- Clancy Smith
Clancy (Ross) Smith is a politician and activist in
Manitoba ,Canada . Although he has never come close to winning an election for public office, he has been one of the most vocal advocates forlibertarian principles in Winnipeg since the 1960s. He appears to have founded theLibertarian Party of Manitoba (LPM) in the 1980s, and is still a member of the party today.In
1968 , Smith opposed plans byPrime Minister Pierre Trudeau to initiate a government works program for the unemployed. Along with three others, he was allowed to present his argument in a private meeting withAndre Ouellette , later a powerful Canadiancabinet minister .After working as a steel salesman, Smith campaigned as an independent for the federal riding of
Winnipeg South in the 1974 federal election. He received 82 votes, compared to 23,297 for the winning Liberal candidate,James Richardson .The LPM first contested elections in
Manitoba in the 1986 provincial election. With only four candidates, it fell short of the five candidates required to get the party's name on the ballot. Smith ran for the party in the Winnipeg riding of Fort Rouge, receiving 101 votes, compared to 4,223 for the victorious candidate, New DemocratRoland Penner .Smith was probably the LPM's official leader in
1986 ; he certainly held that position by the provincial election of 1988. In that campaign, Smith ran in Osborne (another Winnipeg riding), receiving 145 votes against 4,334 for LiberalReg Alcock , who won the riding. Smith ran in the affluent west Winnipeg riding of River Heights in the 1990 provincial election against Liberal leaderSharon Carstairs . He received 138 votes to her 5,467.Smith also ran in River Heights in the 1995 provincial election, this time receiving 98 votes. It is not clear if he was still the LPM's official leader at this time. The party was led by
Dennis Rice in the 1999 provincial election, though Smith continued to be involved in fundraising and election work.Smith made further bids for the River Heights provincial seat in the 1999 and 2003 provincial elections, receiving 31 and 32 votes on these respective occasions. Liberal leader
Jon Gerrard won the riding both times.Smith also made two further runs for the federal House of Commons in the 1988 election and the 1993 election, losing both times in
Winnipeg South Centre to Liberal candidateLloyd Axworthy . He received 154 votes the first time, 88 the second.Clancy Smith was the "Clancy" in Neil Young's song, "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing."
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