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The election of September 11, 1990 in Manitoba, Canada was won by the Progressive Conservatives, who took 30 out of 57 seats. The New Democratic Party finished second with 20, while the Liberals fell from 21 to 7.
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 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.
The 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.
The small Progressive Party opposed affirmative actions and "distinct status" claims within Canada.
The campaign Polls indicated that the NDP were the most trusted party on economic issues, followed by the Tories. The NDP were still damaged from their poor performance in the 1988 campaign, however, and began the election in third place. The struggle for government appeared to be between the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.
The Liberals ran a weak campaign, however, and were overtaken by the NDP following a strong performance from Gary Doer in the leaders' debate. Doer increased the NDP's standings in the last weeks of the campaign, and succeeded in linking Filmon with Mulroney's 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.
The 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.
See also: List of Manitoba general elections
Provincial results
Riding-by-riding results Party key: Arthur-Virden: - (x)Jim Downey (PC) 4773
- Glen McKinnon (L) 2085
- Goldwyn Jones (NDP) 1197
Assiniboia: 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: Burrows: Charleswood: - (x)Jim Ernst (PC) 5419
- Ken Brown (L) 2912
- Toni Vosters (NDP) 1084
Concordia: - (x)Gary Doer (NDP) 4588
- Vic Rubiletz (PC) 1937
- Gunther Grosskamper (L) 1059
- Fred Cameron (WIP) 168
- Guy Beaudry (Lbt) 135
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: 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: 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: Kirkfield Park: Lac du Bonnet: - (x)Darren Praznik (PC) 5162
- Leonard Kolton (NDP) 3142
- Frank Thibedeau (L) 1309
Lakeside: La Verendrye: - Ben Sveinson (PC) 3731
- Clair Noel (L) 2718
- Ronald Fiola (NDP) 1938
Minnedosa: Morris: - (x)Clayton Manness (PC) 5353
- Bill Roth (L) 2036
- Gary Nelson (NDP) 721
- Mark Edmondson (CoR) 302
Niakwa: Osborne: - (x)Reg Alcock (L) 3941
- Donald Bailey (NDP) 2861
- Sondra Braid (PC) 2859
- Jim Weidman (Lbt) 139
Pembina: - (x)Donald Orchard (PC) 5497
- Marilyn Skubovius (L) 833
- Bert Siemens (NDP) 652
Point Douglas: Portage La Prairie: - (x)Edward Connery (PC) 4276
- Darlene Hamm (L) 2329
- Arden Campbell (NDP) 1092
- Roy Lyall (CoR) 243
Radisson: Riel: River East: River Heights: Roblin-Russell: - (x)Len Derkach (PC) 4382
- William Nicholson (NDP) 2238
- Neil Stewart (L) 1757
Rossmere: 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: St. Johns: - (x)Judy Wasylycia-Leis (NDP) 4312
- (x)Mark Minenko (L) 2414
- Lynn Filbert (PC) 1502
St. Norbert: 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: 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: Swan River: 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: Turtle Mountain: 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: post-election developments:
Crescentwood (res. Jim Carr, February 1992), September 15, 1992:
Portage La Prairie (res. Edward Connery, June 23, 1992), September 15, 1992: 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: 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)
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