Manitoba’s NDP Premier Gary Doer Wins Third Majority Government

By STEVE LAMBERT

WINNIPEG (CP) – Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, a former jail guard who became one of the most popular politicians in Canada, locked it up in Tuesday’s provincial election, leading his New Democrats to a record third consecutive majority in the legislature.

Doer, 59, was easily re-elected in his own Winnipeg riding of Concordia, and early returns suggested the New Democrats would retain all 35 seats they held in the 57-seat house when the election was called last month. Most members of Doer’s most recent cabinet also appeared headed for re-election.

For rookie Progressive Conservative Leader Hugh McFadyen, a 39-year-old lawyer, the election was a chance to restore the Tories as a political force after years of internal disarray and to expand beyond their traditional rural strongholds. McFadyen won his own Fort Whyte riding, but the Tories failed to make the inroads they needed to in most other Winnipeg ridings.

Liberal Leader Jon Gerrard, a 59-year-old physician and former MP, won his own River Heights riding handily. But he appeared to fall short of his own lofty predictions of up to 10 seats for the Liberals, traditionally the third-place party in Manitoba.

The Grits failed to achieve even the more modest goal of the four seats required for official party status in the house. Even before the votes were counted, there was speculation that disappointing results would jeopardize Gerrard’s leadership.

At dissolution the Conservatives held 18 seats and the Liberals only two. One seat was held by an Independent – a veteran Tory who quit the party and decided not to run again after he lost the nomination in Carman – and one seat was vacant following the resignation of former Tory leader Stuart Murray.

There was no early word on voter turnout, but a record 43,000 people cast ballots at advance polls, which for the first time opened on Sundays and in more locations than ever before.

During the campaign, the opposition parties tried to capitalize on public concerns about Manitoba’s high crime rate, a shortage of doctors and an economy that has lagged behind other western provinces.

Doer promoted his vision of new hydro development as key to future economic growth and repeatedly accused the other parties of making reckless tax-cut promises that he said would leave the province with less money for health care and other important services.

Perhaps the biggest campaign splash came when McFadyen promised to bring back the NHL Winnipeg Jets, who broke the hearts of hockey fans when they left for Phoenix under financial duress in 1996.