Manitoba First

Last updated

Manitoba First
Manitoba D'abord
Defunct provincial party
FoundedMarch 24, 2016 (March 24, 2016)
DissolvedMarch 3, 2022 (March 3, 2022)
Ideology Right-libertarianism
Political position Right-wing [1]
Colours
  • Blue
  • green
Seats in Legislature
0 / 57

Manitoba First (French : Manitoba D'abord) was a provincial political party in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was registered by Elections Manitoba on March 24, 2016 and originally called the Manitoba Party. [2]

Contents

It ran 16 candidates in the 2016 general election, garnering 4,887 votes, or 1.1 per cent of the total vote. The party placed second in Arthur-Virden and Spruce Woods.

Steven Fletcher, [3] who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in 2016 as a Progressive Conservative, joined the party in August 2018 and became the party leader in September 2018, but did not seek re-election in the September 2019 general election.

On August 6, 2019, the party changed its name to Manitoba First and Douglas Petrick was listed as the new leader. [4] [5] In the 2019 election, the party won no seats.

The party deregistered on March 3, 2022. [6]

Leadership controversy

On August 13, 2018, then-independent MLA Steven Fletcher joined the Manitoba Party. [7] On September 11, 2018, Fletcher became leader of the Manitoba Party, despite the protestations of previous board members who claimed they were unaware of Fletcher's plans. [8] Two of these former board members filed court documents in December 2018, seeking Fletcher's ouster after claiming that the previous leader, Gary Marshall, "gave" Fletcher the leadership without authority, as Marshall had been removed as party leader following a unanimous vote during a board meeting in July 2018. Marshall claimed the board meeting never occurred, while Fletcher maintains he knew nothing about any internal disputes, and that the leadership change was done in accordance with the law. [9]

The party logo used when Steven Fletcher became leader in September 2018 until the party rebranded as Manitoba First in August 2019. MBPartyLogo.png
The party logo used when Steven Fletcher became leader in September 2018 until the party rebranded as Manitoba First in August 2019.

On May 22, 2019, Fletcher announced he would be running in the 2019 Canadian federal election as a candidate for the People's Party of Canada. He ran in the federal riding of Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, which he had previously represented from 2004 to 2015 as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada. [10] Subsequently, Fletcher resigned as leader of the party and David Sutherland, 2016 candidate in the riding of Dawson Trail, was listed as leader. [11]

2016 platform

In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in January 2016, then-leader Gary Marshall stated the new party is "...a party of tax cuts", [12] and its platform included a pledge to lower the provincial sales tax rate to 5 per cent from 8 percent, removal of PST charges on all food purchases, and changing the personal and business income tax rates to a flat 10 per cent, among other proposals. [13]

The party also proposed to remove all red light and speed cameras from intersections and mobile units, eradicate government regulations "... that impede trade and commerce", and changing how tax revenues are allocated among education, municipalities, and so on.

The original party logo under the Manitoba Party name used in the 2016 election. Manitoba Party Logo.svg
The original party logo under the Manitoba Party name used in the 2016 election.

Election results

ElectionLeaderVotes %SwingSeats % Seats+/–RankStatus
2016 [14] Gary Marshall4,8871.1New party
0 / 57
0Steady2.svg5thExtra-parliamentary
2019 [15] Douglas Petrick6470.1Decrease2.svg1.0
0 / 57
0Steady2.svg6thExtra-parliamentary

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Democratic Party of Manitoba</span> Provincial political party in Canada

The New Democratic Party of Manitoba, also branded as Manitoba's NDP, is a social democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation. It is currently the governing party in Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Pallister</span> 22nd Premier of Manitoba (2016-2021)

Brian William Pallister is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd premier of Manitoba from 2016 until 2021. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 2012 to 2021. He had been a cabinet minister in the provincial government of Gary Filmon and a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 to 2008.

Steven John Fletcher is a former Canadian politician. He served in senior roles in the Conservative Party of Canada in opposition and in government, including 5 years as a Federal Cabinet Minister. After four terms as a Member of Parliament, he served a term as a member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly for one term.

The Green Party of Manitoba ('GPM') is a green provincial political party in Manitoba, Canada, founded on November 11, 1998. The party is legally autonomous from the Green Party of Canada, though for several years many of its members also belonged to the Green Party of Canada in Manitoba, a federal organization established in 1996. The GPM has maintained a position as the fourth largest party in Manitoba since the 2003 election until the 2023 Manitoba general election, both in the number of votes received and candidates run.

Steven John Ashton is a British-born Canadian politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a long-serving member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, and was a long-time cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party governments led by premiers Gary Doer and Greg Selinger. He resigned from cabinet on December 22, 2014 to challenge Selinger for the leadership of the party. Ashton was eliminated from the race, after finishing last on the first ballot at the 2015 NDP leadership convention. Selinger was re-elected party leader on the second ballot. In 2017, Ashton ran for Manitoba NDP leader, losing to Wab Kinew, who became premier in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Maguire</span> Canadian politician

Larry Maguire is a politician and activist farmer in Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Progressive Conservative MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, he was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on November 25, 2013. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada and sits on the House Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. During the 43rd Canadian Parliament Maguire's Private member's bill, Bill C-208, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act was adopted.

Myrna Driedger is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1998 to 2023, and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2016 to 2023.

Mavis Taillieu is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 2003 to 2013, representing the opposition Progressive Conservative Party and served as the critic of Culture, Heritage and Tourism, Family Services and Housing, Immigration and Multiculturalism, Advanced education and Literacy, and Infrastructure and Transportation. She also was opposition house leader and caucus whip.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southdale (electoral district)</span> Provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada

Southdale is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in the provincial redistribution 1999, mostly out of Niakwa and part of St. Vital. The riding is located in the southeastern section of the City of Winnipeg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Whyte</span> Provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada

Fort Whyte is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in 1999, after the provincial electoral boundaries commission determined that southwestern Winnipeg had experienced enough population growth to deserve an extra seat. Fort Whyte was created from territory formerly belonging to the divisions of Tuxedo, Fort Garry and St. Norbert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Beddome</span> Manitoba Green Politician

James Robert Beddome is a Canadian lawyer and politician who was the former leader of the Green Party of Manitoba from November 2014 to March 2023. He has run in several elections for the provincial party, and was also the Green Party of Canada candidate in Winnipeg South Centre for the 2019 federal election. He works as lawyer in Manitoba.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Manitoba general election</span>

The 2016 Manitoba general election was held on April 19, 2016, to elect members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada. The New Democratic Party of Manitoba, led by Greg Selinger, were defeated by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba led by Brian Pallister, ending nearly 17 years of NDP government. The Progressive Conservatives won 40 seats, one of the largest majority governments in Manitoba history, the other one was in 1915 when Liberals also won 40 seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Manitoba general election</span>

The 2019 Manitoba general election was held on September 10, 2019, to elect the 57 members to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

The New Democratic Party of Manitoba leadership election of 2017 was called as a result of the resignation of Manitoba NDP leader Greg Selinger following his government's defeat in the April 19, 2016, Manitoba general election.

Bernadette Smith is a Canadian First Nations politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in a by-election on June 13, 2017. She represents the electoral district of Point Douglas as a member of the Manitoba New Democratic Party. In November 2023, Smith was named to the BBC's 100 Women list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interlake-Gimli</span> Provincial electoral district in Manitoba, Canada

Interlake-Gimli is a provincial electoral district in the Interlake region of Manitoba.

Jamie Moses is a Canadian politician who is the current Minister of Economic Development, Investment and Trade and Minister of Natural Resources for Manitoba since October 18, 2023. Since 2019, he has represented the St. Vital electoral district in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Moses is a member of the Manitoba New Democratic Party.

Mark Wasyliw is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2019 Manitoba general election. He represents the electoral district of Fort Garry.

The 2021 Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership election was held on October 30, 2021. The internal party election was called as a result of Premier Brian Pallister, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, announcing his resignation on August 10, 2021. As the Progressive Conservative Party had a majority in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, their new leader would automatically become the 24th premier of Manitoba.

The Manitoba Party is a defunct provincial political party. It was registered by Elections Manitoba on August 27, 2019, and originally called the Manitoba Forward Party.

References

  1. Annable, Kristin (April 26, 2016). "So-called fringe party garners game-changing votes". Winnipeg Free Press . Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  2. "Manitoba Party joins election fray". Winnipeg Sun . March 24, 2016.
  3. "About – Manitoba Party". themanitobaparty.ca.
  4. "Political Parties – 2019 Annual Report" (PDF). Elections Manitoba. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. "Political Parties". Internet Archive - Elections Manitoba. Archived from the original on December 4, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. "2022 Annual Report" (PDF). Elections Manitoba. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  7. "MLA Biographies - Living". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba . Government of Manitoba . Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  8. "Ousted Tory MLA Steven Fletcher takes reins as leader of Manitoba Party". CBC News . September 11, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  9. "Two Manitoba Party activists want judge to oust Steven Fletcher as leader". CBC News . September 14, 2018. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
  10. "Manitoba MLA Steven Fletcher to run for People's Party of Canada". CBC News . May 22, 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  11. "Registered Parties in Manitoba". Elections Manitoba . Retrieved June 2, 2019.
  12. "More tax cuts the 'answer to all' Manitoba's problems, new party says". CBC News . January 23, 2016.
  13. "Our Platform". The Manitoba Party. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  14. "2016 Election Summary". Elections Manitoba. Retrieved March 2, 2019.
  15. "2019 Election Summary" (PDF). Elections Manitoba. Retrieved May 29, 2020.