1981 Manitoba general election

Last updated

1981 Manitoba general election
Flag of Manitoba.svg
  1977 November 17, 1981 1986  

57 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
29 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 
Leader Howard Pawley Sterling Lyon Doug Lauchlan
Party New Democratic Progressive Conservative Liberal
Leader since November 4, 1979 December 6, 1975 November 30, 1980
Leader's seat Selkirk Charleswood Ran in Wolseley (lost)
Last election23331
Seats won34230
Seat changeIncrease2.svg11Decrease2.svg10Decrease2.svg1
Popular vote228,784211,60232,373
Percentage47.38%43.82%6.70%
SwingIncrease2.svg8.76pp Decrease2.svg4.93pp Decrease2.svg5.59pp

MB1981.PNG
Map of Election Results

Premier before election

Sterling Lyon
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Howard Pawley
New Democratic

The 1981 Manitoba general election was held on November 17, 1981 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the opposition New Democratic Party, which took 34 of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party took the remaining 23, while the Manitoba Liberal Party was shut out from the legislature for the only time in its history. The newly formed Progressive Party failed to win any seats.

Contents

Sterling Lyon's Progressive Conservative government ran on a promise to continue investing in the province's "mega-projects" (including as a $500 million Alcan aluminum smelter, a $600 million potash mine and a "Western power grid"), and suggested that an NDP government would jeopardize these plans. The NDP campaign, which was largely co-ordinated by Wilson Parasiuk, questioned the Lyon government's fiscal accountability in such matters, noting that it had sold 50% of Trout Lake Copper Mine stock, possibly at a major loss. Jacques Bougie, the Alcan administrator for Manitoba, was also described as holding undue influence over the government.

The NDP campaign generally focused on the economy, and drew attention to the issue of Manitobans emigrating from the province because of job losses. Progressive Party leader Sidney Green described Lyon's initiatives as "bega-projects", a reference to the government's controversial fundraising with foreign corporations.

The election was considered too close to call until the final week, when the NDP campaign gained momentum.

Results

PartyParty Leader# of
candidates
SeatsPopular Vote
Before1Elected% Change#%Change
  New Democratic Howard Pawley 572034+70.0%228,78447.38%+8.76
  Progressive Conservative Sterling Lyon 573223-28.1%211,60243.82%-4.93
  Liberal Doug Lauchlan 391--100%32,3736.70%-5.59
Progressive Sidney Green 363--100%8,7311.81%+1.81
Communist Paula Fletcher 2---261.05%-0.01
 Independent41--100%1,141.24%+0.24
 Vacant1n.a.
Total1955757-487,154100% 

1 "Before" refers to standings in the Legislature at dissolution, and not to the results of the previous election. These numbers therefore reflect changes in party standings as a result of by-elections and members crossing the floor.

Popular vote
New Democratic
47.38%
PC
43.82%
Liberal
6.70%
Others
2.10%
Seats summary
New Democratic
59.65%
PC
40.35%

Riding results

Party key:

Note: There was one vacant seat at the time of the election.

(incumbent) denotes incumbent.

Arthur:

Assiniboia:

Brandon East:

Brandon West:

Burrows:

Charleswood:

Churchill:

1981 Manitoba general election : Concordia
PartyCandidateVotes%
New Democratic Peter Fox 5,33360.91
Progressive Conservative Scotty McVicar2,58629.54
Liberal Gail Stapon3093.53
Progressive Josephine Young3063.50
Independent Bob Fraser2212.52
Total valid votes8,755
Rejected15
Eligible voters / Turnout12,58969.54
Source(s)
Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Statement of Votes for the 37th Provincial General Election, September 21, 1999 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba.

Dauphin:

Ellice:

1981 Manitoba general election : Elmwood
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New Democratic Russell Doern 5,14067.8316.72
Progressive Conservative Eveline Holtmann1,91025.20-15.35
Liberal Eric Wood3474.58-3.76
Progressive Curtis Bloodworth1812.39
Total valid votes7,578
Rejected36
Eligible voters / Turnout11,50666.17-6.17
Source(s)
Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Statement of Votes for the 37th Provincial General Election, September 21, 1999 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba.

Emerson:

Flin Flon:

Fort Garry:

Fort Rouge:

Gimli:

Gladstone:

Inkster:

Interlake:

Kildonan:

Kirkfield Park:

Lac Du Bonnet:

Lakeside:

La Verendrye:

Logan:

Minnedosa:

Morris:

Niakwa:

Osborne:

Pembina:

Portage la Prairie:

Radisson:

Rhineland:

Riel:

River East:

River Heights:

Roblin-Russell:

Rossmere:

Rupertsland:

St. Boniface:

St. James:

1981 Manitoba general election : St. Johns
PartyCandidateVotes%
New Democratic Donald Malinowski 4,00456.99
Progressive Conservative Don Cilinsky1,78525.41
Liberal Henry Kowlowski6749.59
Progressive Bernie Bellan4466.35
Communist William Cecil Ross 1171.67
Total valid votes7,026
Rejected ballots70
Turnout7,09667.18
Electors on the lists10,562

St. Norbert:

1981 Manitoba general election : St. Vital
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New Democratic Jim Walding 5,50452.80+11.18
Progressive Conservative John Robertson4,23640.64+4.69
Liberal Gord Patterson6846.56-15.87
Total valid votes10,424100.00
Rejected votes34
Turnout10,45880.61
Electors on the lists12,974
New Democratic hold Swing +3.24

Ste. Rose:

Selkirk:

Seven Oaks:

Springfield:

Sturgeon Creek:

Swan River:

The Pas:

Thompson:

Transcona:

1981 Manitoba general election : Turtle Mountain
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive Conservative Brian Ransom 4,77572.3629.99
New Democratic Joan Johannson1,66025.16
Independent Bill Harrison1642.49
Total valid votes6,599
Rejected33
Eligible voters / Turnout10,53362.96
Source(s)
Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Statement of Votes for the 37th Provincial General Election, September 21, 1999 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba.

Tuxedo:

Virden:

Wolseley:

Post-election changes

Henry Carroll (NDP) became (Ind), August 19, 1982. Russell Doern (NDP) became (Ind), March 7, 1984.

Fort Garry (res. Louis Sherman, August 5, 1984), October 2, 1984:

Kildonan (dec. Mary Beth Dolin, April 10, 1985), October 1, 1985:

Portage la Prairie (dec. Lloyd Hyde, August 25, 1985)

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sterling Lyon</span> Premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981

Sterling Rufus Lyon was a Canadian lawyer, cabinet minister, and the 17th premier of Manitoba from 1977 to 1981. His government introduced several fiscally-conservative measures, and was sometimes seen as a local version of the government of Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom. He also successfully fought for the inclusion of the notwithstanding clause in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Progressive Party of Manitoba was a political party in Manitoba, Canada which existed from 1981 to 1995. The party was created in March 1981 by five former members of the province's New Democratic Party: Sidney Green, Ben Hanuschak, Bud Boyce, Murdoch Mackay and Max Hofford. Green was acknowledged as the party's leader.

This is a seat by seat list of candidates in the 2000 Canadian election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Ontario general election</span>

The 1987 Ontario general election was held on September 10, 1987, to elect members of the 34th Legislative Assembly of Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 Ontario general election</span>

The 1985 Ontario general election was held on May 2, 1985, to elect the members of the 33rd Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada. The Progressive Conservatives won a plurality, but came up short of a majority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Ontario general election</span>

The 1981 Ontario general election was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Sidney Green is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. He twice ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, served in the cabinet of Premier Edward Schreyer, and later formed the Progressive Party of Manitoba.

Ben Hanuschak is a Canadian politician from the province of Manitoba. He was a cabinet minister in the government of New Democratic Premier Edward Schreyer, and was subsequently a founding member of the Progressive Party of Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Conrad Santos</span> Canadian politician

Conrado de Regla Santos was a politician in the province of Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and again from 1990 to 2007. Conrado as his family and friends called him, had three children: Evelyn Santos, Conrad Santos and Robert Santos.

Sidney Joel Spivak, was a Manitoba politician. He was a Cabinet minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin, Walter Weir and Sterling Lyon, and was himself leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (PCs) from 1971 to 1975.

David Walter Chomiak is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Greg Selinger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 Manitoba general election</span>

The 1986 Manitoba general election was held on March 18, 1986 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which took 30 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party won 26 seats and formed the official opposition. The Manitoba Liberal Party, which had not been represented in the previous legislature, won one seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Manitoba general election</span>

The 1977 Manitoba general election was held on October 11, 1977, to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 33 seats out of 57. The governing New Democratic Party fell to 23 seats, while the Liberal Party won only one seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Manitoba general election</span>

The 1973 Manitoba general election was held on June 28, 1973 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the social-democratic New Democratic Party, which took 31 of 57 seats to win government in its own right for the first time. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with 21, while the Manitoba Liberal Party took the remaining five. The Manitoba Social Credit Party lost its only seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Manitoba general election</span>

The 1969 Manitoba general election was held on June 25, 1969 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was a watershed moment in the province's political history. The social-democratic New Democratic Party emerged for the first time as the largest party in the legislature, winning 28 out of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party fell to 22, and the once-dominant Liberal Party fell to an historical low of five. The Social Credit Party won one seat, and there was also one Independent elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1966 Manitoba general election</span>

The 1966 Manitoba general election was held on June 23, 1966, to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a third consecutive majority win for the Progressive Conservative Party led by Dufferin Roblin. Roblin's Tories won 31 seats, against 14 for the Liberal Party, 11 for the New Democratic Party and one for Social Credit.

Peter Fox was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1966 to 1986. From 1971 to 1977, he served as Speaker of the legislature.

Louis Ralph "Bud" Sherman was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the House of Commons of Canada during the 1960s and was a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1969 to 1984, serving as a cabinet minister in the government of Sterling Lyon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1958 Manitoba general election</span>

The 1958 Manitoba general election was held on June 16, 1958 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. The election resulted in a minority victory for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Dufferin Roblin.