MANITOBA GENERAL ELECTION, 1990

(Redirected from Manitoba provincial election, 1990)
The 'Manitoba general election of September 11, 1990' was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, which took 30 out of 57 seats. The New Democratic Party finished second with 20, while the Liberal Party fell from 21 to 7.

Contents

Background

Issues

The campaign

Results

See also

Constituency results

Post-election changes

Background

The 1990 election took place against the backdrop of the failed Meech Lake constitutional accord, which sought to clarify Quebec's position within Canada. The accord, which was signed in 1988, required passage by the federal government and the ten provincial governments before June 23, 1990 to become law. Although Manitoba Premier Howard Pawley had approved the accord in 1987, his government did not bring it before the legislature before their surprise defeat in 1988.
Pawley's replacement, PC leader Gary Filmon, was less inclined to support the deal, and requested that certain aspects be re-negotiated before his government would grant approval. After some reluctance, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney allowed re-negotiations with all provincial Premiers, and convinced Filmon to introduce the accord to the Manitoba legislature shortly before the scheduled deadline. Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs and NDP leader Gary Doer were also willing to support the revised deal.
Some members of Doer's caucus still opposed the accord, however. When it was put before the legislature, NDP MLA Elijah Harper refused to grant unanimous leave for emergency debate, on the grounds that the deal did not recognize the position of aboriginals in Canada's constitutional framework. Harper, the first Treaty Indian to serve in the Manitoba legislature, was strongly supported by aboriginal leaders such as Phil Fontaine and Ovide Mercredi, and continued his protest in the legislature during the following weeks. With assistance from former parliamentary clerk Gord Mackintosh, Harper was able to delay the legislative process until the accord simply could not be passed on time. Harper became a national celebrity, and polls showed that most English-speaking Canadians supported his stand.
Ironically, Gary Filmon's Tories may have benefitted from Harper's actions. Filmon was a long-time opponent of the accord, and was a fairly tepid supporter even after the renegotiated compromise was reached. Subsequently, Filmon used the accord's failure to highlight differences between himself and Mulroney, who was becoming increasingly unpopular as Prime Minister.

Issues

Filmon's Progressive Conservatives made the fewest promises of any major party. Their platform called for an end to abuse of the elderly in retirement homes, environmental initiatives, and low-cost economic development. They proposed to cut the size of the Winnipeg City Council, and vowed not to raise taxes.
The Liberals focused on economic issues, promising a major investment in job training, research and development, and business support. They also proposed to cut the Winnipeg Council, create government grants for tourism and adult education, and restore Tory cuts to health and other programs.
The NDP platform focused on workers' concerns, the environment, preventative health programs and housing. They supported an increase in the minimum wage, affirmative actions programs, and laws which would make it expensive to shut down plants in Manitoba. The also promised not to raise taxes, and opposed the safe of Manfor Ltd., a Crown corporation owned by the Province of Manitoba.
The small Progressive Party opposed affirmative action and the proposal to recognize in the Canadian constitution the Province of Quebec as a "distinct society" within Canada.

The campaign

A poll published in the ''Winnipeg Free Press'' indicated that the NDP were the most trusted party on economic issues, followed by the Tories. The NDP were still damaged from their poor showing in the 1988 election, however, and began the campaign in third place. The struggle for government initially appeared to be between the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.
The Liberals ran a weak campaign, however, and were overtaken by the NDP after a strong performance from Gary Doer in the leaders' debate. Doer further increased the NDP's standing in the last weeks of the campaign by highlighting the connections between Filmon and the Mulroney government on a number of issues. The NDP's return to official opposition status was regarded as a major development after their near-collapse in 1988.

Results

The Tories continued their dominance in Manitoba's rural south, winning every seat in the region. They also won 13 of 31 seats in Winnipeg and a few ridings to the city's immediate north, enough to provide the party with a majority government.
The NDP won 11 seats in Winnipeg, and swept the province's north. They also won four seats in the mid-northern region, and retained Brandon East, their lone southern riding outside of Winnipeg.
All seven seats won by the Liberals were in Winnipeg, mostly in the centre and northwest of the city.

Party		Party Leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular Vote
				Before1	'Elected'	% Change	#	%	Change	Progressive Conservative	Gary Filmon	57	24	'30'	+25.0%	206,810	41.99%	+3.62	New Democratic	Gary Doer	57	12	'20'	+66.7%	141,328	28.80%	+5.18	Liberal	Sharon Carstairs	57	21	'7'	-66.7%	138,146	28.15%	-7.37	Confederation of Regions	Irene Armishaw (president)	5	-	-	-	1,564	0.32%	-1.00	Western Independence	Fred Cameron	6	-	-	-	1,355	0.28%	-0.17	Progressive	Sidney Green	5	-	-	-	1,163	0.24%	+0.06	Libertarian	Clancy Smith	5	-	-	-	637	0.13%	+0.04	Communist	Frank Goldspink (organizer)	1	-	-	-	25	0.00%	-0.05	Independent		5	-	-	-	450	0.09%	-0.30
'Total'			198	'57'	'57'	'-'	490,690	'100%'

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.

See also

★ List of Manitoba political parties

Constituency results

Party key:

★ 'PC': Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba

★ 'L': Manitoba Liberal Party

★ 'NDP': New Democratic Party of Manitoba

★ 'P': Progressive Party of Manitoba

★ 'Comm': Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba

★ 'WIP': Western Independence Party of Manitoba

★ 'CoR': Confederation of Regions Party of Manitoba

★ 'R': Manitoba Reform Party (see 1992 by-elections; this was a renamed Confederation of Regions Party)

★ 'Lbt': Libertarian Party of Manitoba

★ 'Ind': Independent
x - denotes incumbent
Arthur-Virden:

★ (x)Jim Downey (PC) 4773

★ Glen McKinnon (L) 2085

★ Goldwyn Jones (NDP) 1197
Brandon East:

★ (x)Len Evans (NDP) 4760

★ Ron Arnst (PC) 3216

★ Brenda Avlontis (L) 919
Brandon West:

★ (x)James McCrae (PC) 4736

★ Shari Decter-Hirst (NDP) 2374

★ Abby Hampton (L) 1428
Broadway:

★ Conrad Santos (NDP) 2508

★ (x)Avis Gray (L) 2400

★ Craig Johnson (PC) 1570
Charleswood:

★ (x)Jim Ernst (PC) 5419

★ Ken Brown (L) 2912

★ Toni Vosters (NDP) 1084
Concordia:
Crescentwood:

★ (x)Jim Carr (L) 4588

★ Tom DeNardi (PC) 3278

★ Neil Cohen (NDP) 2184
Dauphin:

★ (x)John Plohman (NDP) 4802

★ Martin Bidzinski (PC) 3424

★ Peter Rampton (L) 1608

'Elmwood'
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	New Democratic Party	(x)Jim Maloway	4,127	46.98	Progressive Conservative	Vic Toews	3,035	34.55	Liberal	Ed Price	1,623	18.47
Total valid votes			8,785	100.00
Rejected ballots			35
Turnout			8,820	71.63

Emerson:

★ (x)Jack Penner (PC) 4529

★ Real Tetrault (L) 1739

★ Georgine Spooner (NDP) 1055
Flin Flon:

★ (x)Jerry Storie (NDP) 4153

★ Ron Black (PC) 1126

★ Pascal Bighetty (L) 733
Fort Garry:

★ Rosemary Vodrey (PC) 5105

★ (x)Laurie Evans (L) 3992

★ Shirley Lord (NDP) 1500

★ Jan Mandreth (WIP) 249
Gimli:

★ (x)Ed Helwer (PC) 5118

★ Tom Hughes (NDP) 2666

★ Darlene Skarito (L) 1978
Gladstone:

★ (x)Denis Rocan (PC) 4371

★ Cordell Barker (L) 1812

★ Michael Newnan (NDP) 788

★ Warren Murray (CoR) 410
Inkster:

★ (x)Kevin Lamoureux (L) 3602

★ Ajit Deol (NDP) 2637

★ Raj Mehta (PC) 1416

★ Gordon Haddad (WIP) 198
Interlake:

★ Clif Evans (NDP) 2941

★ Ed Trachuk (PC) 2533

★ Duncan Geisler (L) 1781
Kildonan:

★ Dave Chomiak (NDP) 3904

★ David Langtry (PC) 3694

★ Claudia Sarbit (L) 2711

★ Sidney Green (P) 570
Kirkfield Park:

★ Eric Stefanson (PC) 5813

★ Jasper McKee (L) 3430

★ Shirley Manson (NDP) 1035

★ Frank Goldspink (Comm) 25
Lac du Bonnet:

★ (x)Darren Praznik (PC) 5162

★ Leonard Kolton (NDP) 3142

★ Frank Thibedeau (L) 1309
Lakeside:

★ (x)Harry Enns (PC) 3719

★ Delmer Nott (L) 1936

★ Eduard Hiebert (NDP) 1248

★ Irene Armishaw (CoR) 486

★ Dennis Rice (Lbt) 95
La Verendrye:

★ Ben Sveinson (PC) 3731

★ Clair Noel (L) 2718

★ Ronald Fiola (NDP) 1938
Minnedosa:

★ (x)Harold Gilleshammer (PC) 4294

★ Terry Drebit (L) 2203

★ Sean Espey (NDP) 1605
Morris:

★ (x)Clayton Manness (PC) 5353

★ Bill Roth (L) 2036

★ Gary Nelson (NDP) 721

★ Mark Edmondson (CoR) 302
Niakwa:

★ Jack Reimer (PC) 4950

★ Linda Asper (L) 4301

★ Michael Simpson (NDP) 1394

'Osborne'
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Liberal	(x)Reg Alcock	3,941	40.21	New Democratic Party	Donald Bailey	2,861	29.19	Progressive Conservative	Sondra Braid	2,859	29.17	Libertarian	Jim Weidman	139	1.42
Total valid votes			9,800	100.00
Rejected ballots			41
Turnout			9,841	71.64

Pembina:

★ (x)Donald Orchard (PC) 5497

★ Marilyn Skubovius (L) 833

★ Bert Siemens (NDP) 652

'Point Douglas'
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	New Democratic Party	George Hickes	2,778	54.72	Liberal	Errol Lewis	1,550	30.53	Progressive Conservative	Calvin Pompana	575	11.33	Independent	William Hawryluk	108	2.13	Independent	Roy Price	66	1.30
Total valid votes			5,077	100.00
Rejected ballots			71
Turnout			5,148	60.92

Portage La Prairie:

★ (x)Edward Connery (PC) 4276

★ Darlene Hamm (L) 2329

★ Arden Campbell (NDP) 1092

★ Roy Lyall (CoR) 243
Radisson:

★ Marianne Cerilli (NDP) 4055

★ Mike Thompson (PC) 2692

★ (x)Allan Patterson (L) 1925
Riel:

★ (x)Gerry Ducharme (PC) 3756

★ Ed Benjamin (L) 2874

★ Bob Agnes (NDP) 2041
River East:

★ (x)Bonnie Mitchelson (PC) 4963

★ Rob DeGroot (NDP) 2489

★ Edna Mattson (L) 1960
River Heights:

★ (x)Sharon Carstairs (L) 5467

★ Shaun McCaffrey (PC) 4601

★ Peter Sim (NDP) 1190

★ Clancy Smith (Lbt) 138
Roblin-Russell:

★ (x)Len Derkach (PC) 4382

★ William Nicholson (NDP) 2238

★ Neil Stewart (L) 1757
Rossmere:

★ (x)Harold Neufeld (PC) 3893

★ Maxine Hamilton (NDP) 2725

★ Terry Duguid (L) 2416

★ Kathrina Cameron (WIP) 163
Rupertsland:

★ (x)Elijah Harper (NDP) 3798

★ Hugh Wynne (PC) 804

★ George Kernaghan (L) 307
St. Boniface:

★ (x)Neil Gaudry (L) 4928

★ Robert Gooding (NDP) 2046

★ Henri Marcoux (PC) 1921
St. James:

★ (x)Paul Edwards (L) 3014

★ Joanne Thibault (PC) 2719

★ Len Sawatsky (NDP) 2586

★ Charles Lamont (P) 148

★ Fred Debrecen (CoR) 122
St. Johns:

★ (x)Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP) 4312

★ (x)Mark Minenko (L) 2414

★ Lynn Filbert (PC) 1502
St. Norbert:

★ Marcel Laurendeau (PC) 4502

★ (x)John Angus (L) 4385

★ Andrew Sawatsky (NDP) 1011
St. Vital:

★ Shirley Render (PC) 3361

★ (x)Bob Rose (L) 3243

★ Kathleen McCallum (NDP) 2368

★ Doug Browning (WIP) 288
Ste. Rose:

★ (x)Glen Cummings (PC) 3646

★ Ivan Traill (L) 1882

★ Sam Voisey (NDP) 1540
Seine River:

★ Louise Dacquay (PC) 4465

★ (x)Herold Driedger (L) 4418

★ Keith Kendall (NDP) 1792

★ Lyle Cruickshank (WIP) 289
Selkirk:

★ Gregory Dewar (NDP) 3735

★ Russ Farrell (PC) 3467

★ (x)Gwen Charles (L) 3009
Springfield:

★ (x)Glen Findlay (PC) 5146

★ Deborah Barron-McNabb (NDP) 3374

★ Bob Strong (L) 1958
Steinbach:

★ (x)Albert Driedger (PC) 5540

★ Cornelius Goertzen (L) 1171

★ Marcel Lagasse (NDP) 483

★ Ken McAllister (Lbt) 130
Sturgeon Creek:

★ Gerry McAlpine (PC) 4676

★ (x)Iva Yeo (L) 3907

★ Andrew Swan (NDP) 1471
Swan River:

★ Rosann Wowchuk (NDP) 3872

★ (x)Park Burrell (PC) 3639

★ June Connolly-Peyton (L) 963
The Maples:

★ (x)Gulzar Cheema (L) 3293

★ Norman Isler (PC) 2694

★ Tony Valeri (NDP) 2260
The Pas:

★ Oscar Lathlin (NDP) 3390

★ Alfred McDonald (PC) 3247

★ David Merasty (L) 1005
Thompson:

★ (x)Steve Ashton (NDP) 4088

★ Loretta Clarke (PC) 2043

★ Don McIvor (L) 698
Transcona:

★ Daryl Reid (NDP) 4363

★ (x)Richard Kozak (L) 2554

★ Ray Hargreaves (PC) 1732

★ Thomas Bunn (P) 168
Turtle Mountain:

★ Bob Rose (PC) 4702

★ Doug Collins (L) 2091

★ Robert Smith (NDP) 1047

★ Rod Stephenson (Ind) 173
Tuxedo:

★ (x)Gary Filmon (PC) 7861

★ Campbell Wright (L) 3281

★ Rosemary Ahoff (NDP) 926
Wellington:

★ Becky Barrett (NDP) 3484

★ Ernie Gilroy (L) 2324

★ Clyde Perry (PC) 1584

★ Neil Schipper (P) 128

★ Walter Diawol (Ind) 68

★ Stephen Keki (Ind) 35
Wolseley:

★ Jean Friesen (NDP) 3265

★ (x)Harold Taylor (L) 2520

★ Fay Campbell (PC) 1503

★ Gordon Pratt (P) 149

Post-election changes

Crescentwood (res. Jim Carr, February 1992), September 15, 1992:

★ Avis Gray (L) 2697

★ Tim Sale (NDP) 2256

★ Jenny Hillard (PC) 1995

★ Sidney Green (Progressive) 900

★ Ken Carver (R) 97

★ Dennis Rice (Lbt) 19
Edward Connery (PC, Portage la Prairie) resigned his seat on June 23, 1992. A by-election was called for September 15, 1992.
|-
|Progressive Conservative
|Brian Pallister
|align="right"|3,226
|align="right"|51.56
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$17,992.91
|Liberal
|Helen Christoffersen
|align="right"|1,995
|align="right"|31.88
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$12,952.25
|New Democratic Party
|Ralph Jackson
|align="right"|648
|align="right"|10.36
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$13,381.00
|Reform
|Fred Debrecen
|align="right"|388
|align="right"|6.20
|align="right"|
|align="right"|$0.00
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Total valid votes
!align="right"|6,257
!align="right"|100.00
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Rejected ballots
!align="right"|20
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|- bgcolor="white"
!align="right" colspan=3|Turnout
!align="right"|6,277
!align="right"|53.81
!align="right"|
!align="right"|
|}
Rupertsland (res. Elijah Harper, November 30, 1992), September 21, 1993:

★ Eric Robinson (NDP) 1697

★ George Munroe (L) 1023

★ Eric Kennedy (PC) 614
Rossmere (res. Harold Neufeld, May 12, 1993), September 21, 1993:

★ Harry Schellenberg (NDP) 2990

★ Ed Martens (PC) 2159

★ Sherry Wiebe (L) 1590

★ Cynthia Cooke (Ind) 186
The Maples (res. Gulzar Cheema, June 17, 1993), September 21, 1993

★ Gary Kowalski (L) 3619

★ Norma Walker (NDP) 2138

★ David Langtry (PC) 1362
Osborne (res. Reg Alcock, July 30, 1993), September 21, 1993:

★ Norma McCormick (L) 2966

★ Irene Haigh (NDP) 2420

★ Roger Young (PC) 1496
St. Johns (res. Judy Wasylycia-Leis, August 12, 1993), September 21, 1993:

★ Gord Mackintosh (NDP) 3232

★ Naty Yankech (L) 878

★ June Robertson (PC) 465

★ Neil Schipper (P) 241
Flin Flon (res. Jerry Storie, July 20, 1994)
River Heights (Sharon Carstairs appointed to the Senate of Canada,
September 15, 1994)