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Clark served as finance minister under NDP Premier Michael Harcourt and earned a reputation for his often hardline, socialist-style rhetoric. When Harcourt resigned amid scandal in 1995, Clark was elected by the NDP to replace him.

Clark called an election in 1996 to which his party narrowly won a majority of seats, despite receiving only a minority of the popular vote.

During his priemiership, Clark worked hard to increased the accessibility of education by lowering tuition fees, and he successfully completed the Island Highway linking many communities on Vancouver Island.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Michael Harcourt, who successfully added two large spirit vessels to the BC Ferries fleet, Clark initiated and backed the B.C. fast ferries initiative which was designed to upgrade the existing BC Ferries fleet as well as jump start a shipbuilding industry in Vancouver. Though the ferries were eventually produced, the project proved a dismal failure with massive cost overruns, compromises on ship performance, and long delays. Critics blasted the project as an unnecessary "gift" for his union backers, long a traditional source of NDP political support. Clark's refusal to cancel the program became a focus of public criticism and severely damaged the NDP's popularity.

Clark resigned on August 25, 1999 due to allegations that he had accepted favours (in the form of free renovations worth $10,000) from Dimitrios Pilarinos in return for approving a casino application. Although an independent inquiry found that on a balance of probabilities he had used his position for personal gain, he was acquitted of all criminal charges in August 2002 with the judge ruling that "there is nothing in his conduct that crosses the line from an act of folly to behaviour calling for criminal sanctions."

Clark was succeeded as Premier of B.C. by Deputy Premier Dan Miller, on an acting basis, until a leadership conventionIn Canadian politics, a leadership convention is held by a political party when the party needs to hold an election for leader due to a vacancy or a serious challenge to the incumbent leader. Unlike in the United States, where political conventions are he selected Ujjal DosanjhThe Honorable Ujjal Dosanjh, PC, MP (b. 1947, India) is a Canadian politician and lawyer. Dosanjh is a member of the Liberal government of Paul Martin, serving as the nineteenth federal Minister of Health. Previously he was the NDP Premier of British Colu.

Clark has since found employment with the high-profile businessman Jimmy PattisonJames (Jimmy) Allen Pattison born October 1, 1928 is a Vancouver-based entrepreneur who is the Chairman, President, CEO, and sole owner of the Jim Pattison Group, one of the largest privately held Canadian companies. Pattison was born in the rural town of.

External link

BC Supreme Court ruling on the Clark-Pilarinos case