William Nicholas Vander Zalm was the Premier of British Columbia from 1986 to 1991. He was leader of the British Columbia Social Credit Party and led the party to victory in the 1986 provincial election. During his time as premier, Vander Zalm implemented a number of populist policies, such as the rollback of taxes, the reduction of government spending, and the privatization of some government-owned corporations. He also sought to promote economic development and job creation in the province. One of his main policy was the Family Compensation Act (FCA) which provides compensation to those harmed by crime, including the family members of murder victims. During his time as Premier, Vander Zalm's government became mired in scandal and controversy, including the sale of Crown-owned land to his friends, and an investigation into a conflict of interest and corruption. Due to these controversies, Vander Zalm resigned from office in 1991.

During his time as Premier of British Columbia, William N. Vander Zalm dealt with a variety of issues. Some of the key issues that he dealt with include:

• Economic development: Vander Zalm sought to promote economic development and job creation in the province, and implemented policies aimed at reducing taxes and government spending in order to do so.
• Privatization: Vander Zalm's government privatized some government-owned corporations, in an effort to reduce government spending and promote private enterprise.
• Environment: Vander Zalm's government pursued a number of initiatives aimed at protecting the environment, including the creation of new parks and the expansion of existing ones.
• Social issues: Vander Zalm introduced the Family Compensation Act (FCA) which provides compensation to those harmed by crime, including the family members of murder victims.
• Controversies: His time as Premier was marked by several controversies, including a scandal involving the sale of Crown-owned land to his friends and an investigation into a conflict of interest and corruption. These controversies ultimately led to his resignation.
  
  During his time as Premier of British Columbia, William N. Vander Zalm was involved in a number of significant events and happenings. Some of the key events include:
  • 1986 election: Vander Zalm led the Social Credit Party to victory in the 1986 provincial election, defeating the incumbent New Democratic Party government.
  • Privatization of BC Hydro: Vander Zalm's government privatized a portion of BC Hydro, the province's publicly-owned electricity utility.
  • Expansion of the Expo 86: Vander Zalm's government invested in the expansion of the Expo 86 world fair in Vancouver which was celebrated that year
  • Protests over the HST: Vander Zalm's government introduced a harmonized sales tax (HST) which caused widespread protests and opposition from various groups.
  • Resignation: Vander Zalm resigned from office in 1991 due to a scandal involving the sale of Crown-owned land to friends, and an investigation into a conflict of interest and corruption.
  • The Vancouver Island Garden City Lands Controversy: The government's sale of land to a developer with links to Vander Zalm, and the controversy that ensued, led to investigation of conflict of interest and allegations of political influence, which further contributed to his resignation.

It should be noted that Vander Zalm was a populist premier and some of his actions and policies were criticized as lacking in transparency, and not thoroughly explained, causing a lot of controversies during his government.