Manitoba general election, 1932

Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1932 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.

This was the second election in Manitoba where the single transferable ballot was used in all electoral divisions. Winnipeg elected ten members in this manner, while all other constituencies elected one member by instant runoff voting.

The election was called soon after the announcement of an alliance between the governing Progressive Party of John Bracken and the Liberal Party led by Murdoch Mackay. These parties were ideologically similar, and had a common interest in preventing the Conservative Party from coming to power. National Liberal leader William Lyon Mackenzie King supported this alliance, out of concern that a Conservative victory would strengthen the hand of Conservative Prime Minister Richard Bennett.

Bracken tried to bring the Conservatives into his coalition, but was rebuffed by Conservative leader Fawcett Taylor. Taylor's refusal to consider a consensus government was used against him in the campaign.

The election was also contested by the social democratic Independent Labour Party, under the leadership of John Queen. Though it was the second-largest party in the legislature after the 1920 election, Labour had slumped to only three seats in 1927 amid a general period of decline in the Canadian left. While the ILP was poised to improve its showing in the 1932 campaign, it was not a serious contender for government.

Some members of the provincial Liberal Party opposed the Liberal-Progressive alliance, and contested the election as "continuing Liberals". Their leader was David Campbell, the mayor of St. Boniface.

Leslie Morris and Jacob Penner of the Communist Party campaigned in the city of Winnipeg, and other Communist candidates ran in the outlying areas. As the Communist Party was under legal restrictions at the time, they ran as "United Front Workers" candidates. Former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) George Armstrong ran as a candidate of the Socialist Party, and Jessie MacLennan campaigned as a labour candidate unaffiliated with the ILP.

The result was a resounding victory for the governing alliance, as Liberals, Progressives and their allies won 38 out of 55 seats. The Conservatives fell from fifteen seats to ten. Having lost his third consecutive election, Fawcett Taylor resigned as Conservative leader in 1933. The Independent Labour Party managed a modest recovery after its poor showing in 1927, increasing its caucus to five members. No other parties' candidates were elected, although two former Progressives were elected as independents. The Continuing Liberals fared especially poorly, and disappeared after the election.

Leslie Morris came 309 votes short of winning the tenth seat in Winnipeg. Had he won, he would have been the first Communist elected to a provincial legislature in Canada.

Results

Party		Party Leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular Vote
				1927	Elected	Change	#	%	% Change
	Liberal-Progressive	John Bracken	53	36	38	+2		39.6%	-13.5%
	Conservative	Fawcett Taylor	49	15	10	-5		35.4%	+8.2%
	Independent Labour	John Queen	15	3	5	+2		16.5%	+6.0%
	Continuing Liberal	David Campbell	13	-	0	-		2.0%	n/a
	United Front		4	0	0	-
	Socialist		1	0	0	-
	Independent		11	1	2	+1
Total					55			100%

Preceded by 1927 Manitoba election

List of Manitoba elections

Succeeded by 1936 Manitoba election

See also

• List of Manitoba political parties

Results by electoral division

Arthur:

• (x)Duncan Lloyd McLeod (LP/P) 1835
• J. Arthur Ross (C) 881

Assiniboia:

First Count

• Ralph Webb (C) 2813
• John McLean (ILP) 2349
• John George Smith (LP) 1008

Smith was eliminated.

Second Count

• Ralph Webb (C) 3015
• John McLean (ILP) 2911

Beautiful Plains:

• (x)Adalbert Poole (LP/P) 2378
• John Poole (C) 1729

Birtle:

• (x)John Pratt (Ind/P) 1954
• William C. Wroth (C) 1315

Brandon City:

First Count

• George Dinsdale (C) 2647
• Harry Spafford (ILP) 1574
• David E. Clement (LP/L) 1423
• Harry William Cater (L) 893

Cater was eliminated. Clement was eliminated on the second count with 1555 votes.

Third Count

• George Dinsdale (C) 3021
• Harry Spafford (ILP) 2192

Carillon:

• (x)Albert Prefontaine (LP/P) 2590
• Maurice Duprey (C) 804

Cypress:

• James Christie (LP) 1795
• (x)William H. Spinks (C) 1539

Dauphin:

First Count

• Robert Hawkins (LP) 1668
• Ernest N. McGirr (C) 1525
• W.S. Wicks (ILP) 578

Wicks was eliminated.

Second Count

• Robert Hawkins (LP) 1861
• Ernest N. McGirr (C) 1595

Deloraine:

• (x)Hugh McKenzie (LP/P) 2003
• John Agnew (C) 1523

Dufferin:

• (x)John Munn (LP/P) 2568
• Arthur B. Roblin (C) 1966

Emerson:

First Count

• (x)Robert Curran (LP) 1987
• William Richard Johnston (C) 1742
• William Kolodzinski (Ind Farmer-Labour) 559

Kolodzinski was eliminated.

Second Count

• (x)Robert Curran (LP) 2028
• William Richard Johnston (C) 1788

Ethelbert:

• (x)Nicholas Hryhorczuk (LP/Ind Farmer) 2331
• Nicholas Bilash (ILP) 1682

Fairford:

• (x)Stuart Garson (LP/P) 1011
• A.W. Kirvan (L) 677

Fisher:

First Count

• (x)Nicholas Bachynsky (LP/P) 845
• W.N. Kolisnyk (United Front Workers) 364
• W.E. Hodgins (C) 352
• J.G. Hamilton (Ind LP) 195

Hamilton was eliminated. Note that one source lists Hamilton as a Continuing Liberal.

Second Count

• (x)Nicholas Bachynsky (LP/P) 851
• W.N. Kolisnyk (United Front Workers) 388
• W.E. Hodgins (C) 388

Gilbert Plains:

• (x)Arthur Berry (LP/P) 1601
• H.A. Alley (C) 1312

Gimli:

First Count

• Einar Jonasson (LP/L) 1340
• (x)Ingimar Ingaldson (LP/P) 1069
• Gunnar Thorvaldson (C) 858
• Iwan Kapusta (United Front Workers) 710
• Michael Ewanchuk (L) 236

Ewanchuk was eliminated. Kapusta was eliminated on the second count with 716 votes, and Thorvaldson was eliminated on the third count with 858 votes.

Fourth Count

• Einar Jonasson (LP/L) 1704
• (x)Ingimar Ingaldson (LP/P) 1410

Gladstone:

• (x)William Morton (LP) 1902
• George M. Hall (C) 1144

Glenwood:

• (x)James Breakey (LP/L) 2020
• Arnaud E. Smith (C) 1087

Hamiota:

• (x)Thomas Wolstenholme (LP/P) 1847
• W.J. Burgess (C) 1223

Iberville:

• (x)Arthur R. Boivin (LP/Ind) 1488
• R.R. Pattinson (C) 807
• Laurier A. Regnier (L) 304

Kildonan and St. Andrews:

First Count

• (x)James McLenaghen (C) 2564
• W.H. Gibbs (LP/L) 2334
• Charles H. Cook (ILP) 1313

Cook was eliminated.

Second Count

• (x)James McLenaghen (C) 2664
• W.H. Gibbs (LP/L) 2625

Killarney:

• Andrew Foster (LP) 1571
• (x)John Bell Laughlin (C) 1481

Lakeside:

• (x)Douglas Campbell (LP/P) 1969
• John P. Bend (C) 1522

Lansdowne:

• (x)Donald McKenzie (LP) 2193
• G.R.D. Lyon (C) 1095
• R.C. Borton (Ind) 302
• William C. Griggs (L) 189

La Verendrye:

First Count

• Philippe Adjutor Talbot (LP/P) 1587
• R.J.E. Arpin (C) 1473
• Allan Ramsay (Ind) 374

Ramsay was eliminated.

Second Count

• Philippe Adjutor Talbot (LP/P) 1627
• R.J.E. Arpin (C) 1551

Manitou:

• Frank McIntosh (LP) 2268
• (x)Joseph Lusignan (C) 1776

Minnedosa:

First Count

• (x)Earl Rutledge (C) 2336
• Neil Cameron (LP) 2210
• Cecil L. St. John (Ind) 396

St. John was eliminated.

Second Count

• (x)Earl Rutledge (C) 2432
• Neil Cameron (LP) 2378

Morris:

• (x)William Clubb (LP/P) 2526
• C.B. McNulty (C) 1077

Mountain:

• (x)Ivan Schultz (LP/L) 3076
• Robert Perfect (C) 1182

Morden and Rhineland:

• C.W. Wiebe (LP) 2837
• (x)Hugh McGavin (C) 2390

Norfolk:

• (x)John Muirhead (LP/P) 1773
• R.J. Waugh (C) 1537

Portage La Prairie:

• (x)Fawcett Taylor (C) 2016
• Ewan A. McPherson (LP/L) 1051

Roblin:

• William Westwood (LP/Ind) 1847
• (x)Frederic Newton (C) 1238

Rockwood:

First Count

• (x)William McKinnell (LP/P) 2114
• H.M. Hannesson (C) 1136
• B.E. Lewis (Ind Farmer) 997

Lewis was eliminated.

Second Count

• (x)William McKinnell (LP/P) 2667
• H. Hannesson (C) 1250

Rupertsland (16 July):

First Count

• Ewan McPherson (LP/L) 312
• (x)Herbert G. Beresford (LP/P) 215
• Capt. Evans Atkinson (Ind) 111

Atkinson was eliminated.

Second Count

• Ewan McPherson (LP/L) 319
• (x)Herbert G. Beresford (LP/P) 229

Russell:

• (x)Isaac Griffiths (LP/P) 2523
• E.H. Whelpley (C) 1237

St. Boniface:

First Count

• (x)Joseph Bernier (C) 3483
• Harold Lawrence (ILP) 3477
• L.P. Gagnon (LP/L) 3283
• David Campbell (L) 1116

Campbell was eliminated. Gagnon was eliminated after the second count with 3560 votes.

Third Count

• Harold Lawrence (ILP) 4954
• (x)Joseph Bernier (C) 4470

St. Clements:

First Count

• (x)Robert Hoey (LP/P) 3234
• R.J. Bate (C) 2046
• Thomas Dunn (ILP) 1774
• R.A. Smith (L) 412

Smith was eliminated. Dunn was eliminated after the second count with 1824 votes.

Second Count

• (x)Robert Hoey (LP/P) 3655
• R.J. Bate (C) 2285

St. George:

• (x)Skuli Sigfusson (LP/L) 1604
• Robert Kerr Jr. (C) 1104

Ste. Rose:

• (x)Maurice Dane MacCarthy (LP/P) 1959
• Robert Doucette (C) 1203

Springfield:

First Count

• Clifford Barclay (Ind/Farmer-Labour) 3035
• (x)Murdoch Mackay (LP/L) 2407
• W.B.K. McRury (C) 1080
• James Grant (ILP) 235
• John A. Matheson (L) 232

Matheson was eliminated. McRury and Grant were eliminated after the second count with 1113 and 251 votes, respectively.

Third Count

• Clifford Barclay (Ind/Farmer-Labour) 3192
• (x)Murdoch Mackay (LP/L) 2540

Swan River:

First Count

• George Renouf (C) 1698
• Sam Einarson (Ind) 1279
• Charles H. Goodman (LP) 1034

Goodman was eliminated.

Second Count

• George Renouf (C) 1827
• Sam Einarson (Ind) 1776

Turtle Mountain:

• (x)Alexander Welch (C) 1322
• Frederick V. Bird (LP) 1277

The Pas (deferred):

• (x)John Bracken (LP/P) 1915
• N.S. McDonald (ILP) 1072
• H.F. Maulson (Ind C) 173

Virden:

• (x)Robert Mooney (LP/P) 2101
• J.H. Heenan (C) 1669
• S.L. McBain (L) 249

Winnipeg (ten members):

First Count (quota: 7000 votes; Evans and Queen declared elected

• (x)William Sanford Evans (C) 13507
• (x)John Queen (ILP) 9302
• (x)William Major (LP/P) 5940
• (x)Seymour Farmer (ILP) 5053
• (x)John Thomas Haig (C) 4432
• John Stewart McDiarmid (LP/L) 3540
• Huntly Ketchen (C) 3530
• Leslie Morris (United Front Workers) 3455
• Marcus Hyman (ILP) 3366
• Ralph Maybank (LP/L) 2945
• C. Andrusyshen (Ind Ukrainian) 2693
• (x)William Ivens (ILP) 2262
• (x)William V. Tobias (C) 1991
• R.W.B. Swail (C) 1951
• (x)Edward William Montgomery (LP) 1614
• Jessie MacLennan (Lab) 1600
• James Alexander Barry (C) 1549
• F.W. Russell (Ind) 1339
• Jacob Penner (United Front Workers) 1106
• V.B. Anderson (ILP) 1061
• Beatrice Brigden (ILP) 894
• George Armstrong (SPC) 848
• H.P.A. Hermanson (L) 688
• Duncan Cameron (LP) 597
• John Y. Reid (L) 588
• Clarence G. Keith (L) 548
• D.M. Elcheshen (C) 314
• W.J. Fulton (LP) 182
• Thomas Gargan (Ind) 96

• Second Count: Evans surplus
• Third Count: Queen surplus
• Fourth count: Fulton and Gargan eliminated
• Fifth count: Elcheshen eliminated (378 votes; Haig elected, 7019 votes)
• Sixth count: Haig surplus
• Seventh count: Keith eliminated (588 votes)
• Eighth count: Cameron eliminated
• Ninth count: Reid eliminated (812 votes)
• Tenth count: Armstrong eliminated (880 votes)
• Eleventh count: Brigden eliminated (1084 votes; Farmer elected, 7105 votes)
• Twelfth count: Farmer surplus
• Thirteenth count: Penner eliminated
• Fourteenth count: Hermanson eliminated (1331 votes)
• Fifteenth count: Anderson eliminated
• Sixteenth count: Russell eliminated (1570 votes)
• Seventeenth count: MacLennan eliminated (2082 votes; Major elected, 7044 votes)
• Eighteenth count: Major surplus
• Nineteenth count: Montgomery eliminated (2177 votes)
• Twentieth count: Tobias eliminated (2425 votes)
• Twenty-first count: Andrusychen eliminated (2923 votes)
• Twenty-second count: Swail eliminated (3457 votes; Ketchen elected, 7486 votes)
• Twenty-third count: Ketchen surplus
• Twenty-fourth count: Barry eliminated (4780 votes)

Final standings:

• (x)William Evans (C) 7000
• (x)John Queen (ILP) 7000
• (x)John Haig (C) 7000
• (x)Seymour Farmer (ILP) 7000
• (x)William Major (LP/P) 7000
• Huntly Ketchen (C) 7000
• Marcus Hyman (ILP) 6593
• John McDiarmid (LP/L) 6060
• (x)William Ivens (ILP) 5470
• Ralph Maybank (LP/L) 5268
• Leslie Morris (United Front Workers) 4959

Sources

The first ballot results for Winnipeg and results for all other constituencies are taken from an official Manitoba government publication entitled "Manitoba elections, 1920-1941", cross-referenced with an appendix to the government's report of the 2003 provincial election. The Canadian parliamentary guide lists slightly different results from Kildonan & St. Andrews, Lansdowne, La Verendrye, Morris, Springfield and Turtle Mountain; the other two sources are more comprehensive, however, and may be taken as more reliable.

All ballot results for Winnipeg after the first count are taken from reports in the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper. It is possible that some errors appeared in the original publication.

Post-election changes

Portage La Prairie (res. Fawcett Taylor, 1933), November 27, 1933:

• William Sexsmith (C) 1166, 1261
• E.A. Gilroy (Ind [LP]) 851, 1024
• H.A. Ireland (Ind-Lab) 597

Arthur (dec. Duncan McLeod, May 10, 1935), June 24, 1935:

• John R. Pitt (LP) accl.

Russell (Isaac Griffiths to cabinet, May 28, 1935), July 4, 1935:

• Isaac Griffiths (LP) accl.

Carillon (dec. Albert Prefontaine, 1935), July 4, 1935:

• Edmond Prefontaine (LP) 1948
• Louis-P. Gagnon 1793

Gimli (res. Einar Jonasson, 1935)

Winnipeg (res. Ralph Maybank, October 1, 1935)

Winnipeg (res. John Thomas Haig, 1935)