Education
University of British Columbia. University of Victoria.
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George Abbott
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He is a British Columbia Liberal Party Member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. He represents the riding of Shuswap, which he has held since 1996. He was re-elected as Modern Language Association for Shuswap on May 12, 2009.
George Abbott was appointed Minister of Education on March 14, 2011 by the new Premier of British Columbia, Christy Clark.
He currently sits on the Priorities and Planning Committee and the Cabinet Committee on Families First. Abbott was appointed Minister of Education on October 25, 2010 until his resignation on November 25, 2010.
He previously served as Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation and government deputy house leader from June 10, 2009 until October 25, 2010. He also served as Minister of Health from June 16, 2005 until 2009, Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services and Minister of Sustainable Resource Management.
While serving in the Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women"s services Abbott worked with UBCM to pass the Community Charter.
He was later awarded a lifetime membership in UBCM for his work on the file. During his term in the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Abbott worked with industry, environmental, and First Nations groups to complete the Great Bear Rainforest agreement which included a move to ecosystem based management. As a result of his work on this file, Abbott was the only British Columbia Liberal Candidate endorsed by the Conservation Voters of British Columbia in 2005.
As Minister of Health, Abbott partnered with the British Columbia Medical Association to introduce Electronic Health Records to British Columbia. Abbott enshrined the five principles of the Canada Health Acting, plus a sixth – the principle of sustainability – in provincial law.
Abbott also pushed for innovation in the health system and introduced the $100-million Health Innovation Fund, which funded pilot projects to reduce wait times in emergency rooms and for elective surgeries. As Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation, Abbott worked with First Nations leaders to designate the Salish Sea and Haida Gwaii and signed a final agreement with the Yale First Nation.
On November 25, 2010, George Abbott announced he was running for the leadership of the British Columbia Liberal Party to replace Gordon Campbell when he steps down. During the campaign he stated he "would as premier move the referendum on the controversial tax to no later than June 24, 2011 rather than the September 24 date currently in place" and increase the minimum wage.
He called for a review or the $6 million payment made for expenses incurred by convicted Liberal aides Robert Virk and David Basi in association with the British Columbia Rail trial, however, he refused to call for a full public inquiry in the alleged scandal involving allegations of bribes to Liberal party insiders.
Achievements
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Born
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Nationality
Canada -
Political Party
British Columbia Liberal Party