1990 Manitoba general election

The 1990 Manitoba general election was held on September 11, 1990 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.

1990 Manitoba general election

← 1988 September 11, 1990 1995 →
57 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba 29 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   PC LIB Leader Gary Filmon Gary Doer Sharon Carstairs Party Progressive Conservative New Democratic Liberal Leader since December 10, 1983 March 30, 1988 March 4, 1984 Leader's seat Tuxedo Concordia River Heights Last election 25 12 20 Seats won 30 20 7 Seat change 5 8 13 Popular vote 206,810 141,328 138,146 Percentage 41.99% 28.80% 28.15% Swing 3.62% 5.18% 7.37%
Map of Election Results
Premier before election Gary Filmon Progressive Conservative Premier after election Gary Filmon Progressive Conservative

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 indigenous member of 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, preventive health programs and housing. They supported an increase in the minimum wage, affirmative action programs, and laws which would make it expensive to shut down plants in Manitoba. They also promised not to raise taxes, and opposed the sale of Manfor Ltd., a Crown corporation owned by the Province of Manitoba.

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.

Opinion polls

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level

Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source	PC	MLP	NDP	Other	ME	Sample
Election 1990	September 11, 1990		41.99	28.80	28.15	1.06
Viewpoints	March 1990	^[1]	36.8	36.8	26.5	—	—	—
Election 1988	April 26, 1988		38.37	23.62	35.52	2.49

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 of two.

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 retained by the Liberals were in Winnipeg, mostly in the centre and northwest of the city. With few exceptions, many of the centre-left voters who had voted Liberal in 1988 switched back to the NDP.

Party		Party Leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular Vote
				Before^1	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.

Popular vote PC   41.99% New Democratic   28.80% Liberal   28.15% Others   1.06%

Seats summary PC   52.63% New Democratic   35.09% Liberal   12.28%

Constituency results

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Arthur-Virden		Jim Downey 4,773		Goldwyn Jones 1,197		Glen McKinnon 2,085				Jim Downey
Assiniboia		Linda McIntosh 4,054		Joan Johannson 1,348		Ed Mandrake 2,730				Ed Mandrake
Brandon East		Ron Arnst 3,216		Len Evans 4,760		Brenda Avlontis 919				Len Evans
Brandon West		James McCrae 4,736		Shari Decter Hirst 2,374		Abby Hampton 1,428				James McCrae
Broadway		Craig Johnson 1,570		Conrad Santos 2,508		Avis Gray 2,400				Avis Gray
Burrows		Chris Aune 1,478		Doug Martindale 4,206		William Chornopyski 2,056				William Chornopyski
Charleswood		Jim Ernst 5,419		Toni Vosters 1,084		Ken Brown 2,912				Jim Ernst
Concordia		Vic Rubiletz 1,937		Gary Doer 4,588		Gunter Grosskamper 1,059		Fred Cameron (WIP) 168 Guy Beaudry (Lbt) 135		Gary Doer
Crescentwood		Tom DeNardi 3,278		Neil Cohen 2,184		Jim Carr 4,588				Jim Carr
Dauphin		Martin Bidzinski 3,424		John Plohman 4,802		Peter Rampton 1,608				John Plohman
Elmwood		Vic Toews 3,035		Jim Maloway 4,127		Ed Price 1,623				Jim Maloway
Emerson		Jack Penner 4,529		Georgine Spooner 1,055		Réal Tétrault 1,739				Jack Penner
Flin Flon		Ron Black 1,126		Jerry Storie 4,153		Pascal Bighetty 733				Jerry Storie
Fort Garry		Rosemary Vodrey 5,105		Shirley Lord 1,500		Laurie Evans 3,992		Jan Mandseth (WIP) 249		Laurie Evans
Gimli		Ed Helwer 5,118		Tom Hughes 2,666		Darlene Skarito 1,978				Ed Helwer
Gladstone		Denis Rocan 4,371		Michael Newnan 788		Cordell Barker 1,812		Warren Murray (CoR) 410		Charlotte Oleson
Inkster		Raj Mehta 1,416		Ajit Deol 2,637		Kevin Lamoureux 3,602		Gordon Haddad (WIP) 198		Kevin Lamoureux
Interlake		Ed Trachuk 2,533		Clif Evans 2,941		Duncan Geisler 1,781				Bill Uruski
Kildonan		David Langtry 3,694		Dave Chomiak 3,904		Claudia Sarbit 2,771		Sidney Green (P) 570		Gulzar Singh Cheema
Kirkfield Park		Eric Stefanson 5,813		Shirley Manson 1,035		Jasper McKee 3,430		Frank Goldspink (Comm) 25		Gerrie Hammond
Lac du Bonnet		Darren Praznik 5,162		Leonard Kolton 3,142		Frank Thibedeau 1,309				Darren Praznik
Lakeside		Harry Enns 3,719		Eduard Hiebert 1,248		Delmer Nott 1,936		Irene Armishaw (CoR) 486 Dennis Rice (Lbt) 95		Harry Enns
La Verendrye		Ben Sveinson 3,731		Ronald Fiola 1,938		Clair Noel 2,718				Helmut Pankratz
Minnedosa		Harold Gilleshammer 4,294		Sean Espey 1,605		Terry Drebit 2,203				Harold Gilleshammer
Morris		Clayton Manness 5,353		Gary Nelson 721		Bill Roth 2,036		Mark Edmondson (CoR) 302		Clayton Manness
Niakwa		Jack Reimer 4,950		Michael Simpson 1,394		Linda Asper 4,301				Herold Driedger
Osborne		Sondra Braid 2,859		Donald Bailey 2,861		Reg Alcock 3,941		Jim Weidman (Lbt) 139		Reg Alcock
Pembina		Donald Orchard 5,497		Bert Siemens 652		Marilyn Skubovius 833				Donald Orchard
Point Douglas		Calvin Pompana 575		George Hickes 2,778		Errol Lewis 1,550		William Hawryluk (Ind) 108 Roy Price (Ind) 66		new district
Portage la Prairie		Edward Connery 4,276		Arden Campbell 1,092		Darlene Hamm 2,329		Roy Lyall (CoR) 243		Edward Connery
Radisson		Mike Thompson 2,692		Marianne Cerilli 4,055		Allan Patterson 1,925				Allan Patterson
Riel		Gerry Ducharme 3,756		Bob Agnes 2,041		Ed Benjamin 2,874				Gerry Ducharme
River East		Bonnie Mitchelson 4,963		Rob DeGroot 2,489		Edna Mattson 1,960				Bonnie Mitchelson
River Heights		Shaun McCaffrey 4,601		Peter Sim 1,190		Sharon Carstairs 5,467		Clancy Smith (Lbt) 138		Sharon Carstairs
Roblin-Russell		Len Derkach 4,382		William Nicholson 2,238		Neil Stewart 1,757				Len Derkach
Rossmere		Harold Neufeld 3,893		Maxine Hamilton 2,725		Terry Duguid 2,416		Kathrina Cameron (WIP) 163		Harold Neufeld
Rupertsland		Hugh Wynne 804		Elijah Harper 3,798		George Kernaghan 307				Elijah Harper
St. Boniface		Henri Marcoux 1,921		Robert Gooding 2,046		Neil Gaudry 4,928				Neil Gaudry
St. James		Joanne Thibault 2,719		Len Sawatsky 2,586		Paul Edwards 3,014		Charles Lamont (P) 148 Fred Debrecen (CoR) 122		Paul Edwards
St. Johns		Lynn Filbert 1,502		Judy Wasylycia-Leis 4,392		Mark Minenko 2,414				Judy Wasylycia-Leis
St. Norbert		Marcel Laurendeau 4,502		Andrew Sawatsky 1,011		John Angus 4,385				John Angus
St. Vital		Shirley Render 3,361		Kathleen McCallum 2,368		Bob Rose 3,243		Doug Browning (WIP) 288		Bob Rose
Ste. Rose		Glen Cummings 3,646		Sam Voisey 1,540		Ivan Traill 1,882				Glen Cummings
Seine River		Louise Dacquay 4,465		Keith Kendall 1,792		Herold Driedger 4,418		Lyle Cruickshank (WIP) 289		new district
Selkirk		Russ Farrell 3,467		Greg Dewar 3,735		Gwen Charles 3,009				Gwen Charles
Springfield		Glen Findlay 5,146		Deborah Barron-McNabb 3,374		Bob Strong 1,958				Glen Findlay
Steinbach		Albert Driedger 5,540		Marcel Lagassé 483		Cornelius Goertzen 1,171		Ken McAllister (Lbt) 130		Albert Driedger
Sturgeon Creek		Gerry McAlpine 4,676		Andrew Swan 1,471		Iva Yeo 3,907				Iva Yeo
Swan River		Park Burrell 3,639		Rosann Wowchuk 3,872		June Connolly-Peyton 963				Park Burrell
The Maples		Norman Isler 2,684		Tony Valeri 2,260		Gulzar Singh Cheema 3,273				new district
The Pas		Alfred McDonald 3,247		Oscar Lathlin 3,390		David Merasty 1,005				Harry Harapiak
Thompson		Loretta Clarke 2,043		Steve Ashton 4,099		Don McIvor 698				Steve Ashton
Transcona		Ray Hargreaves 1,732		Daryl Reid 4,363		Richard Kozak 2,554		Thomas Bunn (P) 168		Richard Kozak
Turtle Mountain		Bob Rose 4,702		Robert Smith 1,047		Doug Collins 2,091		Rod Stephenson (I) 173		Denis Rocan
Tuxedo		Gary Filmon 7,861		Rosemary Ahoff 926		Campbell Wright 3,281				Gary Filmon
Wellington		Clyde Perry 1,534		Becky Barrett 3,484		Ernie Gilroy 2,324		Neil Schipper (P) 128 Walter Diawol (I) 68 Stephen Keki (I) 35		new district
Wolseley		Fay Campbell 1,503		Jean Friesen 3,265		Harold Taylor 2520		Gordon Pratt (P) 149		Harold Taylor

Post-election changes

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Crescentwood September 15, 1992		Jenny Hillard 1,995		Tim Sale 2,256		Avis Gray 2,697		Sidney Green (P) 900 Ken Carver (R) 97 Dennis Rice (Lbt) 19		Jim Carr
Portage la Prairie September 15, 1992		Brian Pallister 3,226		Ralph Jackson 648		Helen Christoffersen 1,995		Fred Debrecen (R) 388		Edward Connery
Rupertsland September 21, 1993		Eric Kennedy 614		Eric Robinson 1,697		George Munroe 1,023				Elijah Harper
Rossmere September 21, 1993		Ed Martens 2,159		Harry Schellenberg 2,990		Sherry Wiebe 1,590		Cynthia Cooke (Ind) 186		Harold Neufeld
The Maples September 21, 1993		David Langtry 1,362		Norma Walker 2,138		Gary Kowalski 3,619				Gulzar Singh Cheema
Osborne September 21, 1993		Roger Young 1,496		Irene Haigh 2,420		Norma McCormick 2,966				Reg Alcock
St. Johns September 21, 1993		June Robertson 465		Gord Mackintosh 3,232		Naty Yankech 878		Neil Schipper (P) 241		Judy Wasylycia-Leis

Two further vacancies, in Flin Flon (resignation of Jerry Storie, July 20, 1994) and River Heights (Sharon Carstairs appointed to the Senate of Canada, September 15, 1994), were not filled in by-elections before the 1995 election.

See also

• List of Manitoba political parties
• Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba candidates in the 1990 Manitoba provincial election

References

1. York, Geoffrey (April 9, 1990). "Spring election seems unlikely in Manitoba No party has strong edge among capricious voters". The Globe and Mail. p. A8.