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Three-peat for Doer

From Tory blue to NDP orange and back again, with scarcely a red Liberal in sight – that's been the alternating pattern in Manitoba elections since the 1950s. Manitobans seem to prefer stability in their governments but punish a government when it overstays its welcome. Both parties have gotten the boot for stoking the public's ire: the NDP for boosting auto insurance rates in 1988 and the Tories in 1999 for a vote-rigging scheme. From Hudson Bay to the Red River, CBC Archives goes to the polls.

Premier Gary Doer's winning smile and moderate policies turn a low-key election into a rare political feat. Doer coasts to victory to three-peat as premier, and makes NDP history in the process. Despite trailing in the polls just a year earlier, Doer becomes the first Manitoba New Democrat and only the second politician in the province to claim the mantle three times. Doer's solid majority also makes party history -- the 36-seat win is an NDP all-time high and a tally only equalled once before in Manitoba.
• The only other Manitoban to claim three terms as premier was Progressive Conservative Duff Roblin, who bagged a third majority in 1966. Other heavyweight premiers like New Democrat Ed Schreyer and Tory Gary Filmon each missed the mark when they tried for the elusive third victory. And NDP Premier Gary Doer and Conservative Premier Duff Roblin have more still in common — it was also Roblin's Tories, this time in 1962, who first put a record 36 members in the Legislative Assembly.

• While Doer ran an easygoing campaign that emphasized past successes, new Tory leader Hugh McFadyen tried to stir things up with the promise of tax cuts and an effort to bring the NHL back to Winnipeg. Although personally popular and re-elected easily to his own seat, McFadyen's Winnipeg Jets gambit rang hollow to voters.

• The NDP snagged 48 per cent of the popular vote and returned to the legislature up one member with 36 of the 57 seats. The Progressive Conservatives took 38 per cent of the popular vote and dropped by one seat with 19 members elected. The Liberals held on to their two seats by winning 12 per cent at the polls, but failed to capture enough support to gain official party status in the legislature.

• A push by all the parties to increase voter turnout yielded a slight bump in ballots cast, up from an all-time low of 54 per cent in 2003. Still, only 58 per cent of Manitobans made their mark on election day 2007.
• For a complete look at the 2007 Manitoba election, visit CBC.ca's Manitoba Votes 2007.
Medium: Television
Program: The National
Broadcast Date: May 22, 2007
Guest(s): Hugh McFadyen, Kim Speers, Paul Thomas
Host: Peter Mansbridge
Reporter: Marisa Dragani
Duration: 1:54

Last updated: January 23, 2012

Page consulted on April 3, 2013

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