Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
|
|
|---|---|
| Active provincial party | |
 |
|
| Leader | Wayne Ewasko (interim) |
| President | Brent Pooles |
| Deputy Leaders | Kelvin Goertzen (Rural) Kathleen Cook (Urban) |
| Founded | 1882 |
| Headquarters | 23 Kennedy Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 1S5 |
| Membership (2023) |  28,000 |
| Ideology |
|
| Political position | Centre-right |
| Colours | Blue |
| Seats in Legislature |
21 / 57
|
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (also known as the PC Party) is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is considered a centre-right party. Currently, it is the main opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. This means they are the second-largest party after the last election in 2023.
Contents
History of the Party
How the Party Started
The PC Party started a long time ago, in the late 1800s. When Manitoba joined Canada in 1870, political parties weren't very strong. People often voted based on their community, religion, or language.
Over time, more formal political groups began to appear. In 1882, John Norquay, who was the Premier (leader) of Manitoba, formed an alliance with Conservatives. Even though he called his government "non-partisan" (meaning not tied to one party), it was mostly Conservative. This was a big step towards formal party politics in Manitoba.
Becoming a Formal Party
After Norquay, other leaders like David H. Harrison and Rodmond Roblin continued to lead the Conservative group. For a while, the Conservative Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) just called themselves "the opposition."
In 1897, Hugh John Macdonald, whose father was Canada's first prime minister, became the official leader of the party. In 1899, the Conservative Party officially formed. They created their first plan for what they wanted to do if they won the election. This plan included ideas like better education and government ownership of railways.
Years in Power (1899–1915)
The Conservatives won the election in 1899, and Hugh John Macdonald became Premier. He didn't stay long, and Rodmond Roblin took over, leading the province for 15 years.
Roblin's government made many changes. They helped expand the railway and bought the telephone system to make it government-run. They also introduced taxes for companies. However, they were not as modern on social issues, like not supporting women's right to vote.
Losing Power and Rebuilding (1915–1958)
In 1915, the Conservatives lost power because of a scandal involving new government buildings. James Aikins then led the party, but they lost badly in the election that year.
For many years, the Conservatives were a smaller party in Manitoba. They slowly gained support but couldn't win against the Progressive government led by John Bracken. In 1932, the Progressives even teamed up with the Liberals to stay in power.
In 1940, the Conservative leader, Errick Willis, agreed to join a "coalition government" with other parties during World War II. This meant different parties worked together to run the province. In 1946, the party changed its name to the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, matching the federal party. They left the coalition in 1950.
Back to Leadership (1958–1969)
In 1954, Dufferin Roblin, Rodmond Roblin's grandson, became the party leader. He worked hard to make the party strong again.
In 1958, Roblin's PCs won a minority government. They promised things like more money for schools and building new roads. Their ideas were quite modern for the time. In 1959, they won a majority government and continued to make social changes, like bringing French back into schools.
In 1967, Roblin left politics, and Walter Weir became leader. Weir's government was more careful, and they lost the election in 1969 to the New Democratic Party (NDP).
Later Years and Return to Power
After Weir, Sidney Spivak led the party but couldn't win an election. Then, Sterling Lyon became leader in 1975. He changed the party's focus to cutting government spending and lowering taxes. His government won in 1977 but only lasted one term, losing in 1981.
Gary Filmon became leader in 1983. He led the party to victory in 1988, forming a minority government. His party stayed in power for three terms, winning majority governments in 1990 and 1995.
Filmon's government focused on balancing the budget and reducing taxes. They also supported free trade with the United States. However, problems like rising unemployment and issues from the 1995 election led to them losing power in 1999.
Recent History (2000s–Present)
After Filmon, the party had a few leaders, including Stuart Murray and Hugh McFadyen. They faced challenges in elections during the 2000s.
In 2012, Brian Pallister became the leader. He led the party to a big win in the 2016 election. They won 40 out of 57 seats, which was the largest majority government in Manitoba's history! Pallister was re-elected in 2019.
In 2021, Brian Pallister resigned. Kelvin Goertzen became the interim (temporary) Premier for a short time. Then, Heather Stefanson was chosen as the new party leader and became Premier in November 2021. She was the first female Premier in Manitoba's history.
In the 2023 election, the PC government was defeated. They are now the official opposition party in the Manitoba Legislature.
Leaders of the Party
Here is a list of the people who have led the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba:
- John Norquay, October 1878 – December 1887 (Premier: 1878–1887)
- David Howard Harrison, December 1887 – July 1889 (Premier: 1887–1888)
- Rodmond Roblin, July 1889 – March 1897 (house leader)
- Hugh John Macdonald, March 1897 – October 1900 (Premier: 1900)
- Rodmond Roblin, October 1900 – May 1915 (Premier: 1900–1915)
- Sir James Aikins, May 1915 – January 1916
- Albert Prefontaine, January 1916 – November 6, 1919
- R.G. Willis, November 6, 1919 – April 5, 1922
- Fawcett Taylor, April 5, 1922 – April 1933
- W. Sanford Evans, April 1933 – June 1936
- Errick Willis, June 1936 – June 1954
- Dufferin Roblin, June 1954 – November 1967 (Premier: 1958–1967)
- Walter Weir, November 1967 – February 1971 (Premier: 1967–1969)
- Sidney Spivak, February 1971 – December 1975
- Sterling Lyon, December 1975 – December 1983 (Premier: 1977–1981)
- Gary Filmon, December 1983 – May 29, 2000 (Premier: 1988–1999)
- Bonnie Mitchelson, May 29, 2000 – November 4, 2000 (interim)
- Stuart Murray, November 4, 2000 – April 29, 2006
- Hugh McFadyen, April 29, 2006 – July 30, 2012
- Brian Pallister, July 30, 2012 – September 1, 2021 (Premier: 2016–2021)
- Kelvin Goertzen, September 1, 2021 – October 30, 2021 (interim) (Premier: 2021)
- Heather Stefanson, October 30, 2021 – January 15, 2024 (Premier: 2021–2023)
- Wayne Ewasko, January 18, 2024 – present (interim)
Election Results
This table shows how the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba has done in past elections:
| Year |
Leader |
Seats won |
Seat change |
Seats place |
Popular vote |
% of popular vote |
Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1879 | John Norquay |
13 / 24
|
1st | Conservative Majority1 | |||
| 1883 |
20 / 30
|
7 |
 1st |
Conservative Majority | |||
| 1886 |
20 / 35
|
|
1st |
Conservative Majority | |||
| 1888 | David Howard Harrison |
4 / 38
|
 16 |
2nd |
Liberal Majority | ||
| 1892 |
9 / 40
|
5 |
2nd |
Liberal Majority | |||
| 1896 |
5 / 40
|
4 |
2nd |
Liberal Majority | |||
| 1899 | Hugh John Macdonald |
22 / 40
|
17 |
1st |
Conservative Majority2 | ||
| 1903 | Rodmond Roblin |
32 / 40
|
10 |
1st |
48.98% | Conservative Majority | |
| 1907 |
28 / 41
|
4 |
1st |
50.57% | Conservative Majority | ||
| 1910 |
28 / 41
|
|
1st |
50.7% | Conservative Majority | ||
| 1914 |
28 / 49
|
|
1st |
46.9% | Conservative Majority | ||
| 1915 | James Albert Manning Aikins |
5 / 47
|
23 |
2nd |
33.0% | Liberal majority | |
| 1920 | Richard G. Willis |
8 / 55
|
3 |
4th |
18.5% | Liberal minority | |
| 1922 | Fawcett Taylor |
7 / 55
|
1 |
3rd |
15.5% | Progressive majority | |
| 1927 |
15 / 55
|
8 |
2nd |
27.2% | Progressive majority | ||
| 1932 |
10 / 55
|
5 |
2nd |
35.4% | Liberal–Progressive majority | ||
| 1936 | Errick Willis |
16 / 55
|
6 | |
2nd |
27.8% | Liberal–Progressive majority | |
| 1941 |
12 / 55
|
4 |
2nd |
19.9% | Coalition with Liberal–Progressives | ||
| 1945 |
13 / 55
|
1 |
2nd |
15.9% | Coalition with Liberal–Progressives | ||
| 1949 |
9 / 57
|
4 |
2nd |
19.1% | Coalition with Liberal–Progressives | ||
| 1953 |
12 / 57
|
3 |
2nd |
56,278 | 21.03% | Liberal–Progressive Majority | |
| 1958 | Dufferin Roblin |
26 / 57
|
14 |
1st |
– | 40.6% | PC Minority |
| 1959 |
36 / 57
|
10 |
1st |
– | 46.3% | PC Majority | |
| 1962 |
36 / 57
|
|
1st |
– | 44.7% | PC Majority | |
| 1966 |
31 / 57
|
5 |
1st |
130,102 | 39.96% | PC Majority | |
| 1969 | Walter Weir |
22 / 57
|
9 |
2nd |
119,021 | 35.56% | NDP minority |
| 1973 | Sidney Spivak |
21 / 57
|
1 |
2nd |
171,553 | 36.73% | NDP majority |
| 1977 | Sterling Lyon |
33 / 57
|
12 |
1st |
237,496 | 48.75% | PC Majority |
| 1981 |
23 / 57
|
10 |
2nd |
211,602 | 43.82% | NDP Majority | |
| 1986 | Gary Filmon |
26 / 57
|
3 |
2nd |
193,728 | 40.56% | NDP Majority |
| 1988 |
25 / 57
|
1 |
1st |
206,180 | 38.37% | PC Minority | |
| 1990 |
30 / 57
|
5 |
1st |
206,810 | 41.99% | PC Majority | |
| 1995 |
31 / 57
|
1 |
1st |
216,246 | 42.87% | PC Majority | |
| 1999 |
24 / 57
|
7 |
2nd |
201,562 | 40.84% | NDP Majority | |
| 2003 | Stuart Murray |
20 / 57
|
4 |
2nd |
142,967 | 36.19% | NDP Majority |
| 2007 | Hugh McFadyen |
19 / 57
|
1 |
2nd |
158,511 | 38.2% | NDP Majority |
| 2011 |
19 / 57
|
|
2nd |
188,528 | 43.86% | NDP Majority | |
| 2016 | Brian Pallister |
40 / 57
|
21 |
1st |
231,157 | 53.20% | PC Majority |
| 2019 |
36 / 57
|
4 |
1st |
221,007 | 47.07% | PC Majority | |
| 2023 | Heather Stefanson |
22 / 57
|
13 |
2nd |
204,835 | 42.1% | NDP Majority |
- 1Includes 7 Liberal-Conservatives
- 2Includes 3 Liberal-Conservatives
See also
- List of Manitoba general elections
- Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba candidates in the 1990 Manitoba provincial election
- Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership elections
