Parliamentary Relatives: Dale Lovick and Jan Pullinger

Dale Lovick and Jan Pullinger married while both were serving as Members of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Lovick was first elected in the 1986 provincial general election and Pullinger was elected in a 1989 by-election. They both represented the electoral district of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island until 1991, when multi-Member electoral districts were eliminated in B.C. From 1991, Lovick continued to represent the electoral district of Nanaimo while Pullinger represented the neighbouring electoral district of Cowichan-Ladysmith. They both served as MLAs until the dissolution of the 36th Parliament in 2001.

Lovick and Pullinger are believed to be the first – and to date, only – couple to serve concurrently in the B.C. Cabinet. Shortly after their appointment to Cabinet in 1998, they were interviewed separately by a Times Colonist journalist. Lovick is quoted as saying, “We do have a life beyond our work. We have a wonderful relationship firing on all 12 cylinders. But it would be foolish, and I think dangerous for any relationship, to say you will never talk about work. Obviously, you do, but you don’t let it become the principal point of your lives.” Pullinger confirmed that they try to keep their personal lives private, noting, “We work very hard at being treated as individuals. Neither one of us is an adjunct to the other. We are each here under our own merit.”

Artour Sogomonian

Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services