# 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.

## 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 | PC | MLP | NDP | Other | ME | Sample |
| Election 1990 | September 11, 1990 | 41.99 | 28.80 | 28.15 | 1.06 | | |
| Viewpoints | March 1990 | 36.8 | 36.8 | 26.5 | — | — | — |
| Election 1988 | April 26, 1988 | 38.37 | 35.52 | 23.62 | 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 | Party Leader | # of candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular Vote | Popular Vote | Popular Vote |
| Party | Party | Party Leader | # of candidates | 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 | Independent | 5 | - | - | - | 450 | 0.09% | -0.30 |
| Total | Total | 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 | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Liberal | Liberal | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 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 | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Liberal | Liberal | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 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.