Benjamin Richard Stewart is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Westside-Kelowna in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 2009 to 2013 as a member of the British Columbia Liberal Party.He was first elected in the 2009 provincial election. In the 39th Parliament, as a member of the provincial government he worked as Minister of Citizens' Services (June 2009 - June 2010), Minister of Community and Rural Development (June 2010 - October 2010), and Minister of Agriculture (October 2010 - March 2011). On September 5, 2012, he was reappointed to cabinet as Minister of Citizens' Services and Open Government.In the 2011 BC Liberal Party leadership election he endorsed Kevin Falcon; following Christy Clark's victory, she made Stewart government whip. Stewart also served as a member of the cabinet priorities and planning committee and the legislative review committee.After re-election in the 2013 provincial election, he announced on June 5, 2013 resignation of his seat so that Clark, who was defeated in her own riding of Vancouver-Point Grey despite the party's victory provincewide, could contest the seat in a by-election.In October 2013, Premier Clark appointed Stewart as BC Special Representative in Asia, a position based in Beijing.