1981 Manitoba general election

none September 2023 May 2025 1981 Manitoba general election Manitoba parliamentary no no no 1977 Manitoba general election 1977 1986 Manitoba general election 1986 57 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba 29 seats were needed for a majority November 17, 1981 MB NDP nohash Howard Pawley November 4, 1979 MB NDP name Selkirk 23 34 11 228,784 47.38% 8.76pp 150x150px MB PC nohash Sterling Lyon December 6, 1975 MB PC name Charleswood 33 23 10 211,602 43.82% 4.93pp MB Liberal nohash Doug Lauchlan November 30, 1980 MB Liberal name Ran in Wolseley (lost) 1 0 1 32,373 6.70% 5.59pp MB1981.PNG 300px Map of Election Results Premier Premier after election Sterling Lyon MB PC name Howard Pawley MB NDP name elected members outgoing members 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. 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 PartyParty Leader# ofcandidatesSeatsPopular VoteBefore1Elected% Change#%Change MB NDP row New Democratic Howard Pawley5720 34+70.0%228,78447.38%+8.76 MB PC row Progressive Conservative Sterling Lyon5732 23 -28.1%211,60243.82%-4.93 MB Liberal row Liberal Doug Lauchlan391--100%32,3736.70%-5.59 MB Progressive (1981) row-name Sidney Green36 3--100%8,7311.81%+1.81 MB Communist row-name Paula Fletcher2---261.05%-0.01 MB Independent rowIndependent41 --100%1,141.24%+0.24 Vacant 1n.a. Total19557 57-487,154100%  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 #ddd 600px 410px New Democratic MB NDP 47.38 PC MB PC 43.82 Liberal MB Liberal 6.70 Others MB Independent 2.10Seats summary #ddd 600px 410px New Democratic MB NDP 59.65 PC MB PC 40.35 Riding 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 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. Arthur: (incumbent)Jim Downey (PC) 5468 Earl Sterling (NDP) 1772 Assiniboia: Ric Nordman (PC) 4006 Max Melnyk (NDP) 2822 Peter Moss (L) 817 Fran Huck (P) 378 Brandon East: (incumbent)Len Evans (NDP) 4941 Gary Nowazek (PC) 2626 Margaret Workman (L) 512 Brandon West: Henry Carroll (NDP) 5069 John Allen (PC) 4634 David Campbell (L) 547 Burrows: Conrad Santos (NDP) 4890 Mary Shore (PC) 1384 (incumbent)Ben Hanuschak (P) 728 Wayne Anderson (L) 617 Paula Fletcher (Comm) 144 Charleswood: (incumbent)Sterling Lyon (PC) 6334 Toni Vosters (NDP) 3243 Ken Brown (L) 969 Demetre Mastoris (P) 231 Churchill: (incumbent)Jay Cowan (NDP) 2247 Mark Ingebrigtson (PC) 883 Andrew Kirkness (L) 266 Doug MacLachlan (P) 85 Dauphin: John Plohman (NDP) 4680 (incumbent)James Galbraith (PC) 4044 Bob Hawkins (L) 1049 Ellice: (incumbent)Brian Corrin (NDP) 4233 Gavin Scott (PC) 1712 Rod Cantiveros (L) 782 Adam Klym (P) 222 Bart Monaco (Ind) 56 Emerson: (incumbent)Albert Driedger (PC) 4376 Paul Dupuis (NDP) 4020 Stephen Zaretski (L) 308 Jack Thiessen (P) 116 Flin Flon: Jerry Storie (NDP) 3557 Bob McNeil (PC) 2126 Fort Garry: (incumbent)Bud Sherman (PC) 6227 Hans Wittich (NDP) 3705 Lil Haus (L) 1042 James Goodridge (P) 203 Fort Rouge: Roland Penner (NDP) 4342 Perry Schulman (PC) 2843 (incumbent)June Westbury (L) 2415 (incumbent)Bud Boyce (P) 143 Gimli: John Bucklaschuk (NDP) 4825 (incumbent)Keith Cosens (PC) 3995 Allan Chambers (L) 276 Pat Bazan (P) 127 Gladstone: Charlotte Oleson (PC) 4447 Irvin Joel (NDP) 1650 Abe Suderman (L) 737 Inkster: Don Scott (NDP) 6283 Bill Dueck (PC) 1561 (incumbent)Sidney Green (P) 783 Myroslaw Tracz (L) 364 Interlake: (incumbent)Bill Uruski (NDP) 4599 Neil Dueck (PC) 2181 Bob Lundale (L) 372 Kildonan: Mary Beth Dolin (NDP) 6794 Ken Galanchuk (PC) 4478 Alex Berkowits (L) 755 Dan Tokarz (P) 300 Kirkfield Park: Gerrie Hammond (PC) 6443 Lee Monk (NDP) 3551 Lac Du Bonnet: (incumbent)Sam Uskiw (NDP) 4682 Bert Trainer (PC) 2809 Lakeside: (incumbent)Harry Enns (PC) 5055 Larry Moldowan (NDP) 2630 Bill Ridgeway (L) 592 Hubert John McCaw (P) 107 La Verendrye: (incumbent)Robert Banman (PC) 4418 Jim Henry (NDP) 1149 Alphonse Fournier (P) 704 Logan: Maureen Hemphill (NDP) 3759 Stephen Juba (Ind) 700 Aurele Joseph LeClaire (PC) 659 Art Potvin (P) 103 Minnedosa: (incumbent)David Robert Blake (PC) 4160 Garry Grant (NDP) 3397 Morris: Clayton Manness (PC) 4579 Peter Francis (NDP) 1821 Niakwa: (incumbent)Abe Kovnats (PC) 5432 Lloyd Schreyer (NDP) 4736 Doug Biggs (L) 1345 Osborne: Muriel Smith (NDP) 5371 Ben Lindsey (PC) 2726 Fraser Dunford (L) 1262 George Buss (P) 165 Pembina: (incumbent)Donald Orchard (PC) 6361 Jeff Taylor (NDP) 862 Kenneth Popkes (L) 696 John Brooks (P) 274 Portage la Prairie: (incumbent)Lloyd Hyde (PC) 3620 Audrey Tufford (NDP) 2413 Hugh Moran (L) 1601 Radisson: Gerard Lecuyer (NDP) 6108 George Provost (PC) 2566 Joel Morasutti (P) 376 Rhineland: (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 River East: Phil Eyler (NDP) 5949 Harold Piercy (PC) 5903 Shirley Wolechuk (L) 259 Lindsay Ulrich (P) 177 River Heights: (incumbent)Warren Steen (PC) 4905 David Sanders (NDP) 3217 Jay Prober (L) 2526 Janet Lundman (P) 142 Roblin-Russell: (incumbent)Wally McKenzie (PC) 4508 Zen Wonitoway (NDP) 3673 Rossmere: (incumbent)Vic Schroeder (NDP) 5776 Ian Sutherland (PC) 4293 William De Jong (L) 389 Merv Unger (P) 142 Rupertsland: Elijah Harper (NDP) 3032 Alan Ross (L) 1004 Nelson Scribe, Sr. (PC) 272 Frances Thompson (P) 56 St. Boniface: (incumbent)Laurent Desjardins (NDP) 5844 Guy Savoie (L) 1925 Wes Rowson (PC) 1346 Don Forsyth (P) 106 St. James: Al Mackling (NDP) 5376 (incumbent)George Minaker (PC) 4597 Harvey Nerbas (P) 180 St. Norbert: (incumbent)Gerry Mercier (PC) 5728 Ruth Pear (NDP) 3826 Grant Temple (L) 857 Allan Yap (P) 216 Ste. Rose: (incumbent)A.R. Pete Adam (NDP) 4031 Ivan Traill (PC) 3823 Valerie Wilson (P) 194 Selkirk: (incumbent)Howard Pawley (NDP) 5626 Eugene Kinaschuk (PC) 3020 Max Hofford (P) 131 Seven Oaks: Eugene Kostyra (NDP) 6127 Al Christie (PC) 2179 Wayne Glowacki (L) 486 Morely Golden (P) 367 Springfield: Andy Anstett (NDP) 5303 (incumbent)Bob Anderson (PC) 4833 Peter Anderson (L) 327 Dennis Sweatman (P) 113 Sturgeon Creek: (incumbent)Frank Johnston (PC) 5546 Robert Adams (NDP) 3253 John Epp (L) 732 Swan River: (incumbent)Doug Gourlay (PC) 3884 Leonard Harapiak (NDP) 3615 George Simpson (P) 138 The Pas: Harry Harapiak (NDP) 4236 Percy Pielak (PC) 1303 Laverne Jaeb (L) 509 Thompson: Steve Ashton (NDP) 2890 (incumbent)Ken MacMaster (PC) 2818 Cy Hennessey (L) 138 Transcona: (incumbent)Wilson Parasiuk (NDP) 6013 Jo Lopuck (PC) 2269 Albert Smaczylo (P) 120 Tuxedo: (incumbent)Gary Filmon (PC) 6731 Terri Gray (NDP) 2433 Beverly McCaffrey (L) 1257 Virden: (incumbent)Harry Graham (PC) 5059 Maude Lelong (NDP) 2859 Wolseley: Myrna Phillips (NDP) 4370 (incumbent)Len Domino (PC) 2904 Doug Lauchlan (L) 1539 Murdoch MacKay (P) 224 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: 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 List of Manitoba political parties Further reading Byers R. B. Canadian annual review of politics and public affairs. 1981 1984 University of Toronto Press Toronto 978-1-4426-7195-9 https://archive.org/details/canadianannualre0000unse_p3y6 registration Category:1981 elections in Canada 1981 Category:1981 in Manitoba Category:November 1981 in Canada