Ben Stewart was elected MLA for Westside-Kelowna in 2009 and 2013. He was re-elected in a by-election in 2018 in the riding of Kelowna-West. He currently serves as the Official Opposition Co-Critic for Trade and Citizens' Services.

Mr. Stewart previously served as Minister of Citizens' Services, Minister of Community and Rural Development, Minister of Agriculture, and as Government Whip. He served on the Special Committees on Cosmetic Pesticides and Timber Supply, and as the Ministerial representative on Treasury Board, the Priorities and Planning, and the Legislative Review Committees.

He also has extensive experience serving the community as a board member for numerous organizations such as the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation and Okanagan College. He was also as a founding director of a venture capital fund for local business development in British Columbia.

In 1989, he founded and built Quail’s Gate into one of Canada’s leading estate wineries. Later, under his leadership as chair of VQA Canada, that organization successfully resolved a number of significant issues such as International trademark protection and international mutual recognition agreements. He is recognized as a global leader in small lot premium wine production and a pioneer in Pinot Noir clonal research and wine-making.

In October of 2013, Stewart was appointed British Columbia’s Special Representative in Asia to act as the province’s official on-the-ground representative in Asia to further strengthen BC’s government-to-government relationships in China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia.

Ben lives in West Kelowna and has three children and five grandchildren.