staff to Premier Ujjal Dosanjh.<ref name=cbc>{{cite news|title=Regular Contributors |url=http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/columnists.html |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=2007-01-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060304045442/http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/columnists.html |archive-date=March 4, 2006 }}</ref>
Cull was hired as an adjunct professor at Royal Roads University where she taught leadership, as well as at the United Way of the Lower Mainland's Public Policy Institute<ref name=ppi>{{cite web|title=United Way Public Policy Institute Faculty |url=http://www.uwlm.ca/united-way-public-policy-institute-faculty-2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116062330/http://www.uwlm.ca/united-way-public-policy-institute-faculty-2012 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-16 |access-date=2012-09-13 }}</ref> and the Women's Campaign School.<ref name=wcs>{{cite web |title=Women's Campaign School Speakers |url=http://womenscampaignschool.org/campaignschool/speakers |access-date=2012-09-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309003137/http://womenscampaignschool.org/campaignschool/speakers/ |archive-date=2013-03-09 }}</ref>
In 2002, Cull entered the world of entrepreneurship, opening a "Dig This" gardening store on Oak Bay Avenue in Victoria. Three years later she decided to buy not just the Market Square location, but the entire franchise of all four high-end gardening stores.<ref name=douglas/>
Cull also worked as a radio personality on the political panel of the CBCV-FM CBC Radio One program ''On the Island'' until September 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title= Political panel farewells|url=http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/2012/09/28/politcal-panel-farewells/ | work=CBC News}}</ref>
On September 13, 2012, Elizabeth Cull announced her intention to seek the federal NDP nomination for Victoria,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/news/Democrat+Denise+Savoie+resign+Victoria+seat+personal+reasons/7135021/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118211547/http://www.canada.com/news/Democrat+Denise+Savoie+resign+Victoria+seat+personal+reasons/7135021/story.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-18 |title=New Democrat MP Denise Savoie resigns her Victoria seat for health reasons |access-date=2012-09-13 }}</ref><ref name=cmpgn>{{cite web|url=http://elizabethcull.ca/2012/09/12/elizabeth-cull-seeks-ndp-nomination/ |title=Elizabeth Cull seeks Victoria federal NDP nomination |access-date=2012-09-19 }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> but lost to Victoria lawyer Murray Rankin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Murray Rankin gets NDP nomination |url=http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Murray+Rankin+gets+nomination/7389096/story.html |access-date=2012-10-15 |archive-date=2012-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017004826/http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Murray+Rankin+gets+nomination/7389096/story.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://archive.today/20130918024715/http://elizabethcull.ca/ elizabethcull.ca] * {{cite web |last1=Watson |first1=Bridgette |last2=Wilson |first2=Deborah |title=In 1991, B.C. had more family doctors than it needed. So why are so many residents unable to find one now? |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-health-care-history-1.6431301 |website=CBC News British Columbia |access-date=28 April 2022 |date=28 April 2022 |quote=Former minister says B.C. is seeing 'unintended consequences' of policies introduced to lower health-care cost}}
{{Glen Clark Ministry}} {{Harcourt Ministry}} {{Deputy Premiers of British Columbia}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cull, Elizabeth}} Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:British Columbia New Democratic Party MLAs Category:Canadian radio personalities Category:Women government ministers of Canada Category:Deputy premiers of British Columbia Category:English emigrants to Canada Category:Ministers of finance of British Columbia Category:Ministers of health of British Columbia Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Category:Political chiefs of staff Category:Academic staff of the Royal Roads University Category:Female finance ministers Category:Women MLAs in British Columbia Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia Category:Canadian women radio personalities