John Joseph Horgan (August 7, 1959 – November 12, 2024) was a Canadian politician and diplomat who served as the 36th premier of British Columbia from 2017 to 2022 and the ambassador of Canada to Germany from 2023 to 2024.

Horgan studied in Australia at the University of Sydney, earning a master's in history in 1986 before he returned to Canada to work in politics and public policy.

[6] During the campaign, he talked at length about the necessity of balancing the need for jobs and resource development while protecting British Columbia's natural environment.

IdeaWorks was credited with developing a sophisticated campaign in 2003 by which they were successful in convincing Vancouver City Council to lift a moratorium on slot machines.

[24] As the 2005 provincial election was approaching, the 45-year-old Horgan won the NDP nomination against Julie Thomas of Shawnigan Lake in the riding of Malahat-Juan de Fuca.

[25] The incumbent MLA Brian Kerr was not seeking re-election, so in the general election Horgan faced BC Liberal Cathy Basskin of Cowichan Bay, Democratic Reform BC party leader Tom Morino, Green Party candidate Steven Hurdle, and Western Canada Concept candidate Pattie O'Brien.

[33] The Ethics Commissioner cleared Campbell of wrongdoing but made a recommendation that cabinet ministers and other senior officials place their assets in blind trusts.

He defeated Colwood mayor Jody Twa of the BC Liberals and Metchosin farmer James Powell of the Green Party.

Horgan was critical of the government overturning the BC Utilities Commission's decision on obtaining electricity from independent power producers[39] and exempting the Site C dam and the northwest transmission line projects from Utilities Commission review, arguing that the projects were not in the public interest.

[46][47] Horgan presented to the legislature a declaration of opposition to the Site C project, as signed by Peace River area residents and First Nations.

He campaigned on policy platforms including a comprehensive review of taxation under a Fair Tax Commission,[50] expanding the carbon tax to include the exempted large industrial emitters,[51] getting the Evergreen Line and light rail to the Western Communities built, implementing the recommendations of the Select Standing Committee on Aquaculture, continuing the ban on North Coast tanker traffic and offshore oil exploration, and introducing the Endangered Species Act.

[52] He was endorsed by Robin Austin, Gary Coons, Kathy Corrigan, Scott Fraser, Maurine Karagianis, Bill Routley, Shane Simpson, and Claire Trevena, as well as Harry Lali[53] and Nicholas Simons[54] after they dropped out of the race.

[55][56][57] Dix went on to win and assigned Horgan back to the role of critic for the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources which Doug Donaldson had overseen during the leadership election, as well as adding house leader to his duties.

On the local level, his campaign focused on transportation issues[59] and regional growth[60] while on the provincial campaign he promised a comprehensive review of BC Hydro, in particular its debt load, commitments to independent power producers, and future infrastructure requirements,[61] and advocated a market-driven approach to creating a liquefied natural gas industry, in contrast to the BC Liberal approach, at the time, of presenting expressions of interest as committed future revenue.

Shortly after the election, Horgan and Minister of Energy and Mines Bill Bennett exchanged op-eds regarding new BC Hydro rate increases and cost overruns in the Northwest Transmission line project.

[63][64] In September 2013, Dix announced his resignation as NDP leader and both Horgan and Farnsworth were immediately considered front-runners to replace him.

A month later Horgan stated his intention not to run and encouraged the younger NDP MLAs, such as David Eby, Spencer Chandra Herbert and Rob Fleming, to enter the leadership race.

As leader, Horgan introduced three bills, all in the fifth session: the Hydro Affordability Act, 2016 (Bill M-206) Archived May 22, 2019, at the Wayback Machine that would allow the Utilities Commission to require a utility to offer a 'lifeline rate' to low-income households, the Speculator Tracking and Housing Affordability Fund Act, 2016 (Bill M-209) that would have allowed participating jurisdictions that levy a 2% property tax on residential properties held vacant for use in affordable housing initiatives, and Campaign Finance Reform Act, 2016 (Bill M-213) that would ban corporations and unions from making financial political contributions and require the chief electoral officer review and provide recommendations regarding the financing of the political process.

Horgan and Weaver, however, struck a confidence-and-supply agreement (which both parties' caucuses endorsed), giving the NDP–Green coalition one more seat than the Liberals.

[81] Clark then asked Lieutenant Governor Judith Guichon to dissolve parliament and call a new election, despite having previously stated that she would not make such a request and would resign as premier if her party lost a no-confidence vote.

[82] She argued that the NDP could not provide stable government because it needed to appoint one of its members as Speaker, and that person would have to frequently use their vote to break 43 to 43 ties.

[84] With Clark resigning her seat in August and Liberal MLA Darryl Plecas agreeing to take the Speaker's post in September (for which he was subsequently expelled from his party), along with the BC Green votes in confidence motions, Horgan was able to continue in office by one seat without requiring the Speaker to cast a tie-breaking vote.

On December 7, 2017, Horgan announced that, following a review and despite his earlier opposition, the NDP government had decided to continue with construction of the Site C hydroelectric power plant.

By January 1, 2020, Horgan fulfilled a campaign promise to eliminate monthly medical service plan fees for individuals.

[87] Elections in British Columbia must be held at least every four years, but the lieutenant governor has the right to dissolve Parliament early (in practice only ever on the advice of the premier).

It required all elector organizations (local municipal parties) to register and publish financial statements (including campaign financing and spending) with Elections BC.

He also said he planned to continue on as premier, and that he would take part in meetings virtually, but that Farnworth or other ministers might attend in-person at events on his behalf.

[91] From January 1, 2022, onwards, legislation introduced in 2021 required a minimum of five paid sick days per year for all employee's covered by the BC Employment Standards Act (ESA).