- Robert Hoey
Robert Alexander Hoey (
September 12 ,1883 —November 15 ,1965 ) was a politician inManitoba ,Canada . He was a member of theCanadian House of Commons from 1921 to 1925, served in theLegislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1927 to 1936, and was acabinet minister in the government ofJohn Bracken .Hoey was born in
Enniskillen ,County Fermanagh ,Ireland , and came to Canada in 1909. He was educated at Wesley College and Manitoba College in Winnipeg, and became a pioneer worker in the farmer's movement. He served as provincial director of theUnited Farmers of Manitoba (UFM) in 1918, and worked as the UFM's field secretary from 1919 to 1921.He was elected to the House of Commons in Canada's federal election of 1921 as a Progressive candidate, defeating Liberal candidate Thomas Molloy by 1,397 votes in the riding of Springfield. He served on the opposition benches of parliament for the next four years, and did not seek re-election in 1925. He returned to farm organization after leaving the House of Commons in 1925, taking part in the organization of the Western Wheat Pools.
The United Farmers of Manitoba unexpectedly won a government majority in the 1922 provincial election, and formed government as the
Progressive Party of Manitoba . Hoey was asked to become Premier of Manitoba, but declined. John Bracken was then selected in his place.On
April 28 ,1927 , Hoey joined Bracken's provincial government as Minister of Education. He did not hold a seat in the legislature at the time, but was a prominent campaigner for the Progressive Party in the 1927 provincial election, and defeated independent incumbentDonald A. Ross by 710 votes in the St. Clements constituency. He was easily returned in the 1932 election, and served as Minister of Education throughout his time in the legislature. He also served as acting Attorney General fromFebruary 22 toMay 18 ,1929 .In 1932, Hoey played a prominent role in negotiations between Manitoba's Progressive and Liberal parties, which resulted in a Liberal-Progressive electoral alliance. This alliance eventually became a permanent partnership, and government members became known as "Liberal-Progressives".
Hoey was defeated in the 1936 provincial election, losing to Independent Labour Party candidate
Herbert Sulkers by 665 votes.Robert Hoey was appointed to a seat on the
Northwest Territories Council in 1946, and served to 1951.External links
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