Manitoba general election, 1988

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Manitoba general election, 1988
Flag of Manitoba.svg
←  1986 April 26, 1988 1990  →
57 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
29 seats were needed for a majority
 First partySecond partyThird party
 PCLIB Gary Doer 2014.jpg
Leader Gary Filmon Sharon Carstairs Gary Doer
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since December 10, 1983 March 4, 1984 March 30, 1988
Leader's seat Tuxedo River Heights Concordia
Last election26130
Seats won252012
Seat changeDecrease2.svg1Increase2.svg19Decrease2.svg18
Popular vote206,180190,913126,954
Percentage38.37%35.52%23.62%
SwingDecrease2.svg2.19Increase2.svg21.60%Decrease2.svg17.88%
MB1988.PNG
Map of Election Results
Premier before election

Howard Pawley
New Democratic

Premier-designate

Gary Filmon
Progressive Conservative

The Manitoba general election of April 26, 1988 [1] was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a minority government. The Progressive Conservative Party won 25 seats, against 20 for the Liberal Party and 12 for the New Democratic Party.

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba form the Legislature of Manitoba, Canada

The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the Queen of Canada in Right of Manitoba, represented by the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba form the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post voting. The Manitoba Legislative Building is located in central Winnipeg, at the meeting point of the Wolseley and Fort Rouge constituencies.

Manitoba Province of Canada

Manitoba is a province at the longitudinal centre of Canada. It is often considered one of the three prairie provinces and is Canada's fifth-most populous province with its estimated 1.3 million people. Manitoba covers 649,950 square kilometres (250,900 sq mi) with a widely varied landscape, stretching from the northern oceanic coastline to the southern border with the United States. The province is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territories of Nunavut to the north, and Northwest Territories to the northwest, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south.

A minority government, or minority cabinet or minority parliament, is a cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament. It is sworn into office, with or without the formal support of other parties, to enable a government to be formed. Under such a government, legislation can only be passed with the support of enough other members of the legislature to provide a majority, encouraging multi-partisanship. In bicameral parliaments, the term relates to the situation in chamber whose confidence is considered most crucial to the continuance in office of the government.

Contents

Background

The election was called unexpectedly in early 1988, after disgruntled NDP backbencher Jim Walding voted against his government's budget on March 9, 1988. Walding's defection in an almost evenly divided house resulted in Howard Pawley's NDP government being defeated, 28 votes to 27. As the budget vote was a confidence measure, the Pawley ministry was forced to resign and call new elections two years ahead of schedule.

Derek James Walding was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1971 to 1988, and served as speaker of the assembly from 1982 to 1986. Walding was a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP). In 1988, he brought down the NDP government of Howard Pawley by voting against his party's budget. This was the first time in Canadian history that a majority government was defeated by a vote of one of its own party members.

Howard Pawley politician

Howard Russell Pawley, was a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.

Popular support for the NDP was at an historically low level when the election was called, due to soaring Autopac rates and a taxpayer-funded bailout of the Manitoba Telephone System. The Pawley government's support for the Meech Lake Accord was also unpopular in some circles. One internal poll had the party at only 6% support, and there were concerns that they could be reduced to only two or three seats in the 57-seat legislature. Pawley resigned as party leader on the day after the budget defeat, and Urban Affairs Minister Gary Doer narrowly defeated Agriculture Minister Leonard Harapiak to replace him at a party convention held during the campaign. [2] [3]

Meech Lake lake in Canada

Meech Lake is located within Gatineau Park in the Municipality of Chelsea, Quebec, Canada. The lake was named after Reverend Asa Meech, an early settler in this area.

Gary Doer Canadian politician

Gary Albert Doer, is a Canadian former politician and diplomat from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States from October 19, 2009 to March 3, 2016. Doer previously served as the 20th Premier of Manitoba from 1999 to 2009, leading a New Democratic Party government.

Pawley himself announced he would enter federal politics did not seek re-election in his own seat. In an unusual arrangement, the outgoing premier remained in office until after the election. Even after Doer's selection, the consensus was that the NDP would not be reelected. However, they managed to stabilize at around 20% in the polls. Many traditional NDP voters, especially in the city of Winnipeg, abandoned the party to support the Liberals in this cycle.

Issues

The Progressive Conservatives, led by Gary Filmon, ran on a platform of saving revenue by selling public corporations, including ManOil and Manfor. Filmon also promised to scrap the province's Public Investment Corporation entirely. The Liberals also promised more prudent fiscal management, but did not propose to sell these crown corporations. Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs was also known as a prominent opponent of the Meech Lake Accord.

Gary Albert Filmon is Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th Premier of Manitoba from 1988 to 1999.

Sharon Carstairs is a Canadian politician and former Senator.

The NDP, which retained a support base in the north of the province, promised to create northern training centres in Thompson and The Pas.

Thompson, Manitoba City in Manitoba, Canada

Thompson is the largest city in the Northern Region of Manitoba and is situated along the Burntwood River, 761 kilometers north of Winnipeg. Originally founded in 1956 as a mining town, Thompson now primarily serves as the "Hub of the North", providing goods and services to the surrounding communities.

The national abortion debate also surfaced in this campaign, although none of the major parties put forward a clear position on the issue. Although Filmon was personally pro-life, the Progressive Conservatives were unwilling to propose specific action on the subject, and withdrew from an early promise to close Henry Morgentaler's private clinic. The Liberals favoured counselling, including a focus on adoption. The NDP emphasized prevention and support services for poorer women who choose to continue their pregnancies.

Henry Morgentaler Canadian champion of womens right to safe, legal abortion

Henekh "Henry" Morgentaler,, was a Jewish Polish-born Canadian physician and pro-choice advocate who fought numerous legal battles aimed at expanding abortion rights in Canada. As a youth during World War II, Morgentaler was imprisoned at the Łódź Ghetto and later at the Dachau concentration camp.

The small Progressive Party promised balanced budgets, opposed affirmative action, and was against government interference in negotiations between trade unions and management.

Campaign

The Progressive Conservatives entered the election with a significant lead in the polls, but saw their support undercut by the Liberals in the campaign's final weeks. Before the party leaders' debate, a Winnipeg Free Press poll indicated that 40% of voters considered Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs as the best choice for Premier, with 24% favouring Progressive Conservative Gary Filmon and 19% favouring NDP leader Gary Doer. 17% were undecided.

Carstairs performed well in the leaders' debate, and did much to improve her party's popularity as the campaign reached its end.

Results

The Liberal Party performed well in Winnipeg, winning 19 out of 29 seats in that city and picking up ridings from both the NDP and Tories, and nearly managed to oust Filmon in his own Winnipeg-area riding. The party won only one seat outside Winnipeg, however, in the urban community of Selkirk.

In terms of the popular vote, the Progressive Conservatives actually lost support from the last election although dominated the rural southern portion of the province, a traditional Tory stronghold. They made some inroads into traditional NDP territory immediately north of Winnipeg. The party also won six seats in Winnipeg, and took the northern seat of Swan River from the NDP.

The New Democrats managed to retain four seats in Winnipeg, five in the north, the mid-northern ridings of Dauphin and Interlake, and Brandon East in the south of the province. It is still the worst defeat that an NDP government has suffered in Manitoba.

Exit polls later revealed that new voters (i.e. immigrants and first-time voters) had polled strongly for the Liberals in Winnipeg.

Although Pawley had stood down from the legislature and his party was reduced to third place, by constitutional convention he retained the right to remain in office until the NDP was defeated in the legislature (which he and his party did not attempt to exercise) and also the right to advise whether the Lieutenant Governor should appoint Filmon or Carstairs as the new premier upon leaving office. Doer also could have attempted to negotiate a coalition. Instead, the Tories assumed power after the NDP unofficially agreed to tolerate a Tory minority government. As a result, Pawley finally resigned as Premier on May 9 and formally advised the Lieutenant Governor to appoint Filmon his successor.

PartyParty Leader# of
candidates		SeatsPopular Vote
Before1Elected% Change#%Change
  Progressive Conservative Gary Filmon 572625-3.85%206,18038.37%-2.19
  Liberal Sharon Carstairs 57120+1900%190,91335.52%+21.60
  New Democratic Gary Doer 573012-60.0%126,95423.62%-17.88
Confederation of Regions Dennis Heeney 14---7,1001.32%-1.12
Western Independence Fred Cameron16---2,4420.45%+0.45
Progressive Sidney Green 6---9750.18%-0.33
Libertarian Clancy Smith6---5010.09%+0.09
Communist Lorne Robson 5---2610.05%-0.03
 Independent112--100%2,0840.39%-0.46
Total2295757-537,410100% 

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.

Riding results

Electoral DistrictCandidates Incumbent
 NDP PC LiberalOther
Arthur Goldwyn Jones
575		 Jim Downey
4,359		Douglas Mosset
2,171		Ross Meggison (CoR)
863		Jim Downey
Assiniboia Robert Johannson
1,031		 Ric Nordman
3,731		 Ed Mandrake
3,918		Linda Cress (WIP)
166		Ric Nordman
Brandon East Leonard Evans
3,512		Jim Armstrong
2,859		Lois Fjeldsted
2,260		Garth Shurvell (Ind)
208		Leonard Evans
Brandon West Ishbel Solvason
2,313		 James McCrae
5,039		John Worley
3,618		James McCrae
Burrows Doug Martindale
3,005		 Allan Yap
1,040		 William Chornopyski
3,114		Michael Kibzey (Ind)
129
Lorne Robson (Comm)
79		 Conrad Santos
Charleswood Bruno Zimmer
1,180		 Jim Ernst
6,670		Shari Nelson
5,850		David Hollins (Ind)
158		Jim Ernst
Churchill Jay Cowan
2,396		Wayne Wittmeier
1,019		George Kernaghan
714		Jay Cowan
Concordia Gary Doer
3,702		Vic Rubiletz
2,634		Barbara Blomeley
2,948		Bill Seman (Ind)
358
Fred Cameron (WIP)
114
Charles Henry (P)
61		Gary Doer
Dauphin John Plohman
3,983		Russell Secord
3,435		Peter Rampton
2,475		John Plohman
Ellice Harvey Smith
2,457		Alex Arenson
1,538		 Avis Gray
3,081		Susan Caine (WIP)
109		Harvey Smith
Elmwood Jim Maloway
3,012		Frank Syms
1,920		Ed Price
2,839		Russ Letkeman (Lbt)
113		Jim Maloway
Emerson Kurt Penner
1,407		 Albert Driedger
5,027		Martin Stadler
2,615		Jake Wall (CoR)
366		Albert Driedger
Flin Flon Jerry Storie
2,948		Gordon Mitchell
1,563		Brian King
867		Jerry Storie
Fort Garry Brian Pannell
1,553		 Charlie Birt
5,173		 Laurie Evans
6,055		Ivan Merritt (WIP)
173
Millie Lamb (Comm)
45		Charlie Birt

Fort Rouge

Roland Penner
2,912		Robert Haier
2,303		 Jim Carr
5,127		Gordon Pratt (P)
75
Dennis Owens (Lbt)
66		Roland Penner
Gimli John Bucklaschuk
3,352		 Ed Helwer
4,716		Morley Murray
2,347		Eugene Klochko (WIP)
261		John Bucklaschuk
Gladstone Fred Tait
509		 Charlotte Oleson
3,760		 Cordell Barker
2,132		Brian Hildebrandt (CoR)
759		Charlotte Oleson
Inkster Don Scott
4,098		Resty Taruc
2,151		 Kevin Lamoureux
4,466		Nancy Watkins (Comm)
64		Don Scott
Interlake Bill Uruski
3,057		Ed Dandeneau
2,810		Clyde Sigurdson
1,777		Bill Uruski
Kildonan Marty Dolin
4,542		John Baluta
5,068		 Gulzar Cheema
5,653		 Sidney Green (P)
445
Tracy Fuhr (WIP)
133		Marty Dolin
Kirkfield Park Hamish Gavin
868		 Gerrie Hammond
5,269		Irene Friesen
5,014		Gerrie Hammond
Lac du Bonnet Clarence Baker
2,911		 Darren Praznik
3,773		Peter Raymond
2,411		Clarence Baker
Lakeside Eduard Hiebert
972		 Harry Enns
4,475		Delmer Nott
2,828		Cam Baldwin (CoR)
864		Harry Enns
La Verendrye Walter McDowell
708		 Helmut Pankratz
4,377		Cornelius E. Goertzen
2,948		Helmut Pankratz
Logan Maureen Hemphill
2,646		Linda Thomson
1,085		John Dobbin
1,660		Barry Marchand (Ind)
81
Frank Goldspink (Comm)
46		Maureen Hemphill
Minnedosa Susan Proven
1,476		 Harold Gilleshammer
3,669		Terry Drebit
2,496		 Dennis Heeney (CoR)
820		 Dave Blake
Morris Clifford Hodgins
449		 Clayton Manness
4,578		Barbara Plas
1,832		Raymond Switzer (CoR)
597
Jeffrey Plas (Ind)
57		Clayton Manness
Niakwa Stan Williams
2,026		 Abe Kovnats
7,222		 Herold Driedger
8,576		Lyle Cruickshank (WIP)
237		Abe Kovnats
Osborne Muriel Smith
2,753		 Rosemary Vodrey
2,421		 Reg Alcock
4,334		Clancy Smith (Lbt)
145		Muriel Smith
Pembina Hans Wittich
382		 Don Orchard
6,043		Marilyn Skubovius
2,171		Abe Giesbrecht (CoR)
499		Don Orchard
Portage la Prairie Bill Zettler
722		 Ed Connery
4,020		Darlene Hamm
2,812		 Irene Armishaw (CoR)
603		Ed Connery
Radisson Gerard Lecuyer
3,113		John Samborski
3,049		 Allan Patterson
4,918		Gerard Lecuyer
Rhineland Reg Loeppky
341		 Jack Penner
5,166		Walter Hebert
1,059		 Arnold Brown
Riel Bob Ages
1,834		 Gerry Ducharme
4,289		Chris Sigurdson
3,965		John Hiebert (CoR)
121
Neil Knight (WIP)
75		Gerry Ducharme
River East Michael Dyck
3,019		 Bonnie Mitchelson
7,563		Morley Golden
3,805		Niel Friesen (WIP)
233		Bonnie Mitchelson
River Heights Harry Daniels
1,036		Bob Vandewater
3,373		 Sharon Carstairs
6,620		Jim Weidman (Lbt)
62		Sharon Carstairs
Roblin-Russell Dennis Trinder
1,973		 Len Derkach
4,030		Neil Stewart
2,513		Len Derkach
Rossmere Vic Schroeder
3,424		 Harold Neufeld
3,950		Cecilia Connelly
2,851		Chris Dondo (WIP)
146		Vic Schroeder
Rupertsland Elijah Harper
2,206		Joe Guy Wood
1,419		Maurice Berens
638		Elijah Harper
St. Boniface Lorette Beaudry-Ferland
2,061		Guy Savoie
1,586		 Neil Gaudry
5,743		 Laurent Desjardins
St. James Allan MacDonald
2,171		Jae Eadie
3,360		 Paul Edwards
3,939		Fred Debrecen (CoR)
137
Charles Lamont (P)
74
Dennis Rice (Lbt)
69
Merle Hartlin (WIP)
62		 Al Mackling
St. Johns Judy Wasylycia-Leis
3,092		Lynn Filbert
1,222		Ruth Oberman
2,480		Cyril Fogel (P)
171
Roy Price (Ind)
68
Gerald Zucawich (Ind)
35		Judy Wasylycia-Leis
St. Norbert Bennetta Benson
1,460		 Gerry Mercier
5,695		 John Angus
6,073		Gerry Mercier
St. Vital Gerri Unwin
2,282		Paul Herriot
3,614		 Bob Rose
4,431		Katharina Cameron (WIP)
123
Trevor Wiebe (Lbt)
46		 Jim Walding
Ste. Rose Gerald Follows
1,464		 Glen Cummings
3,723		Brent Johnson
2,631		David Mutch
249		Glen Cummings
Selkirk Terry Sargeant
3,637		Eugene Kinaschuk
3,138		 Gwen Charles
3,821		Ruth VanKoeveringe (WIP)
214		 Howard Pawley
Seven Oaks Eugene Kostyra
3,553		George Finkle
1,636		 Mark Minenko
3,885		Eugene Kostyra
Springfield Andy Anstett
3,749		 Gilles Roch
5,815		Lance Laufer
3,806		Gilles Roch
Sturgeon Creek Len Sawatsky
993		 Frank Johnston
4,174		 Iva Yeo
4,833		Hugh Buskell (CoR)
158
Nigel Hanrahan (Comm)
27		Frank Johnston
Swan River Len Harapiak
3,446		 Parker Burrell
4,115		Don Dennis
653		Len Harapiak
The Pas Harry Harapiak
3,221		Bruce Unfried
1,584		Scott Gray
1,426		Harry Harapiak
Thompson Steve Ashton
2,992		Ken Collin
1,989		Janice Pronteau
1,240		Steve Ashton
Transcona Wilson Parasiuk
3,191		Bill Omiucke
2,270		 Richard Kozak
3,900		Ray Hargreaves (Ind)
121		Wilson Parasiuk
Turtle Mountain John Miller
446		 Denis Rocan
3,208		Ross McMillan
2,610		Rod Stephenson (Ind)
767
Harold Parsonage (CoR)
476
Bill Harrison (Ind)
102
William Comer (WIP)
87		Denis Rocan
Tuxedo Catherine Hofman
714		 Gary Filmon
6,427		Jasper McKee
6,303		R. EisBrenner (WIP)
149		Gary Filmon
Virden Louise Leask
967		 Glen Findlay
4,459		Bill Davison
2,043		Alex Gabrielle (CoR)
588
Terry Drul (WIP)
160		Glen Findlay
Wolseley Myrna Phillips
3,112		Kirk Stanley
1,579		 Harold Taylor
3,618		Derek Shettler (P)
149		Myrna Phillips

Post-election changes

Gilles Roch (PC) becomes (L) on September 8, 1988.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "26 April, Today in Canadian history".
  2. ↑ Rastin, Sandra; Reshef, Yonatan (2003). Unions in the time of revolution: government restructuring in Alberta and Ontario. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. pp. 254–5. ISBN   0-8020-8753-1.
  3. ↑ Adams, Christopher P. (2008). Politics in Manitoba: parties, leaders, and voters. [Winnipeg]: University of Manitoba Press. ISBN   0-88755-704-X.
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