Summary
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.
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57 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba 29 seats were needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Map of Election Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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 edit
| Party | Party Leader | # of candidates |
Seats | Popular Vote | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before1 | Elected | % Change | # | % | Change | ||||
| New Democratic | Howard Pawley | 57 | 20 | 34 | +70.0% | 228,784 | 47.38% | +8.76 | |
| Progressive Conservative | Sterling Lyon | 57 | 32 | 23 | -28.1% | 211,602 | 43.82% | -4.93 | |
| Liberal | Doug Lauchlan | 39 | 1 | - | -100% | 32,373 | 6.70% | -5.59 | |
| Progressive | Sidney Green | 36 | 3 | - | -100% | 8,731 | 1.81% | +1.81 | |
| Communist | Paula Fletcher | 2 | - | - | - | 261 | .05% | -0.01 | |
| Independent | 4 | 1 | - | -100% | 1,141 | .24% | +0.24 | ||
| Vacant | 1 | n.a. | |||||||
| Total | 195 | 57 | 57 | - | 487,154 | 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.
Riding results edit
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
- Ind: Independent
- M-L: Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada - Manitoba (see by-elections)
- WCC: Western Canada Concept Party of Manitoba (see by-elections; leader: Fred Cameron)
Note: There was one vacant seat at the time of the election.
(incumbent) denotes incumbent.
- (incumbent)Jim Downey (PC) 5468
- Earl Sterling (NDP) 1772
- Ric Nordman (PC) 4006
- Max Melnyk (NDP) 2822
- Peter Moss (L) 817
- Fran Huck (P) 378
- (incumbent)Len Evans (NDP) 4941
- Gary Nowazek (PC) 2626
- Margaret Workman (L) 512
- Henry Carroll (NDP) 5069
- John Allen (PC) 4634
- David Campbell (L) 547
- Conrad Santos (NDP) 4890
- Mary Shore (PC) 1384
- (incumbent)Ben Hanuschak (P) 728
- Wayne Anderson (L) 617
- Paula Fletcher (Comm) 144
- (incumbent)Sterling Lyon (PC) 6334
- Toni Vosters (NDP) 3243
- Ken Brown (L) 969
- Demetre Mastoris (P) 231
- (incumbent)Jay Cowan (NDP) 2247
- Mark Ingebrigtson (PC) 883
- Andrew Kirkness (L) 266
- Doug MacLachlan (P) 85
| 1981 Manitoba general election: Concordia | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| New Democratic | Peter Fox | 5,333 | 60.91 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | Scotty McVicar | 2,586 | 29.54 | |||||
| Liberal | Gail Stapon | 309 | 3.53 | |||||
| Progressive | Josephine Young | 306 | 3.50 | |||||
| Independent | Bob Fraser | 221 | 2.52 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 8,755 | – | ||||||
| Rejected | 15 | – | ||||||
| Eligible voters / Turnout | 12,589 | 69.54 | ||||||
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. | ||||||||
- John Plohman (NDP) 4680
- (incumbent)James Galbraith (PC) 4044
- Bob Hawkins (L) 1049
- (incumbent)Brian Corrin (NDP) 4233
- Gavin Scott (PC) 1712
- Rod Cantiveros (L) 782
- Adam Klym (P) 222
- Bart Monaco (Ind) 56
| 1981 Manitoba general election: Elmwood | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Russell Doern | 5,140 | 67.83 | 16.72 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Eveline Holtmann | 1,910 | 25.20 | -15.35 | ||||
| Liberal | Eric Wood | 347 | 4.58 | -3.76 | ||||
| Progressive | Curtis Bloodworth | 181 | 2.39 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 7,578 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected | 36 | – | ||||||
| Eligible voters / Turnout | 11,506 | 66.17 | -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. | ||||||||
- (incumbent)Albert Driedger (PC) 4376
- Paul Dupuis (NDP) 4020
- Stephen Zaretski (L) 308
- Jack Thiessen (P) 116
- Jerry Storie (NDP) 3557
- Bob McNeil (PC) 2126
- (incumbent)Bud Sherman (PC) 6227
- Hans Wittich (NDP) 3705
- Lil Haus (L) 1042
- James Goodridge (P) 203
- Roland Penner (NDP) 4342
- Perry Schulman (PC) 2843
- (incumbent)June Westbury (L) 2415
- (incumbent)Bud Boyce (P) 143
- John Bucklaschuk (NDP) 4825
- (incumbent)Keith Cosens (PC) 3995
- Allan Chambers (L) 276
- Pat Bazan (P) 127
- Charlotte Oleson (PC) 4447
- Irvin Joel (NDP) 1650
- Abe Suderman (L) 737
- Don Scott (NDP) 6283
- Bill Dueck (PC) 1561
- (incumbent)Sidney Green (P) 783
- Myroslaw Tracz (L) 364
- (incumbent)Bill Uruski (NDP) 4599
- Neil Dueck (PC) 2181
- Bob Lundale (L) 372
- Mary Beth Dolin (NDP) 6794
- Ken Galanchuk (PC) 4478
- Alex Berkowits (L) 755
- Dan Tokarz (P) 300
- Gerrie Hammond (PC) 6443
- Lee Monk (NDP) 3551
- (incumbent)Sam Uskiw (NDP) 4682
- Bert Trainer (PC) 2809
- (incumbent)Harry Enns (PC) 5055
- Larry Moldowan (NDP) 2630
- Bill Ridgeway (L) 592
- Hubert John McCaw (P) 107
- (incumbent)Robert Banman (PC) 4418
- Jim Henry (NDP) 1149
- Alphonse Fournier (P) 704
- Maureen Hemphill (NDP) 3759
- Stephen Juba (Ind) 700
- Aurele Joseph LeClaire (PC) 659
- Art Potvin (P) 103
- (incumbent)David Robert Blake (PC) 4160
- Garry Grant (NDP) 3397
- Clayton Manness (PC) 4579
- Peter Francis (NDP) 1821
- (incumbent)Abe Kovnats (PC) 5432
- Lloyd Schreyer (NDP) 4736
- Doug Biggs (L) 1345
- Muriel Smith (NDP) 5371
- Ben Lindsey (PC) 2726
- Fraser Dunford (L) 1262
- George Buss (P) 165
- (incumbent)Donald Orchard (PC) 6361
- Jeff Taylor (NDP) 862
- Kenneth Popkes (L) 696
- John Brooks (P) 274
- (incumbent)Lloyd Hyde (PC) 3620
- Audrey Tufford (NDP) 2413
- Hugh Moran (L) 1601
- Gerard Lecuyer (NDP) 6108
- George Provost (PC) 2566
- Joel Morasutti (P) 376
- (incumbent)Arnold Brown (PC) 4116
- Ralph EisBrenner (NDP) 1181
- Jacob Froese (P) 349
Riel:
- Doreen Dodick (NDP) 4362
- (incumbent)Don Craik (PC) 4120
- John Karasevich (L) 1087
- Dino Kotis (P) 98
- Phil Eyler (NDP) 5949
- Harold Piercy (PC) 5903
- Shirley Wolechuk (L) 259
- Lindsay Ulrich (P) 177
- (incumbent)Warren Steen (PC) 4905
- David Sanders (NDP) 3217
- Jay Prober (L) 2526
- Janet Lundman (P) 142
- (incumbent)Wally McKenzie (PC) 4508
- Zen Wonitoway (NDP) 3673
- (incumbent)Vic Schroeder (NDP) 5776
- Ian Sutherland (PC) 4293
- William De Jong (L) 389
- Merv Unger (P) 142
- Elijah Harper (NDP) 3032
- Alan Ross (L) 1004
- Nelson Scribe, Sr. (PC) 272
- Frances Thompson (P) 56
- (incumbent)Laurent Desjardins (NDP) 5844
- Guy Savoie (L) 1925
- Wes Rowson (PC) 1346
- Don Forsyth (P) 106
- Al Mackling (NDP) 5376
- (incumbent)George Minaker (PC) 4597
- Harvey Nerbas (P) 180
| 1981 Manitoba general election: St. Johns | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||||
| New Democratic | Donald Malinowski | 4,004 | 56.99 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative | Don Cilinsky | 1,785 | 25.41 | |||||
| Liberal | Henry Kowlowski | 674 | 9.59 | |||||
| Progressive | Bernie Bellan | 446 | 6.35 | |||||
| Communist | William Cecil Ross | 117 | 1.67 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 7,026 | |||||||
| Rejected ballots | 70 | |||||||
| Turnout | 7,096 | 67.18 | ||||||
| Electors on the lists | 10,562 | |||||||
- (incumbent)Gerry Mercier (PC) 5728
- Ruth Pear (NDP) 3826
- Grant Temple (L) 857
- Allan Yap (P) 216
| 1981 Manitoba general election: St. Vital | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| New Democratic | Jim Walding | 5,504 | 52.80 | +11.18 | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | John Robertson | 4,236 | 40.64 | +4.69 | ||||
| Liberal | Gord Patterson | 684 | 6.56 | -15.87 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 10,424 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Rejected votes | 34 | |||||||
| Turnout | 10,458 | 80.61 | ||||||
| Electors on the lists | 12,974 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | +3.24 | ||||||
- (incumbent)A.R. Pete Adam (NDP) 4031
- Ivan Traill (PC) 3823
- Valerie Wilson (P) 194
- (incumbent)Howard Pawley (NDP) 5626
- Eugene Kinaschuk (PC) 3020
- Max Hofford (P) 131
- Eugene Kostyra (NDP) 6127
- Al Christie (PC) 2179
- Wayne Glowacki (L) 486
- Morely Golden (P) 367
- Andy Anstett (NDP) 5303
- (incumbent)Bob Anderson (PC) 4833
- Peter Anderson (L) 327
- Dennis Sweatman (P) 113
- (incumbent)Frank Johnston (PC) 5546
- Robert Adams (NDP) 3253
- John Epp (L) 732
- (incumbent)Doug Gourlay (PC) 3884
- Leonard Harapiak (NDP) 3615
- George Simpson (P) 138
- Harry Harapiak (NDP) 4236
- Percy Pielak (PC) 1303
- Laverne Jaeb (L) 509
- Steve Ashton (NDP) 2890
- (incumbent)Ken MacMaster (PC) 2818
- Cy Hennessey (L) 138
- (incumbent)Wilson Parasiuk (NDP) 6013
- Jo Lopuck (PC) 2269
- Albert Smaczylo (P) 120
| 1981 Manitoba general election: Turtle Mountain | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Brian Ransom | 4,775 | 72.36 | 29.99 | ||||
| New Democratic | Joan Johannson | 1,660 | 25.16 | – | ||||
| Independent | Bill Harrison | 164 | 2.49 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 6,599 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected | 33 | – | ||||||
| Eligible voters / Turnout | 10,533 | 62.96 | – | |||||
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. | ||||||||
- (incumbent)Gary Filmon (PC) 6731
- Terri Gray (NDP) 2433
- Beverly McCaffrey (L) 1257
- (incumbent)Harry Graham (PC) 5059
- Maude Lelong (NDP) 2859
- Myrna Phillips (NDP) 4370
- (incumbent)Len Domino (PC) 2904
- Doug Lauchlan (L) 1539
- Murdoch MacKay (P) 224
Post-election changes edit
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:
- Charles Birt (PC) 3561
- Sharon Carstairs (L) 1993
- Shirley Lord (NDP) 1211
- Sidney Green (P) 1035
- Fred Cameron (WCC) 186
Kildonan (dec. Mary Beth Dolin, April 10, 1985), October 1, 1985:
- Martin Dolin (NDP) 4332
- Bev Rayburn (PC) 3248
- Chris Guly (L) 988
- Ben Hanuschak (P) 546
Portage la Prairie (dec. Lloyd Hyde, August 25, 1985)
See also edit
Further reading edit
- Byers, R. B., ed. (1984). Canadian annual review of politics and public affairs. 1981. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 978-1-4426-7195-9.