{{Short description|Canadian politician (born 1968)}} {{pp-pc}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Mike Bernier | honorific_suffix = | image = Mike Bernier 2016.jpg | caption = Bernier in 2016 | birth_date = 1968<ref>Gousseau, Ken. "Newest councillor keeps busy". ''Peace River Block Daily News'' [Dawson Creek, B.C], 08 Sep 2006: A1.</ref> | birth_place = North Vancouver, British Columbia | assembly = British Columbia Legislative | constituency_AM = Peace River South | term_start = May 14, 2013 | term_end = September 21, 2024 | predecessor = Blair Lekstrom | successor = Larry Neufeld | office3 = Mayor of Dawson Creek | term_start3 = December 1, 2008 | term_end3 = May 15, 2013 | predecessor3 = Calvin Kruk | successor3 = Dale Bumstead | office4 = Dawson Creek Municipal Councillor | term_start4 = December 5, 2005 | term_end4 = December 1, 2008 | party = BC United | profession = | spouse = | children = | office2 = Minister of Education of British Columbia | predecessor2 = Peter Fassbender | successor2 = Rob Fleming | term_start2 = July 30, 2015 | term_end2 = July 18, 2017 }}
'''Mike Bernier''' (born 1968) is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in the 2013 provincial election.<ref>[http://globalnews.ca/news/563098/early-results-interior-of-b-c/ "Early results: Interior of B.C."]. Global News, May 14, 2013.</ref> He represented the electoral district of Peace River South as a member of the BC United. In December 2014, he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Energy Literacy and the Environment for the Minister of Environment. On July 30, 2015, he was chosen to be Minister of Education in British Columbia.<ref>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bcs-new-education-minister-wants-fresh-start/article25792103/ "Education Minister Wants Fresh Start"] ''The Globe and Mail'', July 30, 2015.</ref> As Minister of Education, Bernier mandated the SOGI 123 (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) created by the ARC Foundation into all schools in the province.<ref>https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016EDUC0089-001625</ref><ref>https://www.surreyschools.ca/page/313/sogi-inclusive-education</ref>
On October 17, 2016, Bernier fired the Vancouver School Board for failing to pass a balanced budget.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/npa-trustees-call-on-minister-to-take-action-on-vsb/|title=B.C. education minister Bernier fires Vancouver school board|last1=Shaw|first1=Rob|last2=Sherlock|first2=Tracy|website=Vancouver Sun|access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref>
On May 9, 2017, Bernier was re-elected in his rural riding of Peace River South with 75.63% of the vote, the highest a BC Liberal has ever been elected with in provincial history and the eleventh highest across all parties in BC history when the Conservative Party of British Columbia did not run a candidate in the riding.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1871-1986_electoralhistoryofbc |url=http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs/37907/1871-1986_electoralhistoryofbc.pdf |website=www.llbc.leg.bc.ca}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://elections.bc.ca/resources/voting-results/provincial-general-elections-results/|title = Provincial Election Results|date = 19 January 2017}}</ref>
Bernier was reappointed Minister of Education on June 12, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2017PREM0056-001242|title=Premier Christy Clark introduces new Executive Council|last=Premier|first=Office of the|date=2017-06-12|website=news.gov.bc.ca|access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref> Bernier sought the BC Liberal Party leadership after Christy Clark's resignation in August 2017, but dropped out of the race after two weeks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mike-bernier-liberals-1.4355403 |title=Mike Bernier drops out of B.C. Liberal leadership race |website=cbc.ca |date=2017-10-14 |access-date=2025-01-25}}</ref>
In opposition, he has served as the opposition critic for housing and for finance.
Before being elected provincially, he was served as a city councillor (2005–2008) and then the mayor (2008–2013) of Dawson Creek, BC. He previously worked for 20 years in the natural gas industry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leg.bc.ca:443/learn-about-us/members/40th-Parliament/Bernier-Mike|title=Hon. Mike Bernier|website=www.leg.bc.ca|language=en|access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref>
In the 2024 British Columbia general election, he ran as an independent candidate but was unseated by Conservative Party of British Columbia candidate Larry Neufeld.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BC election 2024 results: Peace River South {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10779060/bc-election-2024-results-peace-river-south/ |access-date=2024-10-20 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Electoral record == {{2024 British Columbia general election/Peace River South}} {{2020 British Columbia general election/Peace River South}} {{2017 British Columbia general election/Peace River South}} {{2013 British Columbia general election/Peace River South}}
==References== {{reflist}} {{s-start}} {{Canadian federal ministry navigational box header |ministry=Christy_Clark}} {{ministry box cabinet posts | post1 = Minister of Education | post1years = July 30, 2015–July 18, 2017 | post1note = | post1preceded = Peter Fassbender | post1followed = Rob Fleming }} {{s-end}}
{{Christy Clark Ministry}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernier, Mike}} Category:1968 births Category:British Columbia municipal councillors Category:BC United MLAs Category:Ministers of education of British Columbia Category:Living people Category:21st-century mayors of places in British Columbia Category:Members of the Executive Council of British Columbia Category:People from Dawson Creek Category:People from North Vancouver Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
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