The 1990 Manitoba general election was held on September 11, 1990 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative (PC) Party, which took 30 out of 57 seats. The New Democratic Party finished second with 20, while the Liberal Party fell from 21 to 7.

Background The 1990 election took place against the backdrop of the failed Meech Lake constitutional accord, which sought to clarify Quebec's position within Canada. The accord, which was signed in 1988, required passage by the federal government and the ten provincial governments before June 23, 1990 to become law. Although Manitoba Premier Howard Pawley had approved the accord in 1987, his government did not bring it before the legislature before their surprise defeat in 1988.

Pawley's replacement, PC leader Gary Filmon, was less inclined to support the deal, and requested that certain aspects be re-negotiated before his government would grant approval. After some reluctance, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney allowed re-negotiations with all provincial Premiers, and convinced Filmon to introduce the accord to the Manitoba legislature shortly before the scheduled deadline. Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs and NDP leader Gary Doer were also willing to support the revised deal.

Some members of Doer's caucus still opposed the accord, however. When it was put before the legislature, NDP MLA Elijah Harper refused to grant unanimous leave for emergency debate, on the grounds that the deal did not recognize the position of aboriginals in Canada's constitutional framework. Harper, the first indigenous member of the Manitoba legislature, was strongly supported by aboriginal leaders such as Phil Fontaine and Ovide Mercredi, and continued his protest in the legislature during the following weeks. With assistance from former parliamentary clerk Gord Mackintosh, Harper was able to delay the legislative process until the accord simply could not be passed on time. Harper became a national celebrity, and polls showed that most English-speaking Canadians supported his stand.

Ironically, Gary Filmon's Tories may have benefitted from Harper's actions. Filmon was a long-time opponent of the accord, and was a fairly tepid supporter even after the renegotiated compromise was reached. Subsequently, Filmon used the accord's failure to highlight differences between himself and Mulroney, who was becoming increasingly unpopular as Prime Minister.

Reorganization of electoral divisions An Act was passed in 1989, providing for the following changes to representation in the Legislative Assembly:

Abolished ridings New ridingsAbolished ridings Churchill divided among Flin Flon, Rupertsland and Thompson Ellice merged with WolseleyNew ridings Seine Riverfrom parts of Niakwa and Riel Wellingtonfrom part of BurrowsMerger of ridings Arthur Virden Arthur-VirdenReorganization of ridings Kildonan Seven Oaks Kildonan The Maples Emerson Rhineland Emerson Steinbachplus part of La VerendryeDivision of ridings Fort Rouge Broadway Crescentwood part to OsborneRenaming of ridings Logan Point Douglasalso taking in parts of Burrows and St. Johns

Issues Filmon's Progressive Conservatives made the fewest promises of any major party. Their platform called for an end to abuse of the elderly in retirement homes, environmental initiatives, and low-cost economic development. They proposed to cut the size of the Winnipeg City Council, and vowed not to raise taxes.

The Liberals focused on economic issues, promising a major investment in job training, research and development, and business support. They also proposed to cut the Winnipeg Council, create government grants for tourism and adult education, and restore Tory cuts to health and other programs.

The NDP platform focused on workers' concerns, the environment, preventive health programs and housing. They supported an increase in the minimum wage, affirmative action programs, and laws which would make it expensive to shut down plants in Manitoba. They also promised not to raise taxes, and opposed the sale of Manfor Ltd., a Crown corporation owned by the Province of Manitoba.

The campaign A poll published in the Winnipeg Free Press indicated that the NDP were the most trusted party on economic issues, followed by the Tories. The NDP were still damaged from their poor showing in the 1988 election, however, and began the campaign in third place. The struggle for government initially appeared to be between the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.

The Liberals ran a weak campaign, however, and were overtaken by the NDP after a strong performance from Gary Doer in the leaders' debate. Doer further increased the NDP's standing in the last weeks of the campaign by highlighting the connections between Filmon and the Mulroney government on a number of issues. The NDP's return to official opposition status was regarded as a major development after their near-collapse in 1988.

Opinion polls

+ Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level Polling firmLast day of survey Source PC MLP NDP Other SampleElection 1990September 11, 199041.9928.1528.801.06ViewpointsMarch 199036.836.826.5Election 1988April 26, 198838.3735.5223.622.49

Results The Tories continued their dominance in Manitoba's rural south, winning every seat in the region. They also won 13 of 31 seats in Winnipeg and a few ridings to the city's immediate north, enough to provide the party with a majority of two.

The NDP won 11 seats in Winnipeg, and swept the province's north. They also won four seats in the mid-northern region, and retained Brandon East, their lone southern riding outside of Winnipeg.

All seven seats retained by the Liberals were in Winnipeg, mostly in the centre and northwest of the city. With few exceptions, many of the centre-left voters who had voted Liberal in 1988 switched back to the NDP.

PartyParty Leader# ofcandidatesSeatsPopular VoteBefore1Elected% Change#%Change Progressive Conservative Gary Filmon572430+25.0%206,81041.99%+3.62 New Democratic Gary Doer571220+66.7%141,32828.80%+5.18 Liberal Sharon Carstairs57217-66.7%138,14628.15%-7.37 Irene Armishaw (president)5---1,5640.32%-1.00 Western Independence Fred Cameron6---1,3550.28%-0.17 Sidney Green5---1,1630.24%+0.06 Clancy Smith 5---6370.13%+0.04 Frank Goldspink (organizer)1---250.00%-0.05Independent5---4500.09%-0.30 Total1985757-490,690100% 

1 "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.

Vote and seat summaries

Synopsis of results + 1990 Manitoba general election – synopsis of riding results Electoraldivision Winning partyVotesAll parties with more than 1% of the vote are shown individually. Independent candidates and other minor parties are aggregated separately.1988 1stplace Votes Share Margin# Margin% 2ndplace PC NDP Lib Total  Arthur-Virden New PC 4,773 59.26% 2,688 33.37% Lib 4,773 1,197 2,085 – – 8,055Assiniboia Lib PC 4,054 49.85% 1,324 16.28% Lib 4,054 1,348 2,730 – – 8,132Brandon East NDP NDP 4,760 53.51% 1,544 17.36% PC 3,216 4,760 919 – – 8,895Brandon West PC PC 4,736 55.47% 2,362 27.66% NDP 4,736 2,374 1,428 – – 8,538Broadway New NDP 2,508 38.72% 108 1.67% Lib 1,570 2,508 2,400 – – 6,478Burrows Lib NDP 4,206 54.34% 2,150 27.78% Lib 1,478 4,206 2,056 – – 7,740Charleswood PC PC 5,419 57.56% 2,507 26.63% Lib 5,419 1,084 2,912 – – 9,415Concordia NDP NDP 4,588 58.17% 2,651 33.61% PC 1,937 4,588 1,059 – 303 7,887Crescentwood New Lib 4,588 45.65% 1,310 13.03% PC 3,278 2,184 4,588 – – 10,050Dauphin NDP NDP 4,802 48.83% 1,378 14.01% PC 3,424 4,802 1,608 – – 9,834Elmwood NDP NDP 4,127 46.98% 1,092 12.43% PC 3,035 4,127 1,623 – – 8,785Emerson PC PC 4,529 61.85% 2,790 38.10% Lib 4,529 1,055 1,739 – – 7,323Flin Flon NDP NDP 4,153 69.08% 3,027 50.35% PC 1,126 4,153 733 – – 6,012Fort Garry Lib PC 5,105 47.07% 1,113 10.26% Lib 5,105 1,500 3,992 – 249 10,846Gimli PC PC 5,118 52.43% 2,452 25.12% NDP 5,118 2,666 1,978 – – 9,762Gladstone PC PC 4,371 59.21% 2,559 34.67% Lib 4,371 788 1,812 – 411 7,382Inkster Lib Lib 3,602 45.87% 965 12.29% NDP 1,416 2,637 3,602 – 198 7,853Interlake NDP NDP 2,941 40.54% 408 5.62% PC 2,533 2,941 1,781 – – 7,255Kildonan Lib NDP 3,904 35.69% 210 1.92% PC 3,694 3,904 2,771 – 570 10,939Kirkfield Park PC PC 5,813 56.42% 2,383 23.13% Lib 5,813 1,035 3,430 – 25 10,303La Vérendrye PC PC 3,731 44.49% 1,013 12.08% Lib 3,731 1,938 2,718 – – 8,387Lac du Bonnet PC PC 5,162 53.70% 2,020 21.01% NDP 5,162 3,142 1,309 – – 9,613Lakeside PC PC 3,719 49.69% 1,783 23.82% Lib 3,719 1,248 1,936 – 581 7,484Minnedosa PC PC 4,294 53.00% 2,091 25.81% Lib 4,294 1,605 2,203 – – 8,102Morris PC PC 5,353 63.64% 3,317 39.43% Lib 5,353 721 2,036 – 302 8,412Niakwa Lib PC 4,950 46.50% 649 6.10% Lib 4,950 1,394 4,301 – – 10,645Osborne Lib Lib 3,941 40.21% 1,080 11.02% NDP 2,859 2,861 3,941 – 139 9,800Pembina PC PC 5,497 78.73% 4,664 66.80% Lib 5,497 652 833 – – 6,982Point Douglas NDP NDP 2,778 54.72% 1,228 24.19% Lib 575 2,778 1,550 174 – 5,077Portage la Prairie PC PC 4,276 53.85% 1,947 24.52% Lib 4,276 1,092 2,329 – 243 7,940Radisson Lib NDP 4,055 46.76% 1,363 15.72% PC 2,692 4,055 1,925 – – 8,672Riel PC PC 3,756 43.32% 882 10.17% Lib 3,756 2,041 2,874 – – 8,671River East PC PC 4,963 52.73% 2,474 26.29% NDP 4,963 2,489 1,960 – – 9,412River Heights Lib Lib 5,467 47.97% 866 7.60% PC 4,601 1,190 5,467 – 138 11,396Roblin-Russell PC PC 4,382 52.31% 2,144 25.59% NDP 4,382 2,238 1,757 – – 8,377Rossmere PC PC 3,893 42.33% 1,168 12.70% NDP 3,893 2,725 2,416 – 163 9,197Rupertsland NDP NDP 3,798 77.37% 2,994 60.99% PC 804 3,798 307 – – 4,909Seine River New PC 4,465 40.72% 47 0.43% Lib 4,465 1,792 4,418 – 289 10,964Selkirk Lib NDP 3,735 36.58% 268 2.62% PC 3,467 3,735 3,009 – – 10,211Springfield PC PC 5,146 49.11% 1,772 16.91% NDP 5,146 3,374 1,958 – – 10,478St. Boniface Lib Lib 4,928 55.40% 2,882 32.40% NDP 1,921 2,046 4,928 – – 8,895St. James Lib Lib 3,014 35.09% 295 3.43% PC 2,719 2,586 3,014 – 270 8,589St. Johns NDP NDP 4,392 52.86% 1,978 23.81% Lib 1,502 4,392 2,414 – – 8,308St. Norbert Lib PC 4,502 45.48% 117 1.18% Lib 4,502 1,011 4,385 – – 9,898St. Vital Lib PC 3,361 36.30% 118 1.27% Lib 3,361 2,368 3,243 – 288 9,260Ste. Rose PC PC 3,646 51.58% 1,764 24.96% Lib 3,646 1,540 1,882 – – 7,068Steinbach New PC 5,540 75.64% 4,369 59.65% Lib 5,540 483 1,171 – 130 7,324Sturgeon Creek Lib PC 4,676 46.51% 769 7.65% Lib 4,676 1,471 3,907 – – 10,054Swan River PC NDP 3,872 45.69% 233 2.75% PC 3,639 3,872 963 – – 8,474The Maples New Lib 3,273 39.83% 589 7.17% PC 2,684 2,260 3,273 – – 8,217The Pas NDP NDP 3,390 44.36% 143 1.87% PC 3,247 3,390 1,005 – – 7,642Thompson NDP NDP 4,099 59.93% 2,056 30.06% PC 2,043 4,099 698 – – 6,840Transcona Lib NDP 4,363 49.48% 1,809 20.52% Lib 1,732 4,363 2,554 – 168 8,817Turtle Mountain PC PC 4,702 58.68% 2,611 32.58% Lib 4,702 1,047 2,091 173 – 8,013Tuxedo PC PC 7,861 65.14% 4,580 37.95% Lib 7,861 926 3,281 – – 12,068Wellington New NDP 3,484 46.01% 1,160 15.32% Lib 1,534 3,484 2,324 103 128 7,573Wolseley Lib NDP 3,265 43.90% 745 10.02% Lib 1,503 3,265 2,520 – 149 7,437

= open seat = winning candidate was in previous Legislature = incumbent had switched allegiance = previously incumbent in another riding = not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature = other incumbents renominated = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada = multiple candidates

Turnout, winning shares and swings