Manitoba general election, 1981

Manitoba general election, 1981
Manitoba
November 17, 1981
57 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
29 seats were needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Howard Pawley Sterling Lyon Doug Lauchlan
Party New Democratic Progressive Conservative Liberal
Leader since November 4, 1979 December 6, 1975 November 30, 1980
Leader's seat Selkirk Charleswood Ran in Wolseley (lost)
Last election 23 33 1
Seats won 34 23 0
Seat change Increase11 Decrease10 Decrease1
Popular vote 228,784 211,602 32,373
Percentage 47.38% 43.82% 6.70%
Swing Increase8.76pp Decrease4.93pp Decrease5.59pp

Map of Election Results
Premier before election

Sterling Lyon
Progressive Conservative

 Premier-designate

Howard Pawley
New Democratic

The Manitoba general election of November 17, 1981 was held 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.

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 initiaves 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

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

Party key:

Note: There was one vacant seat at the time of the election.

(x) denotes incumbent.

Arthur:

Assiniboia:

Brandon East:

Brandon West:

Burrows:

Charleswood:

Churchill:

Manitoba general election, 1981: Concordia
Party Candidate Votes%
New DemocraticPeter Fox 5,333 60.91
Progressive ConservativeD. Scotty McVicar 2,586 29.54
LiberalGail Stapon 309 3.53
ProgressiveJosephine Young 306 3.50
IndependentBob Fraser 221 2.52
Total valid votes 8,755
Rejected votes 15
Turnout 8,770 69.66
Electors on the lists 12,589

Dauphin:

Ellice:

Elmwood:

Emerson:

Flin Flon:

Fort Garry:

Fort Rouge:

Gimli:

Gladstone:

Inkster:

Interlake:

Kildonan:

Kirkfield Park:

Lac Du Bonnet:

Lakeside:

La Verendrye:

Logan:

Minnedosa:

Morris:

Niakwa:

Osborne:

Pembina:

Portage la Prairie:

Radisson:

Rhineland:

Riel:

River East:

River Heights:

Roblin-Russell:

Rossmere:

Rupertsland:

St. Boniface:

St. James:

Manitoba general election, 1981: St. Johns
Party Candidate Votes%
New DemocraticDonald Malinowski 4,004 56.99
Progressive ConservativeDon Cilinsky 1,785 25.41
LiberalHenry Kowlowski 674 9.59
ProgressiveBernie Bellan 446 6.35
CommunistWilliam Cecil Ross 117 1.67
Total valid votes 7,026
Rejected ballots 70
Turnout 7,096 67.18
Electors on the lists 10,562

St. Norbert:

Manitoba general election, 1981: St. Vital
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
New DemocraticJim Walding 5,504 52.80
     Progressive Conservative John Robertson 4,236 40.64
LiberalGord Patterson 684 6.56
Total valid votes 10,424 100.00
Rejected votes 34
Turnout 10,458 80.61
Electors on the lists 12,974

Ste. Rose:

Selkirk:

Seven Oaks:

Springfield:

Sturgeon Creek:

Swan River:

The Pas:

Thompson:

Transcona:

Manitoba general election, 1981: Turtle Mountain
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
     Progressive Conservative Brian Ransom 4,775 72.36
New DemocraticJoan Johannson 1,660 25.16
     Independent Bill Rainbow Harrison 164 2.49
Total valid votes 6,599 100.00
Rejected and declined ballots 33
Turnout 6,632 62.96
Electors on the lists 10,533

Tuxedo:

Virden:

Wolseley:

Post-election changes

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:

Kildonan (dec. Mary Beth Dolin, April 10, 1985), October 1, 1985:

Portage la Prairie (dec. Lloyd Hyde, August 25, 1985)

See also

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