Editing BC United (section)

=== First government: 1916–1928 ===
The divided Conservatives faced the Liberals in the [[1916 British Columbia general election|election of 1916]] and lost. The Liberals formed a government under [[Harlan Carey Brewster]]. Brewster had become leader of the Opposition and was elected party leader in March 1912. He lost his seat a few weeks later in the 1912 election, which returned no Liberals at all. In 1916, he won election to the legislature again through a by-election and led his party to victory in a general election later that year by campaigning on a reform platform. Brewster promised to end patronage in the [[civil service]], end [[machine politics|political machines]], improve workman's compensation and labour laws, bring in votes for women, and other progressive reforms.

The government brought in [[women's suffrage]], instituted [[prohibition]], and combated [[political corruption]] before his unexpected death in 1918. He is interred in the [[Ross Bay Cemetery]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia]]. [[John Oliver (British Columbia politician)|John Oliver]] succeeded Brewster as [[Premier (Canada)|premier]] when Brewster died in 1918. Oliver's government developed the produce industry in the [[Nanook Valley]],{{Clarify|date=May 2023|reason=I can't find anything about a Nanook Valley in BC. Where was this?}} and tried to persuade the [[Government of Canada|federal government]] to lower the freight rate for rail transport. The party managed a bare majority win in the [[1920 British Columbia general election|1920 election]] and only managed to govern after the [[1924 British Columbia general election|1924 election]] with the support of the two Independent Liberals.