OUR MLAs

Speaker of the House

Bill Barisoff has represented the constituents of the South Okanagan since 1996 and was elected Speaker of the House on September 12, 2005. Bill was re-elected Speaker of the House again on August 25, 2009.

He has served as Minister of Water, Land and Air Protection and Minister of Provincial Revenue as a member of the BC Liberal Team.

He has served on the executive committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association representing 16,000 parliamentarians from all around the World and representing many millions of people.

Bill previously held a variety of critic roles for the Official Opposition including; agriculture, transportation and highways and aboriginal affairs. He served on the province's Motor Carrier Commission and was a member of the Select Standing Committees on Aboriginal Affairs and on Agriculture.

He was born and raised in Oliver and owned a trucking firm before his election to the Legislative Assembly.

He served as a school trustee for 18 years, including eight as chair of the Southern Okanagan school board, was a volunteer firefighter in Oliver for over 25 years and sat on the Okanagan Labour Relations Council. He was also chair of the Oliver Recreation Commission for one year.

Bill’s free time activities include spending time with his family, gardening, fishing, golfing and when he has time, watching sports of all kinds.

Bill and Edna have three sons: Glen, Michael and Darren, two daughters-in-law Hilary and Eliza and one grandchild, Kayla.