Manitoba Liberal Party

The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th-century, in the period following the province's creation in 1870.

Origins and early development (to 1883)

Originally, there were no official political parties in Manitoba, although many leading politicians were affiliated with parties that existed at the national level. In Manitoba's first Legislative Assembly, the leader of the opposition was Edward Hay, a Liberal who represented the interests of recent anglophone immigrants from Ontario. Not a party leader as such, he was still a leading voice for the newly-transplanted "Ontario Grit" tradition. In 1874, Hay served as Minister of Public Works in the government of Marc-Amable Girard, which included both Conservatives and Liberals.

Related Topics:
Legislative Assembly - Edward Hay - Anglophone - Ontario - Grit - 1874 - Minister of Public Works - Marc-Amable Girard - Conservatives

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During the 1870s, a Liberal network began to emerge in the city of Winnipeg. One of the key figures in this network was William Luxton, owner of the Manitoba Free Press newspaper and himself a member of the Manitoba legislature on two occasions. Luxton was not initially supportive of Premier Robert A. Davis (1874-1878), but endorsed the Davis ministry after brought John Norquay into cabinet (Davis's early supporters were primarily from the francophone community, and Norquay's presence gave the ministry greater credibility among the anglophone population). Luxton subsequently supported Davis and Norquay against Conservative Orangeman Thomas Scott, a leader of the local opposition (not to be confused with the figure executed by Louis Riel in 1870).

Related Topics:
Winnipeg - William Luxton - Manitoba Free Press - Manitoba legislature - Robert A. Davis - 1878 - John Norquay - Francophone - Orangeman - Thomas Scott - Louis Riel - 1870

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although the Davis administration was on favourable terms with federal Liberal Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie (1873-1878), his successor Norquay was more closely aligned with the federal Conservatives. This was partly a matter of necessity. As a small province, Manitoba needed to be on favourable terms with whatever party was in power at the federal level. As such, when John A. Macdonald's Conservatives were returned to power in 1878, the local balance of power began to shift. Luxton's Liberal network supported Norquay against Scott in 1878 and 1879, but was subsequently marginalized by the Norquay government. In 1882, Norquay forged a new alliance with the province's Conservatives.

Related Topics:
Federal Liberal - Prime Minister - Alexander Mackenzie - 1873 - Federal Conservatives - John A. Macdonald - 1879 - 1882

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~