Brian Pallister facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brian Pallister
22nd Premier of Manitoba
In office May 3, 2016 – September 1, 2021
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Janice Filmon
Deputy	Heather Stefanson Kelvin Goertzen
Preceded by	Greg Selinger
Succeeded by	Kelvin Goertzen
Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba
In office July 30, 2012 – May 3, 2016
Preceded by	Hugh McFadyen
Succeeded by	Flor Marcelino
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
In office July 30, 2012 – September 1, 2021
Deputy	Heather Stefanson Kelvin Goertzen
Preceded by	Hugh McFadyen
Succeeded by	Kelvin Goertzen (interim)
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Fort Whyte
In office September 4, 2012 – October 4, 2021
Preceded by	Hugh McFadyen
Succeeded by	Obby Khan
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Portage la Prairie
In office September 15, 1992 – April 28, 1997
Preceded by	Edward Connery
Succeeded by	David Faurschou
Member of Parliament for Portage—Lisgar
In office November 27, 2000 – October 14, 2008
Preceded by	Jake Hoeppner
Succeeded by	Candice Bergen
Minister of Government Services
In office May 9, 1995 – January 6, 1997
Premier	Gary Filmon
Preceded by	Gerry Ducharme
Succeeded by	Frank Pitura
Personal details
Born	Brian William Pallister (1954-07-06) July 6, 1954 (age 70) Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada
Political party	Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
Other political affiliations	Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (before 2000) Canadian Alliance (2000–2003) Conservative Party of Canada (2003–present)
Spouse	Esther Johnson
Children	2
Education	Brandon University (BA, BEd)

Brian William Pallister (born July 6, 1954) is a Canadian politician. He served as the 22nd premier of Manitoba from 2016 to 2021. He was also the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba during that time. Before becoming premier, he was a cabinet minister in the provincial government. He also served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 to 2008.

Brian Pallister's Early Life

Brian Pallister was born in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. His parents were Anne Ethel (Poyser) and Bill Pallister. He studied at Brandon University. There he earned degrees in Arts and Education.

From 1976 to 1979, he worked as a high school teacher. This was in rural Manitoba. He also represented the local teachers' union. Later, he became a financial analyst. Pallister is also a good curler. He won the provincial mixed curling championship in 2000.

Provincial Politics Career

Pallister started his political journey in Manitoba. He won a special election in Portage la Prairie in 1992. He was a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. He became a member of the provincial legislature. He supported the government led by Gary Filmon.

He was reelected in the 1995 provincial election. In May 1995, he became the Minister of Government Services. He worked to reduce government rules. He also oversaw changes to disaster assistance programs. In 1997, he left his cabinet role. This was to prepare for a federal election campaign.

Pallister ran for a federal seat in 1997. He lost to Jake Hoeppner. There were talks he might run for provincial party leader in 2000. But he decided not to.

Federal Politics Career

Seeking Federal Party Leadership

In 1998, Pallister ran for leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party. He wanted to bring back voters who had left the party. He finished fourth in the leadership election. Joe Clark, a former Prime Minister, won. Pallister later said the party missed a chance to change.

Joining the Canadian Alliance

In 2000, Pallister decided to join the Canadian Alliance party. This party was formed by people who wanted to merge with some Progressive Conservatives. He won his party's nomination for Portage—Lisgar. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2000 general election. He won by a large number of votes.

As a Conservative MP

The Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties merged in 2003. This created the Conservative Party of Canada. Pallister became a member of this new party. He supported Stephen Harper for the new party's leader. He was reelected easily in the 2004 election.

In 2005, Pallister gained attention. He pointed out possible spending issues at the Royal Canadian Mint. The CEO, David Dingwall, resigned. Pallister later said an independent review of the expenses was not thorough enough.

In 2006, Pallister was reelected again. The Conservatives formed a minority government. He chose not to join the federal cabinet. He became the chair of the House of Commons Finance committee. He also worked to stop financial access to offshore tax havens. In 2008, he announced he would not run in the next federal election.

Return to Provincial Politics

Pallister with Andrew Scheer in Ottawa in 2018.

Becoming Party Leader

After the 2011 provincial election, Hugh McFadyen resigned as leader. This was for the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. On April 11, 2012, Pallister announced he would seek the leadership. No other candidates came forward. So, he became the leader on July 30, 2012. Two months later, he won a special election. This was for McFadyen's old seat in Fort Whyte.

Leading up to the 2016 election, some critics noted that Pallister spent a lot of time in Costa Rica. He had traveled there many times since 2012.

Winning the 2016 Election

Pallister's party had been ahead in polls for years. The previous government had raised the provincial sales tax. This was after promising not to. Pallister led his party to a big win on April 14, 2016. They won 40 out of 57 seats. This was the largest majority government in recent Manitoba history. He became the first Progressive Conservative premier since 1999.

Premier of Manitoba (2016–2021)

Pallister and his cabinet took office on May 3, 2016. He led the PC party to win again in the 2019 election. They kept a strong majority.

Economic Plans

Housing Initiatives

In June 2019, Pallister's government joined a national housing plan. This plan aimed to invest almost $450.8 million. It would expand and fix social and community housing. Both the federal and provincial governments shared the costs.

Sales Tax Changes

In 2019, Pallister reduced Manitoba's provincial sales tax (PST). It went from 8 percent down to 7 percent. This change started on July 1. In 2021, his government also removed the PST from personal services. This included things like haircuts.

Carbon Tax Stance

Pallister was against the federal carbon tax. Other conservative premiers also opposed it. In 2019, his government challenged the tax in court. Even after the Supreme Court of Canada ruled it constitutional, Pallister said Manitoba would continue its challenge.

Leading During COVID-19

Pallister led Manitoba's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba. In December 2020, he asked people to follow social distancing rules. This was to keep everyone safe during the holidays. However, his government faced criticism. Some people felt the response was too slow. They said restrictions came too late. This led to a rapid spread of the virus. Critics also said his "Restart Manitoba" plan was too quick. They felt it went against doctors' advice. During the third wave in May 2021, he faced similar concerns. There were challenges with hospital space.

Indigenous Relations and Resignation

On July 7, 2021, Pallister made comments about early settlers. He said they came to build, not destroy. These comments caused controversy. His Minister of Indigenous Reconciliation resigned. Weeks later, Pallister apologized for his remarks.

On August 10, 2021, Pallister announced he would resign as Premier. He also said he would not run in the next election. His resignation became official on September 1. Deputy Premier Kelvin Goertzen took over as interim leader. Pallister resigned his seat in the legislature on October 4. Heather Stefanson was later chosen as the new permanent leader. She became premier on November 2.

Images for kids

• 

  Brian Pallister

• 

  Pallister with Andrew Scheer in Ottawa in 2018.