Joseph Bernier
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bernier was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
on four occasions between 1900 and 1932. Bernier was a member of the Conservative Party
, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond P. Roblin. His father, Thomas A. Bernier, was a member of the Canadian Senate
.
Bernier was born in St. Jean d'Iberville, Québec
, and educated at St. Boniface College. He received a Master of Arts
degree, and worked as a barrister-at-law. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
held on November 24, 1900, defeating Victor Mager by 154 votes in the St. Boniface constituency. He lost his seat in the 1903 provincial election
, losing to Liberal
Horace Chevrier by a single vote.
Bernier was re-elected to the legislature in the 1907 election
, defeating Chevrier by 71 votes. Returned without difficulty in the 1910 campaign
, he was appointed to cabinet on May 22, 1913 as Provincial Secretary
.
Bernier was again re-elected in the 1914 provincial election
. Early in 1915, the entire Roblin administration was forced to resign after the Lieutenant Governor issued a report which found the government had been guilty of corrupt practices in the tendering of contracts for new legislative buildings. Bernier did not seek re-election in the 1915 campaign
, and the St. Boniface constituency was won by Liberal Joseph Dumas
.
Bernier returned to the legislature for a third time in the 1920 provincial election
, defeating Dumas and three other candidates. He identified himself as an independent during this period, but was still widely regarded as being in sympathy with the Conservative Party. He was again returned in the 1922 campaign
, once again identifying himself as an independent.
Bernier resigned from the legislature on September 1, 1926 to campaign for the Canadian House of Commons
in the 1926 federal election
. He ran as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada
in the federal riding of St. Boniface, and lost to Liberal
John Power Howden
by 2,668 votes.
Bernier ran again for the provincial constituency of St. Boniface in the 1927 provincial election
, this time as an official candidate of the Manitoba Conservative Party. This campaign ended in controversy, with a ballot-counting process marred by confusion and error. Liberal candidate L.P. Gagnon was initially declared the winner by one vote, but a recount saw Bernier confirmed as the victor. He returned to the legislature, and rejoined the Conservative caucus on the opposition benches. He was expelled from the legislature for a month in 1928, after being named by the Speaker
.
Bernier lost his seat for the final time in the 1932 campaign
, falling to Labour
candidate Harold Lawrence
by 504 votes. He actually won a plurality of votes on the first count, but fell behind on transfers (Manitoba used the single transferable ballot for elections during this period).
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
on four occasions between 1900 and 1932. Bernier was a member of the Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Rodmond P. Roblin. His father, Thomas A. Bernier, was a member of the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
.
Bernier was born in St. Jean d'Iberville, Québec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, and educated at St. Boniface College. He received a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree, and worked as a barrister-at-law. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
held on November 24, 1900, defeating Victor Mager by 154 votes in the St. Boniface constituency. He lost his seat in the 1903 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1903
Manitoba's general election of July 20, 1903 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a second consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, now led by Premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
, losing to Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
Horace Chevrier by a single vote.
Bernier was re-elected to the legislature in the 1907 election
Manitoba general election, 1907
Manitoba's general election of March 7, 1907 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a third consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin...
, defeating Chevrier by 71 votes. Returned without difficulty in the 1910 campaign
Manitoba general election, 1910
Manitoba's general election of July 11, 1910 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fourth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party of Manitoba, led by premier Rodmond Palen Roblin. Roblin's electoral machine won...
, he was appointed to cabinet on May 22, 1913 as Provincial Secretary
Provincial Secretary (Manitoba)
The position of Provincial Secretary was particularly important in Manitoba from 1870 to 1874, as that province's institutions were being established. The province had no Premier during this period, and its Lieutenant-Governor acted as the de facto leaders of government...
.
Bernier was again re-elected in the 1914 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1914
Manitoba's general election of July 10, 1914 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The result was a fifth consecutive majority government for the Conservative Party, led by premier Rodmond P. Roblin...
. Early in 1915, the entire Roblin administration was forced to resign after the Lieutenant Governor issued a report which found the government had been guilty of corrupt practices in the tendering of contracts for new legislative buildings. Bernier did not seek re-election in the 1915 campaign
Manitoba general election, 1915
Manitoba's general election of August 6, 1915 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held only one year after the previous general election of 1914. In that election, the governing Conservatives of premier Rodmond P. Roblin were...
, and the St. Boniface constituency was won by Liberal Joseph Dumas
Joseph Dumas
Joseph Pierre Dumas was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1915 to 1920 as a member of the Liberal Party....
.
Bernier returned to the legislature for a third time in the 1920 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1920
Manitoba's general election of 29 June 1920 was held to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.-Background:...
, defeating Dumas and three other candidates. He identified himself as an independent during this period, but was still widely regarded as being in sympathy with the Conservative Party. He was again returned in the 1922 campaign
Manitoba general election, 1922
Manitoba's general election of July 18, 1922 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.As in the previous election of 1920, the city of Winnipeg elected ten members by the single transferable ballot...
, once again identifying himself as an independent.
Bernier resigned from the legislature on September 1, 1926 to campaign for the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in the 1926 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1926
The Canadian federal election of 1926 was held on September 14 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 16th Parliament of Canada. The election was called following an event known as the King-Byng Affair...
. He ran as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
in the federal riding of St. Boniface, and lost to Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
John Power Howden
John Power Howden
John Power Howden, M.D., was a Canadian Member of Parliament and physician.Howden was born in Perth, Ontario. When he was 12, his family moved to Manitoba where he attended public school in Winnipeg and earned his medical degree at the University of Manitoba before establishing his practice in St...
by 2,668 votes.
Bernier ran again for the provincial constituency of St. Boniface in the 1927 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1927
Manitoba's general election of 28 June 1927 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This was the first election in Manitoba history to elect members through a single transferable ballot in all constituencies...
, this time as an official candidate of the Manitoba Conservative Party. This campaign ended in controversy, with a ballot-counting process marred by confusion and error. Liberal candidate L.P. Gagnon was initially declared the winner by one vote, but a recount saw Bernier confirmed as the victor. He returned to the legislature, and rejoined the Conservative caucus on the opposition benches. He was expelled from the legislature for a month in 1928, after being named by the Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
.
Bernier lost his seat for the final time in the 1932 campaign
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...
, falling to Labour
Independent Labour Party (in Manitoba) (II)
Prior to 1920, there were a number of groups in Winnipeg which called themselves the "Independent Labour Party". For information on these groups, see Independent Labour Party ....
candidate Harold Lawrence
Harold Lawrence
Harold Frederick Lawrence was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1932 to 1936....
by 504 votes. He actually won a plurality of votes on the first count, but fell behind on transfers (Manitoba used the single transferable ballot for elections during this period).