Howard Pawley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Howard Pawley PC OC OM
18th Premier of Manitoba
In office November 30, 1981 – May 9, 1988
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Pearl McGonigal George Johnson
Preceded by	Sterling Lyon
Succeeded by	Gary Filmon
Leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party
In office November 4, 1979 (interim since January 22, 1979) – March 30, 1988
Preceded by	Edward Schreyer
Succeeded by	Gary Doer
28th Attorney-General of Manitoba
In office September 4, 1973 – October 24, 1977
Premier	Edward Schreyer
Preceded by	Alvin Mackling
Succeeded by	Gerald Mercier
Manitoba Minister of Municipal Affairs
In office July 15, 1969 – September 22, 1976
Premier	Edward Schreyer
Preceded by	Obie Baizley
Succeeded by	Bill Uruski
Manitoba Minister of Government Services
In office July 15, 1969 – December 18, 1969
Premier	Edward Schreyer
Preceded by	Thelma Forbes
Succeeded by	Russell Paulley
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Selkirk
In office June 25, 1969 – April 26, 1988
Preceded by	Thomas Hillhouse
Succeeded by	Gwen Charles
President of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
In office 1957–1961
Personal details
Born	Howard Russell Pawley (1934-11-21)November 21, 1934 Brampton, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 30, 2015(2015-12-30) (aged 81) Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Political party	Co-operative Commonwealth Federation New Democratic Party
Spouse	Adele Schreyer ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	Christopher and Charysse
Alma mater	University of Winnipeg (BA) University of Manitoba (LL.B.)
Occupation	lawyer, professor

Howard Russell Pawley was an important Canadian politician and professor. He was born on November 21, 1934, and passed away on December 30, 2015. He served as the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. Before becoming Premier, Pawley held several important jobs in the government of Manitoba.

Howard Pawley's Life and Career

Early Life and Education

Howard Pawley was born in Brampton, Ontario. His parents were Methodists. When he was 17, his family moved to Winnipeg. He studied at Manitoba Teachers College, United College, and the Manitoba Law School. In 1960, he married Adele Schreyer. Adele was a cousin of Edward Schreyer, who was also a Premier of Manitoba.

Starting in Politics

Pawley worked as a lawyer and a teacher. He was very active in politics, especially with the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF). This party later became the New Democratic Party of Manitoba (NDP). In 1957, when he was only 22, Pawley became the youngest President of the Manitoba CCF.

Pawley first tried to get elected in 1957. He ran for the CCF in the Lisgar area. He didn't win, finishing fourth. In 1958, he ran again in The Pas but came in third. These early attempts were often to help the party, not necessarily to win. In 1965, he ran in Selkirk and got more votes, but still didn't win.

Serving in the Legislature

In the 1969 provincial election, Pawley was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. He represented the area of Selkirk, which is north of Winnipeg. Right away, he joined Edward Schreyer's cabinet. A cabinet is a group of top government advisors.

Pawley became the Minister of Government Services and the Minister of Municipal Affairs. He held these roles starting July 15, 1969. He left the Government Services job in December 1969. But he stayed as Municipal Affairs Minister until September 1976.

Pawley also led a group that created a system for public auto insurance in Manitoba. This meant the government helped manage car insurance for everyone. He was the first person in charge of the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation from 1971 to 1973.

Becoming Attorney-General

In September 1973, Pawley got a new, bigger job. He became the Attorney-General of Manitoba. This role means he was the province's chief legal advisor. After leaving his Municipal Affairs job in 1976, he also became responsible for the Liquor Control Act.

Premier of Manitoba

In 1979, Howard Pawley became the leader of the provincial NDP. He took over from Edward Schreyer. Pawley was chosen as leader by the party's elected members first. Later, he won a bigger vote against other candidates.

Pawley was good at connecting with voters across Manitoba. In the 1981 election, his NDP party won. They defeated the government led by Sterling Lyon from the Progressive Conservative party. This was a big deal because it was the first time a party in Manitoba was voted out after only one term.

Pawley officially became the Premier of Manitoba on November 30, 1981.

Key Decisions as Premier

One of Pawley's major actions was bringing back and protecting French-language rights. These rights had been taken away in 1890. However, his plan to expand French language services faced a lot of public opposition. This issue almost caused his government to lose the election in 1986.

Economically, Pawley's government did well in some areas. Manitoba saw good growth in jobs and investments. The province often had one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. His government also kept social programs going during a tough economic time in the early 1980s.

Pawley's government started a huge hydro power project called Limestone. They also made big deals to sell hydro electricity to cities in the United States. However, his government often had large budget deficits. They only managed to balance the budget right at the end of their time in power.

On social issues, Pawley's government made changes to labor laws. These included rules about equal pay for equal work. They also updated the Human Rights Code to include "sexual orientation."

Challenges and Resignation

In the 1986 election, Pawley's NDP party won, but with a smaller majority. They got 30 out of 57 seats. Over the next two years, his government became less popular. This was mainly because car insurance costs went up a lot in 1987. There were also big financial losses from MTX. MTX was a company that invested in telecommunications in Saudi Arabia.

His government's position became even weaker in early 1988. A long-time minister, Laurent Desjardins, left the cabinet and stopped attending meetings. This meant Pawley's government had only one more seat than the opposition. This became a problem in March when an NDP member, Jim Walding, voted against the government's budget. This caused the government to fall.

Pawley then resigned as party leader. He did not run in the next election. The Progressive Conservatives, led by Gary Filmon, won that election.

Towards the end of his time as Premier, Pawley became known nationally. He spoke out against free trade agreements. He also played a part in the Meech Lake Accord, which was about changes to Canada's constitution. After leaving provincial politics, Pawley ran for the federal NDP in the 1988 Canadian federal election. He ran in the Selkirk area but was defeated.

After Politics

After leaving politics, Pawley became a professor of political science. He taught at the University of Windsor until he retired. He received several important awards for his work. In 2000, he was given the Order of Manitoba. In 2001, he became an Officer of the Order of Canada. These awards recognize people who have made great contributions to Canada.

He also received the Cesar E. Chavez Award in 2001. In 2004, he got the Lucille Ono Award from the Manitoba NDP. The University of Winnipeg gave him the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2008. He also received the Youth Parliament of Manitoba Alumni Achievement Award in 2008.

Pawley supported the Campaign for the Establishment of a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly. This group works to make the United Nations more democratic. He also held leadership roles in several other organizations. These included the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

At the University of Windsor, he was an Associate Professor and the Paul Martin Professor. He also served as President of the Windsor University Faculty Association. He was a visiting professor at other universities, including the University of Waterloo and the University of Washington.

Death

Howard Pawley passed away in a hospital in Windsor, Ontario, on December 30, 2015. He was 81 years old and had been ill for a short time.