The 1988 Manitoba general election was held on April 26, 1988 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a minority government. The Progressive Conservative Party won 25 seats, against 20 for the Liberal Party and 12 for the New Democratic Party. This is the most recent election to have resulted in a minority government in Manitoba, and is the only election between 1966 and 2023 in which the NDP finished third in the seat total.
Background The election was called unexpectedly in early 1988, after disgruntled NDP backbencher Jim Walding voted against his government's budget on March 9, 1988. With former cabinet minister Laurent Desjardins having essentially abandoned his seat earlier in the year, the Legislative Assembly was almost evenly divided. Walding's defection thus resulted in Howard Pawley's NDP government being defeated, 28 votes to 27. As the budget vote was a confidence measure, the Pawley ministry was forced to resign and call new elections two years ahead of schedule.
Popular support for the NDP was at an historically low level when the election was called, due to soaring Autopac rates and a taxpayer-funded bailout of the Manitoba Telephone System. The Pawley government's support for the Meech Lake Accord was also unpopular in some circles. One internal poll had the party at only 6% support, and there were concerns that they could be reduced to only two or three seats in the 57-seat legislature. Pawley resigned as party leader on the day after the budget defeat, and Urban Affairs Minister Gary Doer narrowly defeated Agriculture Minister Leonard Harapiak to replace him at a party convention held during the campaign.
Pawley himself announced he would enter federal politics and did not seek re-election in his own seat. In an unusual arrangement, the outgoing premier remained in office until after the election. Even after Doer's selection, the consensus was that the NDP would not be reelected. However, they managed to stabilize at around 20% in the polls. Many traditional NDP voters, especially in the city of Winnipeg, abandoned the party to support the Liberals in this cycle.
Issues The Progressive Conservatives, led by Gary Filmon, ran on a platform of saving revenue by selling public corporations, including ManOil and Manfor. Filmon also promised to scrap the province's Public Investment Corporation entirely. The Liberals also promised more prudent fiscal management, but did not propose to sell these crown corporations. Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs was also known as a prominent opponent of the Meech Lake Accord.
The NDP, which retained a support base in the north of the province, promised to create northern training centres in Thompson and The Pas.
The national abortion debate also surfaced in this campaign, although none of the major parties put forward a clear position on the issue. Although Filmon was personally anti-abortion, the Progressive Conservatives were unwilling to propose specific action on the subject, and withdrew from an early promise to close Henry Morgentaler's private clinic. The Liberals favoured counselling, including a focus on adoption. The NDP emphasized prevention and support services for poorer women who choose to continue their pregnancies.
Campaign The Progressive Conservatives entered the election with a significant lead in the polls, but saw their support undercut by the Liberals in the campaign's final weeks. Before the party leaders' debate, a Winnipeg Free Press poll indicated that 40% of voters considered Liberal leader Sharon Carstairs as the best choice for Premier, with 24% favouring Progressive Conservative Gary Filmon and 19% favouring NDP leader Gary Doer. 17% were undecided.
Carstairs performed well in the leaders' debate, and did much to improve her party's popularity as the campaign reached its end.
Results The Liberal Party performed well in Winnipeg, winning 19 out of 29 seats in that city and picking up ridings from both the NDP and Tories, and nearly managed to oust Filmon in his riding of Tuxedo, in south-central Winnipeg. The party won only one seat outside Winnipeg, however—Pawley's former seat of Selkirk, centred on the community of the same name just north of Winnipeg. It was and still is the party's best showing in an election since the then Liberal-Progressives won their last majority in 1953.
In terms of the popular vote, the Progressive Conservatives actually lost support from the last election, however they dominated the rural southern portion of the province, a traditional Tory stronghold. They made some inroads into traditional NDP territory immediately north of Winnipeg. The party also won six seats in Winnipeg, and took the northern seat of Swan River from the NDP.
The New Democrats managed to retain four seats in Winnipeg, five in the north, the mid-northern ridings of Dauphin and Interlake, and Brandon East in the south of the province. It is still the worst defeat that an NDP government has suffered in Manitoba.
Exit polls later revealed that new voters (i.e., immigrants and first-time voters) had polled strongly for the Liberals in Winnipeg.
Although Pawley had retired from politics and his party was reduced to third place, by constitutional convention he retained the right to remain in office until the NDP was defeated in the legislature, as well as the right to advise whether Lieutenant Governor George Johnson should appoint Filmon or Carstairs as the new premier upon leaving office. Doer also could have attempted to negotiate a coalition with the Liberals. Instead, he informally reached a deal with Filmon in which the NDP would tolerate a Tory minority government. As a result, Pawley finally resigned as Premier of Manitoba on May 9 and advised Johnson to appoint Filmon his successor. Filmon was duly sworn in later that day after advising Johnson that he could form a government.
PartyParty Leader# ofcandidatesSeatsPopular VoteBefore1Elected% Change#%Change Progressive Conservative Gary Filmon572625-3.85%206,18038.37%-2.19 Liberal Sharon Carstairs57120+1900%190,91335.52%+21.60 New Democratic Gary Doer573012-60.0%126,95423.62%-17.88 Dennis Heeney14---7,1001.32%-1.12 Fred Cameron16---2,4420.45%+0.45 Sidney Green6---9750.18%-0.33 Clancy Smith 6---5010.09%+0.09 Lorne Robson5---2610.05%-0.03Independent112--100%2,0840.39%-0.46 Total2295757-537,410100%
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 + 1988 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.1986 1stplace Votes Share Margin# Margin% 2ndplace PC Lib NDP CoR Total Arthur PC PC 4,359 54.71% 2,188 27.46% Lib 4,359 2,171 575 863 – – 7,968Assiniboia PC Lib 3,918 44.29% 187 2.11% PC 3,731 3,918 1,031 – – 166 8,846Brandon East NDP NDP 3,512 39.73% 653 7.39% PC 2,859 2,260 3,512 – 208 – 8,839Brandon West PC PC 5,039 45.93% 1,421 12.95% Lib 5,039 3,618 2,313 – – – 10,970Burrows NDP Lib 3,114 42.27% 109 1.48% NDP 1,040 3,114 3,005 – 129 79 7,367Charleswood PC PC 6,670 48.13% 820 5.92% Lib 6,670 5,850 1,180 – 158 – 13,858Churchill NDP NDP 2,396 58.03% 1,377 33.35% PC 1,019 714 2,396 – – – 4,129Concordia NDP NDP 3,702 37.71% 754 7.68% Lib 2,634 2,948 3,702 – 358 175 9,817Dauphin NDP NDP 3,983 40.26% 548 5.54% PC 3,435 2,475 3,983 – – – 9,893Ellice NDP Lib 3,081 42.88% 624 8.68% NDP 1,538 3,081 2,457 – – 109 7,185Elmwood NDP NDP 3,012 38.20% 173 2.19% Lib 1,920 2,839 3,012 – – 113 7,884Emerson PC PC 5,027 53.39% 2,412 25.62% Lib 5,027 2,615 1,407 366 – – 9,415Flin Flon NDP NDP 2,948 54.82% 1,385 25.75% PC 1,563 867 2,948 – – – 5,378Fort Garry PC Lib 6,055 46.58% 882 6.79% PC 5,173 6,055 1,553 – – 218 12,999Fort Rouge NDP Lib 5,127 48.91% 2,215 21.13% NDP 2,303 5,127 2,912 – – 141 10,483Gimli NDP PC 4,716 44.17% 1,364 12.78% NDP 4,716 2,347 3,352 – – 261 10,676Gladstone PC PC 3,760 52.51% 1,628 22.74% Lib 3,760 2,132 509 759 – – 7,160Inkster NDP Lib 4,466 41.43% 368 3.41% NDP 2,151 4,466 4,098 – – 64 10,779Interlake NDP NDP 3,057 39.99% 247 3.23% PC 2,810 1,777 3,057 – – – 7,644Kildonan NDP Lib 5,653 35.69% 585 3.69% PC 5,068 5,653 4,542 – – 578Sidney Green, previously elected as an NDP MLA, ran as a Progressive candidate and received 445 votes. 15,841Kirkfield Park PC PC 5,269 47.25% 255 2.29% Lib 5,269 5,014 868 – – – 11,151La Vérendrye PC PC 4,377 54.49% 1,429 17.79% Lib 4,377 2,948 708 – – – 8,033Lac du Bonnet NDP PC 3,773 41.48% 862 9.48% NDP 3,773 2,411 2,911 – – – 9,095Lakeside PC PC 4,475 48.97% 1,647 18.02% Lib 4,475 2,828 972 864 – – 9,139Logan NDP NDP 2,646 47.95% 986 17.87% Lib 1,085 1,660 2,646 – 81 46 5,518Minnedosa PC PC 3,669 43.36% 1,173 13.86% Lib 3,669 2,496 1,476 820 – – 8,461Morris PC PC 4,578 60.93% 2,746 36.55% Lib 4,578 1,832 449 597 57 – 7,513Niakwa PC Lib 8,576 47.48% 1,354 7.50% PC 7,222 8,576 2,026 – – 237 18,061Osborne NDP Lib 4,334 44.90% 1,581 16.38% NDP 2,421 4,334 2,753 – – 145 9,653Pembina PC PC 6,043 66.44% 3,872 42.57% Lib 6,043 2,171 382 499 – – 9,095Portage la Prairie PC PC 4,020 49.28% 1,208 14.81% Lib 4,020 2,812 722 603 – – 8,157Radisson NDP Lib 4,918 44.39% 1,805 16.29% NDP 3,049 4,918 3,113 – – – 11,080Rhineland PC PC 5,166 78.68% 4,107 62.55% Lib 5,166 1,059 341 – – – 6,566Riel PC PC 4,289 41.71% 324 3.15% Lib 4,289 3,965 1,834 121 – 75 10,284River East PC PC 7,563 51.73% 3,758 25.70% Lib 7,563 3,805 3,019 – – 233 14,620River Heights Lib Lib 6,620 59.69% 3,247 29.28% PC 3,373 6,620 1,036 – – 62 11,091Roblin-Russell PC PC 4,030 47.32% 1,517 17.81% Lib 4,030 2,513 1,973 – – – 8,516Rossmere NDP PC 3,950 38.09% 526 5.07% NDP 3,950 2,851 3,424 – – 146 10,371Rupertsland NDP NDP 2,206 51.75% 787 18.46% PC 1,419 638 2,206 – – – 4,263Selkirk NDP Lib 3,821 35.35% 184 1.70% NDP 3,138 3,821 3,637 – – 214 10,810Seven Oaks NDP Lib 3,885 42.81% 332 3.66% NDP 1,636 3,885 3,553 – – – 9,074Springfield PC PC 5,815 43.49% 2,009 15.03% Lib 5,815 3,806 3,749 – – – 13,370St. Boniface NDP Lib 5,743 61.16% 3,682 39.21% NDP 1,586 5,743 2,061 – – – 9,390St. James NDP Lib 3,939 40.14% 579 5.90% PC 3,360 3,939 2,171 137 – 205 9,812St. Johns NDP NDP 3,092 43.75% 612 8.66% Lib 1,222 2,480 3,092 – 103 171 7,068St. Norbert PC Lib 6,073 45.91% 378 2.86% PC 5,695 6,073 1,460 – – – 13,228St. Vital NDP Lib 4,431 42.22% 817 7.78% PC 3,614 4,431 2,282 – – 169 10,496Ste. Rose PC PC 3,723 46.15% 1,092 13.54% Lib 3,723 2,631 1,464 249 – – 8,067Sturgeon Creek PC Lib 4,833 47.45% 659 6.47% PC 4,174 4,833 993 158 – 27 10,185Swan River NDP PC 4,115 50.10% 669 8.14% NDP 4,115 653 3,446 – – – 8,214The Pas NDP NDP 3,221 51.69% 1,637 26.27% PC 1,584 1,426 3,221 – – – 6,231Thompson NDP NDP 2,992 48.10% 1,003 16.12% PC 1,989 1,240 2,992 – – – 6,221Transcona NDP Lib 3,900 41.13% 709 7.48% NDP 2,270 3,900 3,191 – 121 – 9,482Turtle Mountain PC PC 3,208 41.68% 598 7.77% Lib 3,208 2,610 446 476 869 87 7,696Tuxedo PC PC 6,427 47.28% 124 0.91% Lib 6,427 6,303 714 – – 149 13,593Virden PC PC 4,459 54.27% 2,416 29.40% Lib 4,459 2,043 967 588 – 160 8,217Wolseley NDP Liberal 3,618 42.78% 506 5.98% NDP 1,579 3,618 3,112 – – 149 8,458
= open seat = winning candidate was in previous Legislature = incumbent had switched allegiance = 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