Bill Bennett, son of long-time Social Credit Party leader and BC premier, W.A.C.

Bennett, led Social Credit back to power, winning close to half of the popular vote, and a solid majority in the legislature.

Voters abandoned the Liberal and Progressive Conservative parties as the centre and right-wing vote coalesced around Social Credit.

The defeated social democratic NDP suffered only a marginal decrease in its vote share.

Barrett was one of the casualties; he was narrowly defeated by a Socred challenger (though he returned to the legislature a few months later in a by-election).