Morris A. Gray
Encyclopedia
Morris Abraham Gray was a politician in Manitoba
, Canada
. He served as a member of the provincial legislature from 1941 to 1966, and was a prominent figure in the province's social-democratic Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during this period.
Gray was born to a Jewish family in Gomel (now in Belarus
) and received a high school education in that region. He arrived in Canada in 1908, a committed leftist following the attempted revolution of 1905.
Gray was a founder of the Canadian Jewish Congress
, and at one stage served as its national Vice-President. He also became a member of the Mount Sinai Masonic Lodge and the Jewish Children's Aid Society, and was an Executive Member of the Canada Club.
Gray served as a member of the Winnipeg School Board from 1926 to 1930, and was an Alderman
in the city of Winnipeg from 1930 to 1942. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1941
, in the riding of Winnipeg. At the time, Winnipeg elected ten members by preferential balloting. Gray topped the CCF list on the first count, with 3,086 votes (ahead of party leader Seymour J. Farmer
), finishing in eighth place overall. Gray and Farmer were subsequently elected on transfers, although longtime Independent Labour Party
/CCF Member of the Legislative Assembly John Queen
was defeated.
The 1941 election took place in a period of reduced support for the provincial CCF. The party had joined an all-party coalition government the previous year, with Farmer serving as Minister of Labour under Liberal-Progressive
Premier
John Bracken
. The alliance proved disastrous for the CCF, who regularly saw their initiatives thwarted by the other parties. The demoralized party won only three seats in the entire province. After the alliance ended in 1943, Gray played a prominent role in rebuilding the CCF's organization.
The CCF performed much more strongly in the 1945 general election
, winning four seats in Winnipeg: Farmer (who topped the poll), Gray (who finished sixth), Lloyd Stinson
and Donovan Swailes
. The party was unable to match this success in the rest of the province, however, and remained in opposition.
In the provincial election of 1949
, the City of Winnipeg was divided into three electoral zones, each of which elected four members. Gray ran in Winnipeg North, where he topped the poll and was the only candidate to be elected on the first count. He repeated this performance in the 1953 election
; on both occasions, his leading opponent was William Kardash of the communist Labour Progressive Party.
Manitoba adopted a system of single-member constituencies for Winnipeg in the mid-1950s, and Gray (despite his strong objection to the new system) was easily elected for the riding of Inkster in the provincial election of 1958
. He faced a slightly more serious challenge from the Progressive Conservatives
in the 1959 election
(in which PC leader Dufferin Roblin
won an historic majority), but still defeated his leading opponent by over 1,500 votes. The CCF merged itself into the New Democratic Party
(NDP) in 1961, and Gray joined the new party along with other members of his caucus.
Gray's final election, in 1962
, was the closest of his career, as he defeated Liberal candidate John Shanski by fewer than 600 votes. He died shortly before the election of 1966, and his riding was subsequently won by Sidney Green of the NDP.
Gray was respected by members of all parties for his advocacy on behalf of the disadvantaged. He frequently used the phrase, "I know mine is a voice in the wilderness" in his parliamentary orations. Among the causes he championed were a provincial labour code, health insurance, child welfare legislation, mother's allowances and old age pensions. His appeals for supplementary aid for old-age pensioners were turned down fourteen years in a row by the governments of Stuart Garson
and Douglas L. Campbell. Gray was voted "Citizen of the Year" by the Winnipeg Tribune
on one occasion in the late 1950s.
Morris Gray was the uncle of Herb Gray
, who became a prominent cabinet minister in the federal Liberal
government of Jean Chrétien
.
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 as a member of the provincial legislature from 1941 to 1966, and was a prominent figure in the province's social-democratic Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) during this period.
Gray was born to a Jewish family in Gomel (now in Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) and received a high school education in that region. He arrived in Canada in 1908, a committed leftist following the attempted revolution of 1905.
Gray was a founder of the Canadian Jewish Congress
Canadian Jewish Congress
The Canadian Jewish Congress was one of the main lobby groups for the Jewish community in the country, although it often competed with the more conservative B'nai Brith Canada in that regard. At its dissolution, the president of the CJC was Mark Freiman. Its past co-presidents were Sylvain Abitbol...
, and at one stage served as its national Vice-President. He also became a member of the Mount Sinai Masonic Lodge and the Jewish Children's Aid Society, and was an Executive Member of the Canada Club.
Gray served as a member of the Winnipeg School Board from 1926 to 1930, and was an Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
in the city of Winnipeg from 1930 to 1942. He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1941
Manitoba general election, 1941
Manitoba's general election of April 22, 1941 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was held shortly after the formation of a coalition government in December 1940...
, in the riding of Winnipeg. At the time, Winnipeg elected ten members by preferential balloting. Gray topped the CCF list on the first count, with 3,086 votes (ahead of party leader Seymour J. Farmer
Seymour J. Farmer
Seymour James Farmer was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the 30th mayor of Winnipeg from 1923 to 1924, and was later the leader of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1935 to 1947. In the latter capacity, he became the first socialist politician in Canada to...
), finishing in eighth place overall. Gray and Farmer were subsequently elected on transfers, although longtime Independent Labour Party
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 ....
/CCF Member of the Legislative Assembly John Queen
John Queen
John Queen was a Manitoba politician, and the second parliamentary leader of that province's Independent Labour Party...
was defeated.
The 1941 election took place in a period of reduced support for the provincial CCF. The party had joined an all-party coalition government the previous year, with Farmer serving as Minister of Labour under Liberal-Progressive
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 :...
Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
John Bracken
John Bracken
John Bracken, PC was an agronomist, the 11th Premier of Manitoba and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada ....
. The alliance proved disastrous for the CCF, who regularly saw their initiatives thwarted by the other parties. The demoralized party won only three seats in the entire province. After the alliance ended in 1943, Gray played a prominent role in rebuilding the CCF's organization.
The CCF performed much more strongly in the 1945 general election
Manitoba general election, 1945
Manitoba's general election of October 15, 1945 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.The 1945 provincial election was extremely different from the previous election, which was held in 1941...
, winning four seats in Winnipeg: Farmer (who topped the poll), Gray (who finished sixth), Lloyd Stinson
Lloyd Stinson
Lloyd Stinson was a politician in Manitoba, Canada, and the leader of that province's Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1953 to 1959. Although widely regarded as a capable leader, he was unable to achieve a major electoral breakthrough for his party.Stinson was born in Treherne,...
and Donovan Swailes
Donovan Swailes
Donovan Swailes was a politician and musician in Manitoba, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba as a member of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation from 1945 to 1959....
. The party was unable to match this success in the rest of the province, however, and remained in opposition.
In the provincial election of 1949
Manitoba general election, 1949
Manitoba's general election of November 10, 1949 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election pitted the province's coalition government, made up of the Liberal-Progressive Party and the Progressive Conservative Party, against a variety of...
, the City of Winnipeg was divided into three electoral zones, each of which elected four members. Gray ran in Winnipeg North, where he topped the poll and was the only candidate to be elected on the first count. He repeated this performance in the 1953 election
Manitoba general election, 1953
Manitoba's general election of June 8, 1953 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. This was the first election held in Manitoba after the breakup of a ten-year coalition government led by the Liberal-Progressives and Progressive Conservatives...
; on both occasions, his leading opponent was William Kardash of the communist Labour Progressive Party.
Manitoba adopted a system of single-member constituencies for Winnipeg in the mid-1950s, and Gray (despite his strong objection to the new system) was easily elected for the riding of Inkster in the provincial election of 1958
Manitoba general election, 1958
Manitoba's general election of June 16, 1958 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada.This election was the first to be held in Manitoba after a comprehensive electoral redistribution in 1956...
. He faced a slightly more serious challenge from the Progressive Conservatives
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:...
in the 1959 election
Manitoba general election, 1959
Manitoba's general election of May 14, 1959 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a majority victory for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Dufferin Roblin...
(in which PC leader Dufferin Roblin
Dufferin Roblin
Dufferin "Duff" Roblin, PC, CC, OM was a Canadian businessman and politician. Known as "Duff," he served as the 14th Premier of Manitoba from 1958 to 1967. Roblin was appointed to the Canadian Senate on the advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. In the government of Brian Mulroney, he served as...
won an historic majority), but still defeated his leading opponent by over 1,500 votes. The CCF merged itself into the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
(NDP) in 1961, and Gray joined the new party along with other members of his caucus.
Gray's final election, in 1962
Manitoba general election, 1962
Manitoba's general election of December 16, 1962 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a second majority victory for the Progressive Conservative Party under the leadership of Dufferin Roblin...
, was the closest of his career, as he defeated Liberal candidate John Shanski by fewer than 600 votes. He died shortly before the election of 1966, and his riding was subsequently won by Sidney Green of the NDP.
Gray was respected by members of all parties for his advocacy on behalf of the disadvantaged. He frequently used the phrase, "I know mine is a voice in the wilderness" in his parliamentary orations. Among the causes he championed were a provincial labour code, health insurance, child welfare legislation, mother's allowances and old age pensions. His appeals for supplementary aid for old-age pensioners were turned down fourteen years in a row by the governments of Stuart Garson
Stuart Garson
Stuart Sinclair Garson, was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He served as the 12th Premier of Manitoba from 1943 to 1948, and later became a federal cabinet minister....
and Douglas L. Campbell. Gray was voted "Citizen of the Year" by the Winnipeg Tribune
Winnipeg Tribune
The Winnipeg Tribune was a metropolitan daily newspaper serving Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from January 28, 1890 to August 27, 1980. The paper was founded by R.L. Richardson and D.L. McIntyre who acquired the press and premises of the old Winnipeg Sun newspaper. It was often viewed as a liberal...
on one occasion in the late 1950s.
Morris Gray was the uncle of Herb Gray
Herb Gray
Herbert Eser Gray, is a retired Canadian politician. He was Canada's first Jewish federal cabinet minister, and is one of only a few Canadians ever granted the title The Right Honourable who was not so entitled by virtue of a position held.-Early life:Born in Windsor, Ontario, the son of Harry...
, who became a prominent cabinet minister in the federal 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...
government of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
.