Sidney Green
Encyclopedia
Sidney Green is a politician
in Manitoba
, Canada
. He twice ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba
, served in the cabinet of Premier
Edward Schreyer
, and later formed the Progressive Party of Manitoba.
Green was born into a Jewish family in the mostly working-class north end of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He graduated from the University of Manitoba
's Law School, and subsequently worked as a labour lawyer. While a student, Green articled with Joseph Zuken
, then a Communist school trustee and later an alderman. Despite having some radical tendencies in his early years, Green never became involved with the Communist Party
.
On the advice of Stephen Lewis
and Lloyd Stinson
, Green joined the federal New Democratic Party
(NDP) in the early 1960s. He was the party's federal candidate for Winnipeg South
in the 1962 election
, placing a distant third in a riding that was acknowledged as unwinnable for the party. Shortly thereafter, Green won election to the municipal council of Winnipeg for a north-end riding, defeating Communist candidate William Kardash
and John J. Thomas
of the pro-business Metro Election Committee. Green was re-elected in 1964.
Green resigned his seat to contest Winnipeg South
again at the federal level in the 1965 election
. He became the first NDP or Cooperative Commonwealth Federation candidate to receive over 10,000 votes in the riding, but still placed third.
In 1966
, Green won election to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
for the north-end Winnipeg riding of Inkster. Ironically, he had initially lost the party's nomination to Howard Mitchell
, 61 votes to 3. Mitchell withdrew before the election, however, and Green took his place. In the general election, Green finished well ahead of his three opponents, including Communist Party
leader William Ross.
During this period, the provincial NDP was led by Russell Paulley
, an old-style labour politician not popular among younger members of his caucus. Along with others in the party, Green believed the NDP needed a new leader to become a serious challenger for government. He supported a plan have federal Member of Parliament
(MP) Edward Schreyer
replace Paulley in 1968. That came to nothing, and on September 3, 1968, Green announced he would seek the party's leadership himself.
Although Green claimed (probably correctly) he was not challenging Paulley on ideological grounds, many interpreted his challenge as being endorsed by the party's radical left. Many members of the NDP's youth wing endorsed Green's campaign for the leadership.
One month later, the remainder of the provincial NDP caucus (aside from Ben Hanuschak
, who backed Green) announced they would support Paulley in the leadership challenge, with the understanding he would stand down in favour of Ed Schreyer the following year. With this unusual endorsement, Paulley defeated Green by 213 to 168 votes at a delegated convention.
Green was the first Jewish-Canadian politician to make a serious bid for the leadership of a major party, and later claimed his efforts opened the door for future leadership bids by Dave Barrett
and David Lewis
. His campaign was not supported by many other prominent Jewish New Democrats in Winnipeg, however. Green later accused Saul Cherniack
, Saul Miller
and David Orlikow
of promoting "Jewish-fuelled anti-semitism", claiming that a Jewish lawyer would be unelectable in rural Manitoba. Green's relations with Cherniack, Miller and Orlikow deteriorated during the 1968 campaign, and remained poor thereafter.
Green ran against Ed Schreyer for the party's leadership in 1969, in what proved to be a much less divisive campaign. Schreyer won this contest by 506 votes to 177.
Green was easily re-elected in Inkster in 1969
, and held a number of portfolios in Schreyer's government. He was Minister of Health and Social Services from July 15, 1969 to December 18, 1969, Minister of Mines and Natural Resources from December 18, 1969 to March 3, 1972 (the position was renamed Minister of Mines, Resources and Environmental Management in 1971) and Minister responsible for Urban Affairs from September 9, 1971 to March 3, 1972.
On March 3, 1972, Green resigned from cabinet over a disagreement with Edward Schreyer
on funding to denominational schools. Schreyer supported limited funding and Green opposed any funding. The issue was subsequently resolved, and Green rejoined cabinet on July 21, 1972, returning to the portfolio of Mines, Resources and Environmental Management. He became Minister responsible for the Manitoba Development Corporation on February 16, 1973, and remained in this position until the Schreyer government was defeated in 1977.
During his time in government, Green was involved in the government's controversial negotiations over the proposed flooding of South Indian Lake. He also publicly opposed an attempt by Russell Paulley (by then Labour Minister) to impose 'back-to-work' legislation on striking transit workers in Winnipeg, in 1976.
After the Schreyer government was defeated in the 1977 election
, Green became disillusioned with the direction of the provincial NDP. He believed the party was becoming dominated by "the trade union movement and militant feminists" (his words), and opposed its plans to introduce anti-scab legislation if re-elected. Despite his roots as a labour lawyer, Green was against what he called "special privileges" for unionized labour.
After Schreyer was appointed Governor General of Canada
in 1979, Green stood for the party's interim leadership, but was defeated by Howard Pawley
in a vote of caucus members. At least five of the seven MLAs who supported Green left the NDP during the 1980s.
Green himself left the Manitoba NDP on December 4, 1979, citing the proposed anti-scab legislation as his reason. He sat as an independent MLA until March 3, 1981, when he became one of the founding members of the Progressive Party of Manitoba. The party recognized Green as its leader. MLAs Hanuschak and Bud Boyce
were also in the new party.
The Progressive Party was regarded as socialist initially, and supported traditional leftist causes such as full employment and increased profits taxation on resource industries. The party also opposed "special status" designations for minority groups, however, and was arguably closer to the political right in such matters.
The Progressives hoped to run a full slate of candidates in the 1981 election
, but were unsuccessful. All the party's candidates were defeated. Green, who had been re-elected easily in 1973 and 1977, placed a poor third in Inkster, receiving only 783 votes against 6283 for Don Scott of the NDP.
Green continued as leader of the Progressive Party. In 1984, he contested a by-election in the Winnipeg riding of Fort Garry, but finished fourth with 1035 votes (Liberal
leader Sharon Carstairs
was also a candidate). He ran in Wolseley (another Winnipeg riding) in 1986
, this time receiving 347 votes.
The Progressive Party regained some notoriety in the 1988 election
by convincing former Premier
Douglas Campbell
(a veteran of the province's original Progressive Party
) to speak at a fund-raising event. This did not help the party's electoral fortunes, however; all its candidates again were defeated, and Green (running in Kildonan) received only 445 votes.
Green made further unsuccessful bids for the legislature in 1990 and 1992. He was unable to find a successor as party leader in 1995, and dissolved the Progressive Party on July 13 of that year.
Green's political position shifted to the right in the 1980s. In a 1990 advertisement, the Progressive Party argued in support of balanced budgets, and rejected any state sanctioning of "distinct status" for minority groups such as aboriginals and homosexuals. In addition to leading the Progressive Party, Green also continued his law practice throughout the 1980s. He published his memoirs, Rise and Fall of a Political Animal, in 2003.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Manitoba
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 twice ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba
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...
, served in the cabinet of Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
, and later formed the Progressive Party of Manitoba.
Green was born into a Jewish family in the mostly working-class north end of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He graduated from the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
's Law School, and subsequently worked as a labour lawyer. While a student, Green articled with Joseph Zuken
Joseph Zuken
Joseph Zuken was a popular Communist politician in Winnipeg and the longest serving elected Communist party politician in North America....
, then a Communist school trustee and later an alderman. Despite having some radical tendencies in his early years, Green never became involved with the Communist Party
Communist Party of Canada (in Manitoba)
The Communist Party of Canada was founded in 1921. It was an illegal organization for several years, and its meetings were conducted with great secrecy. Until 1924, the "Workers Party" functioned as its public, legal face...
.
On the advice of Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Henry Lewis, is a Canadian politician, broadcaster and diplomat. He was the leader of the social democratic Ontario New Democratic Party for most of the 1970s. During many of the those years as leader, his father David Lewis was simultaneously the leader of the Federal New Democratic Party...
and 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,...
, Green joined the federal New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) in the early 1960s. He was the party's federal candidate for Winnipeg South
Winnipeg South
Winnipeg South is a Canadian federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1979, and since 1988. It covers the south of the city of Winnipeg...
in the 1962 election
Canadian federal election, 1962
The Canadian federal election of 1962 was held on June 18, 1962 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 25th Parliament of Canada...
, placing a distant third in a riding that was acknowledged as unwinnable for the party. Shortly thereafter, Green won election to the municipal council of Winnipeg for a north-end riding, defeating Communist candidate William Kardash
W. A. Kardash
William A. Kardash was a politician and member of the Manitoba legislature.Kardash was a veteran of the Spanish Civil War, having fought with the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion...
and John J. Thomas
John J. Thomas
John J. Thomas was a prominent Confederate politician. He was born in Albemarle County, Virginia and later moved to Kentucky, where he served in the state legislature in 1851. He represented the state in the Provisional Confederate Congress from 1861 to 1862 and afterwards served in the...
of the pro-business Metro Election Committee. Green was re-elected in 1964.
Green resigned his seat to contest Winnipeg South
Winnipeg South
Winnipeg South is a Canadian federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1917 to 1979, and since 1988. It covers the south of the city of Winnipeg...
again at the federal level in the 1965 election
Canadian federal election, 1965
The Canadian federal election of 1965 was held on November 8 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 27th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson was re-elected with a larger number of seats in the House...
. He became the first NDP or Cooperative Commonwealth Federation candidate to receive over 10,000 votes in the riding, but still placed third.
In 1966
Manitoba general election, 1966
The Manitoba general election held on June 23, 1966, was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a third consecutive majority win for the Progressive Conservative Party led by Dufferin Roblin...
, Green won election to 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...
for the north-end Winnipeg riding of Inkster. Ironically, he had initially lost the party's nomination to Howard Mitchell
Howard Mitchell
Howard Mitchell was an American cellist and conductor. He conducted the National Symphony Orchestra from 1950 to 1969....
, 61 votes to 3. Mitchell withdrew before the election, however, and Green took his place. In the general election, Green finished well ahead of his three opponents, including Communist Party
Communist Party of Canada (in Manitoba)
The Communist Party of Canada was founded in 1921. It was an illegal organization for several years, and its meetings were conducted with great secrecy. Until 1924, the "Workers Party" functioned as its public, legal face...
leader William Ross.
During this period, the provincial NDP was led by Russell Paulley
Russell Paulley
Andrew Russell Paulley was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as leader of the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1959 to 1961, and its successor, the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, from 1961 to 1969.Paulley was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
, an old-style labour politician not popular among younger members of his caucus. Along with others in the party, Green believed the NDP needed a new leader to become a serious challenger for government. He supported a plan have federal Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
replace Paulley in 1968. That came to nothing, and on September 3, 1968, Green announced he would seek the party's leadership himself.
Although Green claimed (probably correctly) he was not challenging Paulley on ideological grounds, many interpreted his challenge as being endorsed by the party's radical left. Many members of the NDP's youth wing endorsed Green's campaign for the leadership.
One month later, the remainder of the provincial NDP caucus (aside from Ben Hanuschak
Ben Hanuschak
Ben Hanuschak is a Manitoba politician. He was a cabinet minister in the government of New Democratic Premier Edward Schreyer, and was subsequently a founding member of the Progressive Party of Manitoba....
, who backed Green) announced they would support Paulley in the leadership challenge, with the understanding he would stand down in favour of Ed Schreyer the following year. With this unusual endorsement, Paulley defeated Green by 213 to 168 votes at a delegated convention.
Green was the first Jewish-Canadian politician to make a serious bid for the leadership of a major party, and later claimed his efforts opened the door for future leadership bids by Dave Barrett
Dave Barrett
David Barrett, OC , commonly known as Dave Barrett, is a retired politician and social worker in British Columbia, Canada...
and David Lewis
David Lewis (politician)
David Lewis, CC was a Russian-born Canadian labour lawyer and social democratic politician. He was national secretary of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation from 1936 to 1950, and one of the key architects of the New Democratic Party in 1961...
. His campaign was not supported by many other prominent Jewish New Democrats in Winnipeg, however. Green later accused Saul Cherniack
Saul Cherniack
Saul Mark Cherniack, PC, CM, OM, QC is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1962 to 1981, and served as a cabinet minister in the government of Edward Schreyer. He is also a member of the Privy Council, the Order of Canada and the Order...
, Saul Miller
Saul Miller
Saul Alec Miller was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a New Democratic member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1966 to 1981, and held a number of high-profile cabinet portfolios in the government of Edward Schreyer.Miller was raised in a Jewish family in north-end Winnipeg...
and David Orlikow
David Orlikow
David Orlikow was a Canadian politician, and a long-serving member of the Canadian House of Commons. He represented the riding of Winnipeg North from 1962 to 1988 as a member of the New Democratic Party.-Family:...
of promoting "Jewish-fuelled anti-semitism", claiming that a Jewish lawyer would be unelectable in rural Manitoba. Green's relations with Cherniack, Miller and Orlikow deteriorated during the 1968 campaign, and remained poor thereafter.
Green ran against Ed Schreyer for the party's leadership in 1969, in what proved to be a much less divisive campaign. Schreyer won this contest by 506 votes to 177.
Green was easily re-elected in Inkster in 1969
Manitoba general election, 1969
The Manitoba General Election of June 25, 1969 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was a watershed moment in the province's political history. The social-democratic New Democratic Party emerged for the first time as the largest party in...
, and held a number of portfolios in Schreyer's government. He was Minister of Health and Social Services from July 15, 1969 to December 18, 1969, Minister of Mines and Natural Resources from December 18, 1969 to March 3, 1972 (the position was renamed Minister of Mines, Resources and Environmental Management in 1971) and Minister responsible for Urban Affairs from September 9, 1971 to March 3, 1972.
On March 3, 1972, Green resigned from cabinet over a disagreement with Edward Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
on funding to denominational schools. Schreyer supported limited funding and Green opposed any funding. The issue was subsequently resolved, and Green rejoined cabinet on July 21, 1972, returning to the portfolio of Mines, Resources and Environmental Management. He became Minister responsible for the Manitoba Development Corporation on February 16, 1973, and remained in this position until the Schreyer government was defeated in 1977.
During his time in government, Green was involved in the government's controversial negotiations over the proposed flooding of South Indian Lake. He also publicly opposed an attempt by Russell Paulley (by then Labour Minister) to impose 'back-to-work' legislation on striking transit workers in Winnipeg, in 1976.
After the Schreyer government was defeated in the 1977 election
Manitoba general election, 1977
The Manitoba general election of October 11, 1977 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 33 seats out of 57...
, Green became disillusioned with the direction of the provincial NDP. He believed the party was becoming dominated by "the trade union movement and militant feminists" (his words), and opposed its plans to introduce anti-scab legislation if re-elected. Despite his roots as a labour lawyer, Green was against what he called "special privileges" for unionized labour.
After Schreyer was appointed Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
in 1979, Green stood for the party's interim leadership, but was defeated by Howard Pawley
Howard Pawley
Howard Russell Pawley, PC, OC, OM is a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th Premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988.-Personal life:...
in a vote of caucus members. At least five of the seven MLAs who supported Green left the NDP during the 1980s.
Green himself left the Manitoba NDP on December 4, 1979, citing the proposed anti-scab legislation as his reason. He sat as an independent MLA until March 3, 1981, when he became one of the founding members of the Progressive Party of Manitoba. The party recognized Green as its leader. MLAs Hanuschak and Bud Boyce
Bud Boyce
Joseph Russell Boyce was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1969 to 1981, and served in the cabinet of Edward Schreyer...
were also in the new party.
The Progressive Party was regarded as socialist initially, and supported traditional leftist causes such as full employment and increased profits taxation on resource industries. The party also opposed "special status" designations for minority groups, however, and was arguably closer to the political right in such matters.
The Progressives hoped to run a full slate of candidates in the 1981 election
Manitoba general election, 1981
The Manitoba general election of November 17, 1981 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the opposition New Democratic Party, which took 34 of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party took the remaining 23, while the...
, but were unsuccessful. All the party's candidates were defeated. Green, who had been re-elected easily in 1973 and 1977, placed a poor third in Inkster, receiving only 783 votes against 6283 for Don Scott of the NDP.
Green continued as leader of the Progressive Party. In 1984, he contested a by-election in the Winnipeg riding of Fort Garry, but finished fourth with 1035 votes (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 :...
leader Sharon Carstairs
Sharon Carstairs
Sharon Carstairs, PC is a Canadian politician and former Senator.-Early life:Carstairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the daughter of former Nova Scotia Premier Harold Connolly and his wife Vivian...
was also a candidate). He ran in Wolseley (another Winnipeg riding) in 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...
, this time receiving 347 votes.
The Progressive Party regained some notoriety in the 1988 election
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...
by convincing former Premier
Premier (Canada)
In Canada, a premier is the head of government of a province or territory. There are currently ten provincial premiers and three territorial premiers in Canada....
Douglas Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell
Douglas Lloyd Campbell, OC was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He served as the 13th Premier of Manitoba from 1948 to 1958...
(a veteran of the province's original Progressive Party
Progressive Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Party of Manitoba, Canada, was a political party that developed from the United Farmers of Manitoba, an agrarian movement that became politically active following World War I...
) to speak at a fund-raising event. This did not help the party's electoral fortunes, however; all its candidates again were defeated, and Green (running in Kildonan) received only 445 votes.
Green made further unsuccessful bids for the legislature in 1990 and 1992. He was unable to find a successor as party leader in 1995, and dissolved the Progressive Party on July 13 of that year.
Green's political position shifted to the right in the 1980s. In a 1990 advertisement, the Progressive Party argued in support of balanced budgets, and rejected any state sanctioning of "distinct status" for minority groups such as aboriginals and homosexuals. In addition to leading the Progressive Party, Green also continued his law practice throughout the 1980s. He published his memoirs, Rise and Fall of a Political Animal, in 2003.
- Schulz, Herbert. Betrayal: Prairie Agricultural Politics in the 1950s ISBN 155238098X. Google Books