View source for 1981 Manitoba general election

{{Short description|none}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{No inline|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name      = 1981 Manitoba general election
| country            = Manitoba
| type               = parliamentary
| ongoing            = no
| party_colour       = no
| party_name         = no
| previous_election  = 1977 Manitoba general election
| previous_year      = 1977
| next_election      = 1986 Manitoba general election
| next_year          = 1986
| seats_for_election = 57 seats of the [[Legislative Assembly of Manitoba]] <br /> 29 seats were needed for a majority
| election_date      = November 17, 1981
| image1             = 
| colour1            = {{Canadian party colour|MB|NDP|nohash}}
| leader1            = [[Howard Pawley]]
| leader_since1      = {{nowrap|[[New Democratic Party of Manitoba leadership elections#1979 leadership convention|November 4, 1979]]}}
| party1             = {{Canadian party colour|MB|NDP|name}}
| leaders_seat1      = [[Selkirk (provincial electoral district)|Selkirk]]
| last_election1     = 23
| seats1             = 34
| seat_change1       = {{increase}}11
| popular_vote1      = 228,784
| percentage1        = 47.38%
| swing1             = {{increase}}8.76[[Percentage point|pp]]
| image2             = [[File:Sterling Lyon (cropped).jpg|150x150px]]
| colour2            = {{Canadian party colour|MB|PC|nohash}}
| leader2            = [[Sterling Lyon]]
| leader_since2      = {{nowrap|[[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba leadership elections#1975 Progressive Conservative leadership convention|December 6, 1975]]}}
| party2             = {{Canadian party colour|MB|PC|name}}
| leaders_seat2      = [[Charleswood (electoral district)|Charleswood]]
| last_election2     = 33
| seats2             = 23
| seat_change2       = {{decrease}}10
| popular_vote2      = 211,602
| percentage2        = 43.82%
| swing2             = {{decrease}}4.93[[Percentage point|pp]]
| image3             = 
| colour3            = {{Canadian party colour|MB|Liberal|nohash}}
| leader3            = {{nowrap|[[Doug Lauchlan]]}}
| leader_since3      = {{nowrap|[[Manitoba Liberal Party leadership elections#1980 leadership convention results|November 30, 1980]]}}
| party3             = {{Canadian party colour|MB|Liberal|name}}
| leaders_seat3      = ''Ran in {{nowrap|[[Wolseley (Manitoba electoral district)|Wolseley]] (lost)}}''
| last_election3     = 1
| seats3             = 0
| seat_change3       = {{decrease}}1
| popular_vote3      = 32,373
| percentage3        = 6.70%
| swing3             = {{decrease}}5.59[[Percentage point|pp]]

| map_image          = MB1981.PNG
| map_size           = 300px
| map_caption        = Map of Election Results
| title              = Premier
| posttitle          = Premier after election
| before_election    = [[Sterling Lyon]]
| before_party       = {{Canadian party colour|MB|PC|name}}
| after_election     = [[Howard Pawley]]
| after_party        = {{Canadian party colour|MB|NDP|name}}
| elected_members = [[32nd Manitoba Legislature|elected members]]
| outgoing_members = [[31st Manitoba Legislature|outgoing members]]
}}
The '''1981 Manitoba general election''' was held on November 17, 1981 to elect Members of the [[Legislative Assembly of Manitoba|Legislative Assembly]] of the Province of [[Manitoba]], Canada.  It was won by the opposition [[New Democratic Party of Manitoba|New Democratic Party]], which took 34 of 57 seats.  The governing [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba|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 of Manitoba (II)|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 (politician)|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==
{| class="wikitable"
!rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Party
!rowspan="2"|Party Leader
!rowspan="2"|# of<br />candidates
!colspan="3"|Seats
!colspan="3"|Popular Vote
|-
!Before<sup>1</sup>
!Elected
!% Change
!#
!%
!Change
{{Canadian party colour|MB|NDP|row}}
|  [[New Democratic Party of Manitoba|New Democratic]]
| [[Howard Pawley]]
|align="right"|57
|align="right"|20
|align="right"| '''34'''
|align="right"|+70.0%
|align="right"|228,784
|align="right"|47.38%
|align="right"|+8.76
{{Canadian party colour|MB|PC|row}}
| [[Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba|Progressive Conservative]]
| [[Sterling Lyon]]
|align="right"|57
|align="right"|32
|align="right"| '''23'''
|align="right"| -28.1%
|align="right"|211,602
|align="right"|43.82%
|align="right"|-4.93
{{Canadian party colour|MB|Liberal|row}}
| [[Manitoba Liberal Party|Liberal]]
| [[Doug Lauchlan]]
|align="right"|39
|align="right"|1
|align="right"|'''-'''
|align="right"|-100%
|align="right"|32,373
|align="right"|6.70%
|align="right"|-5.59
{{Canadian party colour|MB|Progressive (1981)|row-name}}
| [[Sidney Green (politician)|Sidney Green]]
|align="right"|36
|align="right"| 3
|align="right"|'''-'''
|align="right"|-100%
|align="right"|8,731
|align="right"|1.81%
|align="right"|+1.81
{{Canadian party colour|MB|Communist|row-name}}
| [[Paula Fletcher]]
|align="right"|2
|align="right"|-
|align="right"|-
|align="right"|-
|align="right"|261
|align="right"|.05%
|align="right"|-0.01
{{Canadian party colour|MB|Independent|row}}
| colspan="2"|Independent
|align="right"|4
|align="right"|1
|align="right"| '''-'''
|align="right"|-100%
|align="right"|1,141
|align="right"|.24%
|align="right"|+0.24
|-
|&nbsp;
| colspan="3"|Vacant
|align="right"| 1
| colspan="5" align="center"|n.a.
|-
|colspan="3"| '''Total'''
|align="right"|195
|align="right"|'''57'''
|align="right"| '''57'''
|align="right"|'''-'''
|align="right"|487,154
|align="right"|'''100%'''
|align="right"|&nbsp;
|}

<sup>1</sup> "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.{{Bar box|title=Popular vote|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars={{Bar percent|New Democratic|{{Canadian party colour|MB|NDP}}|47.38}}
{{Bar percent|PC|{{Canadian party colour|MB|PC}}|43.82}}
{{Bar percent|Liberal|{{Canadian party colour|MB|Liberal}}|6.70}}
{{Bar percent|Others|{{Canadian party colour|MB|Independent}}|2.10}}}}{{Bar box|title=Seats summary|titlebar=#ddd|width=600px|barwidth=410px|bars={{Bar percent|New Democratic|{{Canadian party colour|MB|NDP}}|59.65}}
{{Bar percent|PC|{{Canadian party colour|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 (II)|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 (Manitoba riding)|Arthur]]:

*(incumbent)[[Jim Downey (politician)|Jim Downey]] (PC) 5468
*Earl Sterling (NDP) 1772

[[Assiniboia (provincial electoral district)|Assiniboia]]:

*[[Ric Nordman]] (PC) 4006
*Max Melnyk (NDP) 2822
*Peter Moss (L) 817
*[[Fran Huck]] (P) 378

[[Brandon East (Manitoba riding)|Brandon East]]:

*(incumbent)[[Leonard Evans|Len Evans]] (NDP) 4941
*Gary Nowazek (PC) 2626
*[[Manitoba Liberal Party candidates, 1981 Manitoba provincial election#Margaret Workman (Brandon East)|Margaret Workman]] (L) 512

[[Brandon West (Manitoba riding)|Brandon West]]:

*[[Henry Nelson Carroll|Henry Carroll]] (NDP) 5069
*John Allen (PC) 4634
*David Campbell (L) 547

[[Burrows (Manitoba riding)|Burrows]]:

*[[Conrad Santos]] (NDP) 4890
*Mary Shore (PC) 1384
*(incumbent)[[Ben Hanuschak]] (P) 728
*Wayne Anderson (L) 617
*[[Paula Fletcher]] (Comm) 144

[[Charleswood (Manitoba riding)|Charleswood]]:

*(incumbent)[[Sterling Lyon]] (PC) 6334
*Toni Vosters (NDP) 3243
*Ken Brown (L) 969
*Demetre Mastoris (P) 231

[[Churchill (Manitoba riding)|Churchill]]:

*(incumbent)[[Jay Cowan]] (NDP) 2247
*Mark Ingebrigtson (PC) 883
*Andrew Kirkness (L) 266
*Doug MacLachlan (P) 85

{{1981 Manitoba general election/Concordia}}

[[Dauphin (Manitoba riding)|Dauphin]]:

*[[John Plohman]] (NDP) 4680
*(incumbent)[[James Galbraith (Canadian politician)|James Galbraith]] (PC) 4044
*Bob Hawkins (L) 1049

[[Ellice (Manitoba riding)|Ellice]]:

*(incumbent)[[Brian Corrin]] (NDP) 4233
*Gavin Scott (PC) 1712
*Rod Cantiveros (L) 782
*Adam Klym (P) 222
*Bart Monaco (Ind) 56
{{1981 Manitoba general election/Elmwood}}

[[Emerson (Manitoba riding)|Emerson]]:

*(incumbent)[[Albert Driedger]] (PC) 4376
*[[Paul Dupuis]] (NDP) 4020
*Stephen Zaretski (L) 308
*Jack Thiessen (P) 116

[[Flin Flon (electoral district)|Flin Flon]]:

*[[Jerry Storie]] (NDP) 3557
*Bob McNeil (PC) 2126

[[Fort Garry (electoral district)|Fort Garry]]:

*(incumbent)[[Bud Sherman]] (PC) 6227
*Hans Wittich (NDP) 3705
*Lil Haus (L) 1042
*James Goodridge (P) 203

[[Fort Rouge (electoral district)|Fort Rouge]]:

*[[Roland Penner]] (NDP) 4342
*Perry Schulman (PC) 2843
*(incumbent)[[June Westbury]] (L) 2415
*(incumbent)[[Bud Boyce]] (P) 143

[[Gimli (Manitoba riding)|Gimli]]:

*[[John Bucklaschuk]] (NDP) 4825
*(incumbent)[[Keith Cosens]] (PC) 3995
*Allan Chambers (L) 276
*Pat Bazan (P) 127

[[Gladstone (electoral district)|Gladstone]]:

*[[Charlotte Oleson]] (PC) 4447
*Irvin Joel (NDP) 1650
*Abe Suderman (L) 737

[[Inkster (Manitoba riding)|Inkster]]:

*[[Don Scott (Manitoba politician)|Don Scott]] (NDP) 6283
*Bill Dueck (PC) 1561
*(incumbent)[[Sidney Green (politician)|Sidney Green]] (P) 783
*Myroslaw Tracz (L) 364

[[Interlake (Manitoba riding)|Interlake]]:

*(incumbent)[[Bill Uruski]] (NDP) 4599
*Neil Dueck (PC) 2181
*Bob Lundale (L) 372

[[Kildonan (Manitoba riding)|Kildonan]]:

*[[Mary Beth Dolin]] (NDP) 6794
*Ken Galanchuk (PC) 4478
*Alex Berkowits (L) 755
*Dan Tokarz (P) 300

[[Kirkfield Park (Manitoba riding)|Kirkfield Park]]:

*[[Gerrie Hammond]] (PC) 6443
*Lee Monk (NDP) 3551

[[Lac Du Bonnet (Manitoba riding)|Lac Du Bonnet]]:

*(incumbent)[[Sam Uskiw]] (NDP) 4682
*Bert Trainer (PC) 2809

[[Lakeside (Manitoba riding)|Lakeside]]:

*(incumbent)[[Harry Enns]] (PC) 5055
*Larry Moldowan (NDP) 2630
*Bill Ridgeway (L) 592
*Hubert John McCaw (P) 107

[[La Verendrye (electoral district)|La Verendrye]]:

*(incumbent)[[Robert Banman]] (PC) 4418
*Jim Henry (NDP) 1149
*Alphonse Fournier (P) 704

[[Logan (Manitoba riding)|Logan]]:

*[[Maureen Hemphill]] (NDP) 3759
*[[Stephen Juba]] (Ind) 700
*Aurele Joseph LeClaire (PC) 659
*Art Potvin (P) 103

[[Minnedosa (Manitoba riding)|Minnedosa]]:

*(incumbent)[[David Robert Blake]] (PC) 4160
*Garry Grant (NDP) 3397

[[Morris (Manitoba riding)|Morris]]:

*[[Clayton Manness]] (PC) 4579
*Peter Francis (NDP) 1821

[[Niakwa (Manitoba riding)|Niakwa]]:

*(incumbent)[[Abe Kovnats]] (PC) 5432
*Lloyd Schreyer (NDP) 4736
*Doug Biggs (L) 1345

[[Osborne (Manitoba riding)|Osborne]]:

*[[Muriel Smith (politician)|Muriel Smith]] (NDP) 5371
*Ben Lindsey (PC) 2726
*Fraser Dunford (L) 1262
*George Buss (P) 165

[[Pembina (Manitoba riding)|Pembina]]:

*(incumbent)[[Donald Orchard]] (PC) 6361
*Jeff Taylor (NDP) 862
*Kenneth Popkes (L) 696
*John Brooks (P) 274

[[Portage la Prairie (provincial electoral district)|Portage la Prairie]]:

*(incumbent)[[Lloyd Hyde]] (PC) 3620
*Audrey Tufford (NDP) 2413
*Hugh Moran (L) 1601

[[Radisson (electoral district)|Radisson]]:

*[[Gerard Lecuyer]] (NDP) 6108
*[[George Provost]] (PC) 2566
*Joel Morasutti (P) 376

[[Rhineland (Manitoba riding)|Rhineland]]:

*(incumbent)[[Arnold Brown (Manitoba politician)|Arnold Brown]] (PC) 4116
*Ralph EisBrenner (NDP) 1181
*[[Jacob Froese]] (P) 349

[[Riel (electoral district)|Riel]]:

*[[Doreen Dodick]] (NDP) 4362
*(incumbent)[[Don Craik]] (PC) 4120
*John Karasevich (L) 1087
*Dino Kotis (P) 98

[[River East (Manitoba riding)|River East]]:

*[[Phil Eyler]] (NDP) 5949
*Harold Piercy (PC) 5903
*Shirley Wolechuk (L) 259
*Lindsay Ulrich (P) 177

[[River Heights (electoral district)|River Heights]]:

*(incumbent)[[Warren Steen]] (PC) 4905
*David Sanders (NDP) 3217
*Jay Prober (L) 2526
*Janet Lundman (P) 142

[[Roblin-Russell (Manitoba riding)|Roblin-Russell]]:

*(incumbent)[[Wally McKenzie]] (PC) 4508
*Zen Wonitoway (NDP) 3673

[[Rossmere (Manitoba riding)|Rossmere]]:

*(incumbent)[[Vic Schroeder]] (NDP) 5776
*Ian Sutherland (PC) 4293
*William De Jong (L) 389
*Merv Unger (P) 142

[[Rupertsland (Manitoba riding)|Rupertsland]]:

*[[Elijah Harper]] (NDP) 3032
*Alan Ross (L) 1004
*Nelson Scribe, Sr. (PC) 272
*Frances Thompson (P) 56

[[St. Boniface (provincial electoral district)|St. Boniface]]:

*(incumbent)[[Laurent Desjardins]] (NDP) 5844
*Guy Savoie (L) 1925
*Wes Rowson (PC) 1346
*Don Forsyth (P) 106

[[St. James (provincial electoral district)|St. James]]:

*[[Al Mackling]] (NDP) 5376
*(incumbent)[[George Minaker]] (PC) 4597
*Harvey Nerbas (P) 180

{{1981 Manitoba general election/St. Johns}}

[[St. Norbert (Manitoba riding)|St. Norbert]]:

*(incumbent)[[Gerry Mercier]] (PC) 5728
*Ruth Pear (NDP) 3826
*Grant Temple (L) 857
*[[Allan Yap]] (P) 216

{{1981 Manitoba general election/St. Vital}}

[[Ste. Rose (Manitoba riding)|Ste. Rose]]:

*(incumbent)[[A.R. Pete Adam]] (NDP) 4031
*Ivan Traill (PC) 3823
*Valerie Wilson (P) 194

[[Selkirk (provincial electoral district)|Selkirk]]:

*(incumbent)[[Howard Pawley]] (NDP) 5626
*Eugene Kinaschuk (PC) 3020
*Max Hofford (P) 131

[[Seven Oaks (Manitoba riding)|Seven Oaks]]:

*[[Eugene Kostyra]] (NDP) 6127
*Al Christie (PC) 2179
*Wayne Glowacki (L) 486
*Morely Golden (P) 367

[[Springfield (Manitoba riding)|Springfield]]:

*[[Andy Anstett]] (NDP) 5303
*(incumbent)[[Bob Anderson (Canadian politician)|Bob Anderson]] (PC) 4833
*Peter Anderson (L) 327
*Dennis Sweatman (P) 113

[[Sturgeon Creek (Manitoba riding)|Sturgeon Creek]]:

*(incumbent)[[Frank Johnston (politician)|Frank Johnston]] (PC) 5546
*Robert Adams (NDP) 3253
*John Epp (L) 732

[[Swan River (electoral district)|Swan River]]:

*(incumbent)[[Doug Gourlay]] (PC) 3884
*[[Leonard Harapiak]] (NDP) 3615
*George Simpson (P) 138

[[The Pas (Manitoba riding)|The Pas]]:

*[[Harry Harapiak]] (NDP) 4236
*Percy Pielak (PC) 1303
*Laverne Jaeb (L) 509

[[Thompson (electoral district)|Thompson]]:

*[[Steve Ashton]] (NDP) 2890
*(incumbent)[[Ken MacMaster]] (PC) 2818
*Cy Hennessey (L) 138

[[Transcona (electoral district)|Transcona]]:

*(incumbent)[[Wilson Parasiuk]] (NDP) 6013
*Jo Lopuck (PC) 2269
*Albert Smaczylo (P) 120

{{1981 Manitoba general election/Turtle Mountain}}

[[Tuxedo (electoral district)|Tuxedo]]:

*(incumbent)[[Gary Filmon]] (PC) 6731
*Terri Gray (NDP) 2433
*Beverly McCaffrey (L) 1257

[[Virden (Manitoba riding)|Virden]]:

*(incumbent)[[Harry Graham (Manitoba)|Harry Graham]] (PC) 5059
*Maude Lelong (NDP) 2859

[[Wolseley (Manitoba electoral district)|Wolseley]]:

*[[Myrna Phillips]] (NDP) 4370
*(incumbent)[[Len Domino]] (PC) 2904
*[[Doug Lauchlan]] (L) 1539
*[[Murdoch MacKay]] (P) 224

===Post-election changes===
[[Henry Nelson Carroll|Henry Carroll]] (NDP) became (Ind), August 19, 1982.
[[Russell Doern]] (NDP) became (Ind), March 7, 1984.

[[Fort Garry (electoral district)|Fort Garry]] (res. [[Bud Sherman|Louis Sherman]], August 5, 1984), October 2, 1984:

*[[Charles Birt]] (PC) 3561
*[[Sharon Carstairs]] (L) 1993
*Shirley Lord (NDP) 1211
*[[Sidney Green (politician)|Sidney Green]] (P) 1035
*Fred Cameron (WCC) 186

[[Kildonan (Manitoba riding)|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 (provincial electoral district)|Portage la Prairie]] (dec. [[Lloyd Hyde]], August 25, 1985)

==See also==
* [[List of political parties in Canada#Manitoba|List of Manitoba political parties]]

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Byers |editor1-first=R. B. |title=Canadian annual review of politics and public affairs. 1981 |date=1984 |publisher=University of Toronto Press |location=Toronto |isbn=978-1-4426-7195-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/canadianannualre0000unse_p3y6 |url-access=registration}}

{{Manitoba elections}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manitoba General Election, 1981}}
[[Category:1981 elections in Canada]]
[[Category:Elections in Manitoba|1981]]
[[Category:1981 in Manitoba]]
[[Category:November 1981 in Canada]]