Manitoba Reform Party
Encyclopedia
The Manitoba Reform Party was a right-wing political party in Manitoba
, Canada
. It was previously known as the Confederation of Regions Party of Manitoba and had competed under that name in the provincial elections of 1986
, 1988
and 1990
.
The name change occurred in April 1991, following a mail-in referendum ballot among the party's members. 67% of those who responded were reported as favouring the name change. (It may be noted that the Manitoba CoR only had about 65-70 members during this period.)
The name change was met with a legal challenge from the Reform Party of Canada
, which had no formal connection to the Manitoba organization. It was also opposed by Elmer Knutson
, the national CoR leader. For their part, the Manitoba Reformers argued that as no other group had applied to use the name on a provincial level, their right to use it should go unchallenged. The Court of Appeals in Manitoba sided with the Manitoba party and the name change was permitted.
The party's president was Irene Armishaw
, former president of the Manitoba CoR. She may have been the party's political leader as well.
In September 1992, the Manitoba Reform Party contested two provincial by-elections. Ken Carver received 97 votes in Crescentwood
, and anti-bilingualism activist Fred Debrecen received 388 votes in Portage La Prairie. Neither came close to being elected.
The party was still registered with Elections Manitoba for the 1995 provincial election, but did not run any candidates. Its subsequent history is unclear.
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...
. It was previously known as the Confederation of Regions Party of Manitoba and had competed under that name in the provincial elections of 1986
Manitoba general election, 1986
The Manitoba general election of March 18, 1986 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which took 30 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party won 26 seats and formed the official opposition...
, 1988
Manitoba general election, 1988
The Manitoba general election of April 26, 1988 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a minority government...
and 1990
Manitoba general election, 1990
The Manitoba general election of September 11, 1990 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 30 out of 57 seats...
.
The name change occurred in April 1991, following a mail-in referendum ballot among the party's members. 67% of those who responded were reported as favouring the name change. (It may be noted that the Manitoba CoR only had about 65-70 members during this period.)
The name change was met with a legal challenge from the Reform Party of Canada
Reform Party of Canada
The Reform Party of Canada was a Canadian federal political party that existed from 1987 to 2000. It was originally founded as a Western Canada-based protest party, but attempted to expand eastward in the 1990s. It viewed itself as a populist party....
, which had no formal connection to the Manitoba organization. It was also opposed by Elmer Knutson
Elmer Knutson
Elmer S. Knutson was a Canadian fringe politician. He was born on the family farm in Torquay, Saskatchewan. He worked on road gangs, in lumber camps and mines until he won a baseball scholarship to a Lutheran college in North Dakota, USA. After serving in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War...
, the national CoR leader. For their part, the Manitoba Reformers argued that as no other group had applied to use the name on a provincial level, their right to use it should go unchallenged. The Court of Appeals in Manitoba sided with the Manitoba party and the name change was permitted.
The party's president was Irene Armishaw
Irene Armishaw
Irene Armishaw is a Manitoba politician. Born Irene Edmondson in the farming town of Oakville, Manitoba, she is the daughter of Mark Edmondson, a farmer and one-time political candidate...
, former president of the Manitoba CoR. She may have been the party's political leader as well.
In September 1992, the Manitoba Reform Party contested two provincial by-elections. Ken Carver received 97 votes in Crescentwood
Crescentwood
Crescentwood is a former electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was created in 1969, abolished in 1979, re-established in 1989, and abolished again in 1999.The Crescentwood riding was located in Winnipeg's south-central region...
, and anti-bilingualism activist Fred Debrecen received 388 votes in Portage La Prairie. Neither came close to being elected.
The party was still registered with Elections Manitoba for the 1995 provincial election, but did not run any candidates. Its subsequent history is unclear.