Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley (born 21 November 1934) is a Canadian politician and professor who was Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. Pawley, a New Democrat, was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1969 in the election that brought the NDP to power for the first time under Ed Schreyer. He served as Minister of Municipal Affairs from 1969 to 1977 and then as Attorney-General from 1973 until the NDP's defeat in 1977. In cabinet Pawley played a crucial role in the introduction of Manitoba's system of public auto insurance.In 1979, Pawley became the new leader of the NDP and led the party to victory in 1981 defeating the Progressive Conservative government of Sterling Lyon. As Premier, Pawley led a progressive administration that reintroduced and entrenched French language rights which had been removed earlier in the century.
Pawley's NDP was reduced to a minority government in 1986 due to the rise of the Manitoba Liberal Party under Sharon Carstairs. In 1988, Pawley's government was defeated in the legislature in a Motion of No Confidence. Pawley resigned as NDP leader and was replaced by Gary Doer, however, Pawley remained Premier for the duration of the election campaign in order to allow Doer to run for election without having to also set up an interim government. The NDP was defeated by Gary Filmon's Tories.
In his last years as Premier, Pawley had become prominent on the national stage as an opponent of free trade as well as a party to the Meech Lake Constitutional Accord. No longer in provincial politics, Pawley ran as a candidate for the federal NDP but was defeated in the federal election of November 1988.
Pawley then left politics and became a professor at the University of Windsor where he taught until his retirement.
| Preceded by: Sterling Lyon 1977-1981 | Premier of Manitoba 1981-1988 | Succeeded by: Gary Filmon 1988-1999 |