Phil Gaglardi

Gaglardi was appointed Minister of Public Works on the day Bennett's cabinet was sworn into office, August 1, 1952. His office included responsibility for highways. In 1952 Bennett created a new Department of Highways and appointed Gaglardi as the first Minister of Highways. His term was marked by the rapid expansion of the province's paved road system, as well as the completion of most of the major road bridges in British Columbia. Bennett described the building program as "the greatest highway building program.per capita in the entire Western world."[7]

Gaglardi as Minister of Highways was also given responsibility for BC Ferries and its rapid expansion soon after it was nationalized in 1960. He claimed he "built the whole system around my own impatience."[8]

What really got him noticed was the way he managed to convince a reluctant W.A.C. Bennett to buy the government a Learjet. Premier Bennett was traveling in a newly inaugurated government-owned ferry to Prince Rupert. To demonstrate that the ferry was too slow for government business, he convinced a pilot friend to fly him to Prince Rupert in a Learjet, thereby managing to get there before Bennett did. Gaglardi waited on the dock to greet the Premier with a purchase contract for the plane. The plane was quickly purchased. (This is not correct, additionally, there is not an airstrip in Prince Rupert).

The explanation of Gaglardi's nickname was his propensity for getting speeding tickets whilst driving in large-engined cars around the province checking on the progress of road construction or in his own words "testing the curves." When pulled over, Flying Phil would flash his pilot's license saying: He wasn't driving too fast, he was flying too low.

In the 1963 provincial general election he defeated Davie Fulton, who had retired from federal politics to head the BC Progressive Conservative Party and chose Kamloops as his preferred entry to the Legislature.

It was alleged that in 1968 Gaglardi came under fire in the legislature over re-occurring allegations of preferred highway access to property owned by his sons, use of departmental facilities to provide sign material and construction to benefit their properties, and departmental work performed on his private property.[9] He announced his resignation in March 1968 after revelations of him having his daughter-in-law and grandson in the government jet. Bennett subsequently let it be known that Gaglardi had been fired', which was not the case.[10] He continued in Cabinet as Minister without portfolio.

The truth is that the plane was on scheduled service to Wichita, Kansas, Gaglardi's daughter-in-law and 3-month-old grandson hitchhiked a ride to Wichita Falls. From which was scheduled to catch a commercial flight to Dallas, Texas in order for her parents to meet her newborn child for the first time. The pilot, on his own accord, felt sympathy for Gaglardi's family and decided to go 20 minutes out of his way to deliver her directly, unknown to Phil. Phil later took full responsibility and resigned from his post.

In 1969 Gaglardi was appointed to the social welfare portfolio which he renamed the Department of Rehabilitation and Social Improvement. He spoke publicly about "deadbeats", vowed to become "the roughest, toughest, most effective welfare minister the world has ever known",[11] and created an agency to assist the indigent in getting jobs.

During the 1972 provincial general election, he predicted that Bennett would resign soon after winning the election, accused the premier of being "an old man who doesn't understand what is happening with the young people of this province", claimed the cabinet was "filled with square pegs in round holes", and stated, "I'm the only real choice for the job."[12] Gaglardi was defeated in the 1972 general election which the Socreds lost to the New Democratic Party.

Phil Gaglardi served as mayor of Kamloops from 1988–1990. He led a fledgling municipal political party called Team Action whose candidates won a majority of the city council.[13]