Fred C. Hamilton

Fred C. Hamilton was a Manitoba politician who made two unsuccessful bids for the leadership of the Manitoba Liberal Party (in 1927 and 1931).

Hamilton ran for the Canadian parliament in the election of 1917, supporting the Opposition Liberals led by Sir Wilfrid Laurier. He was resoundingly defeated by Thomas Crerar, then serving as Minister of Agriculture in Robert Borden's Unionist government.

Hamilton served as president of the Provincial Liberal Association in the 1920s, and ran for the party's leadership in 1927. He was defeated by Hugh Robson, a respected judge with no prior political experience. The vote totals were not read into the record.

Following the general election of 1927 (which was won by Premier John Bracken's Progressives), Hamilton campaigned for the Liberals in the northern riding of Rupertsland -- which, due to its remoteness, voted after the rest of the province. He lost to Herbert Beresford, an independent candidate supporting Bracken's government.

Hamilton ran for the party leadership again in 1931, but lost to Murdoch Mackay, who supported cooperation with the Progressives. Once again, the vote totals were not read into the record.

Mackay subsequently led the Liberals into an electoral alliance with the Progressive Party in 1932. Hamilton opposed this alliance, and campaigned for David Campbell's "Continuing Liberals" in the 1932 campaign.

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