Gary Doer
Encyclopedia
Gary Albert Doer, OM
(born March 31, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and politician from Manitoba
, Canada. Since October 19, 2009, he has served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States. Doer previously served as the 20th Premier of Manitoba
from 1999 to 2009, leading a New Democratic Party
government.
family in Winnipeg
, Manitoba. His background is German
and Welsh
. He graduated from St. Paul's High School and went on to study political science
and sociology
at the University of Manitoba
for one year, but left to become a corrections officer at the Vaughan Street Detention Centre. He later rose to become deputy superintendent of the Manitoba Youth Centre. Doer's work environment was not always safe: he once had to deal with a hostage taking situation, and was attacked with a baseball bat
on another occasion.
Doer became president of the Manitoba Government Employees' Association in 1979, and served in this capacity until 1986. He also held prominent positions with the Manitoba Federation of Labour
and the National Union of Provincial Government Employees, served as a director of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, and became a governor of the University of Manitoba. In 1983, he negotiated an agreement with the provincial government of Howard Pawley
in which civil servants agreed to delay a wage increase in return for a guarantee of no layoffs or wage rollbacks. The following year, he openly criticized Dennis McDermott
's leadership of the Canadian Labour Congress
.
Doer first joined the New Democratic Party in the 1970s, and worked for the party in the 1973 provincial election
. He discontinued his membership in 1975 to preserve the neutrality of his union, and was later courted by both the New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives
to run for public office. He rejoined the NDP in 1986, and was a candidate in that year's provincial election
.
in the 1986 provincial election for the northeast Winnipeg division of Concordia. He joined the government of Premier
Howard Pawley
on April 17, 1986 as Minister of Urban Affairs
, and was given additional responsibilities as Minister responsible for the Manitoba Telephone System
on December 2 of the same year. Doer ordered a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
probe of the MTS soon after his appointment, and worked to reform its practices following a failed investment in Saudi Arabia
. He soon developed a reputation as a "fixer", working as a trouble-shooter in difficult fields.
Doer was given further responsibilities as Minister of Crown Investments
on February 5, 1987, and was later named as Minister responsible for the Accountability of Crown Corporations (August 19, 1987) and Minister responsible for the Liquor Control Act (September 21, 1987). Seen as a rising star in the party, he was sometimes mentioned as a future leader.
The Pawley government was sustained by a narrow legislative majority after the 1986 election, and was defeated on March 8, 1988 when disgruntled backbencher Jim Walding
voted with the opposition on a budget non-confidence motion. Pawley resigned as NDP leader the next day, and called a new general election for April 26.
Doer was the first declared candidate in the Manitoba New Democratic Party's 1988 leadership contest. He was supported by cabinet ministers Vic Schroeder
, Myrna Phillips
, Muriel Smith
, Leonard Evans
, Jerry Storie
and Wilson Parasiuk
, and by federal Members of Parliament
Rod Murphy and David Orlikow
. He also received an endorsement from the Manitoba Federation of Labour. Doer emphasized his experience in managing large organizations, and called for pay equity legislation to be introduced within a year of his election. He narrowly defeated rival candidate Len Harapiak
on the third ballot of the party's leadership convention in Winnipeg. He was not sworn in as premier, as the legislature had already been dissolved.
Doer became leader of the Manitoba NDP when the party was at a low ebb of popularity. An internal poll before the election showed that they had only 6% popular support, and some NDP workers privately worried that they could lose all of their legislative seats. Many believed Doer was their best hope for a recovery. Support for the NDP increased to 19% during the leadership campaign, and to 23% after Doer was chosen as Pawley's successor. The party nevertheless remained in third place, and faced an uphill struggle in the 1988 election
.
1988 election
Doer promised a $58 million tax cut, and opposed the federal government
's free trade deal with the United States of America. He indicated that he was open to the possibility of amending the Meech Lake Accord
, a federal proposal for constitutional reform. He also promised to build more community health centres, and supported home renovations for senior citizens and the disabled.
The NDP won 12 out of 57 seats, while the Progressive Conservatives under Gary Filmon
won 25 seats and the Liberals
under Sharon Carstairs
jumped from one seat to twenty. Doer rejected the possibility of forming a coalition government
with the Liberals, and the Progressive Conservatives were able to form a minority government
with the NDP holding the balance of power. He was not personally blamed for his party's loss, and continued as party leader. The NDP chose not to defeat Filmon's government during confidence votes in late 1988 and early 1989, as Doer argued the public would not support another election so soon.
Meech Lake Accord
The dominant political issue in Manitoba between 1988 and 1990 was the Meech Lake Accord
, which recognized Quebec
as a "distinct society
" in Canada and devolved some powers from the federal government to the provinces. The accord required approval from all ten provincial legislatures to become law. The provincial Liberals initially opposed the accord, which meant that Doer's support was necessary for its passage. In November 1988, Doer indicated that his party would not support the accord unless certain amendments were introduced. He was later appointed to a provincial panel that held a series of public meetings, and recommended significant changes to the deal. The Filmon government also expressed skepticism about the accord, and announced that it too would seek amendments from the federal government.
All three Manitoba party leaders agreed to a federally brokered compromise in June 1990, shortly before the accord's official deadline. The accord nonetheless failed to pass in the Manitoba legislature because of a procedural motion from Elijah Harper
, a Cree
member of the NDP caucus who argued that it did not give fair representation to indigenous Canadians. Doer described Harper's decision as "a fundamental issue of conscience", and blamed Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
for delaying negotiations until the deadline had almost expired. One year later, he indicated that he felt "betrayed" by federal negotiators, and described the entire Meech Lake process as "dishonest from start to finish".
1990 election
In the aftermath of the accord's defeat, Filmon called a new provincial election
for September 11, 1990. Doer promised a ten-year freeze on personal income taxes, and argued that the Progressive Conservatives would pursue a hidden right-wing agenda if they won a majority government
. He also promised legislation that would make it more difficult for companies based in Manitoba to close down.
An early poll showed the NDP in third place with 18% support, well behind the governing Progressive Conservatives and also behind the Liberals. The Liberal campaign faltered, however, and the New Democrats were able to make strong gains in the election's final days, partly buoyed by the unexpected victory of Bob Rae
's New Democrats in the neighbouring province of Ontario
. The Progressive Conservatives won a narrow majority with 30 seats, while the New Democrats won 20 and the Liberals seven. Doer succeeded Carstairs as Leader of the Opposition
in the legislature.
Doer criticized the Filmon government's cutbacks to health and education, and drew attention to the province's rising unemployment and child poverty rates in the early 1990s. Opposing Filmon's austerity measures, he argued it was inappropriate for the government to cut jobs at a time of high unemployment. In 1993, he opposed the government's decision to end funding for groups such as the Foster Family Association, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Anti-Poverty Organization and the Manitoba Environmental Council.
Doer announced in late 1992 that his caucus would support the Charlottetown Accord
, a comprehensive package on constitutional reform that was introduced by the federal government after the failure of Meech Lake. The Accord was defeated in a national referendum.
Doer released an election platform in November 1994, highlighted by a ten-point preventive health-care program for children and a six-point Manitoba Works plan to reduce unemployment.
1995 election
Doer focused on health issues in the 1995 provincial election
. He promised that he would replace walk-in clinics with neighbourhood health organizations, to be staffed with salaried doctors, nurses, midwives and social workers. He pledged to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to reduce prescription drug costs, and to review some of the hundreds of drugs that had been delisted in recent years. He also promised to create a new group of health providers called nurse practitioner
s, to carry out some doctors' responsibilities. On economic issues, Doer promised a balanced budget with no personal or sales tax increases over four years and indicated that he would cut nearly $119 million from government programs to fund health, education, and job creation.
An early poll from the Angus Reid
firm showed the Progressive Conservatives with 37% support, the Liberals with 35%, and the NDP with 21%. The Liberal campaign faltered once again, however, and a poll released only days before the election showed the NDP had again surpassed the Liberals for second place. The Progressive Conservatives were re-elected with 31 seats, the NDP increased their total to 23, and the Liberals fell to only three.
In the closing days of the campaign, Doer asked the province's chief electoral officer to investigate reports that three independent candidates from an unregistered party known as Native Voice
had received assistance from a Progressive Conservative campaign official. Some believed these candidates would split the progressive-left vote in their ridings, and give the Progressive Conservatives a greater chance of winning. Little was done at the time, but the story emerged as a prominent provincial scandal following an exposé from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
in June 1998. Doer called for an inquiry, which the Filmon government granted; the presiding officer determined that at least one of the candidates had been illegally induced to run to by a local agents of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Second term, 1995–99
Despite an improving economy, the Filmon government's 1996 budget introduced further cuts to social assistance, health care, and post-secondary and public school education. Doer argued that the cuts were ideological in nature, and not based on financial necessity. The government also introduced legislation permitting unionized workers to shield their dues from being donated to political parties. Doer suggested that corporate shareholders should also be allowed to opt out of party donations.
Doer opposed the Filmon government's decision to privatize the Manitoba Telephone System in 1996, arguing that it would cause Manitobans to lose control over a vital part of their economy. He called for a referendum, which Filmon rejected. Doer nonetheless accepted the finality of the sale, telling party delegates in 1999 that buying back the service would be too expensive and carry too many risks.
Doer also opposed the Filmon government's proposal to water-down the single-desk marketing powers of the Canadian Wheat Board
. He argued there could be no "middle-of-the-road" position on the Wheat Board, adding that continued single-desk marketing would be "in the economic interests of producers and the economic interests of Winnipeg".
Some New Democrats expressed discontent with Doer's leadership in late 1997. Most notably, a group led by policy committee chairman Victor Olson issued a statement on party renewal that was generally interpreted as a challenge to his leadership. This came to nothing, but there was general agreement among party members that Doer would need to win the next election to continue as party leader.
1999 election
In the buildup to the 1999 provincial election
, Doer unveiled a platform that called for balanced budgets, debt repayment and a freeze on taxes. He again emphasized health care as a priority, and said that his government would stop the practice of using public monies for politically motivated polls and advertisements. He also expressed concern that the Progressive Conservatives could privatize Manitoba Hydro
, and criticized a provincial workfare
initiative as giving too much discretionary power to government overseers.
The NDP voted to support the Filmon government's 1999 budget, citing the premier's decision to increase health spending with money from a provincial "rainy day fund". Doer added that, if elected, his party would replace Filmon's budgeted income tax cut with a property tax cut.
The NDP entered the 1999 election in a much stronger position than in the three previous campaigns. A poll taken three years earlier had shown the NDP leading the Progressive Conservatives for the first time since the Pawley administration. The Tories regained their lead by 1998, but fallout from the vote-splitting scandal gave the NDP an 8% lead in a Probe/Free Press poll issued in March 1999. In this period, many began to regard the NDP as a possible government-in-waiting. Later polls showed the gap between the parties narrowing to a virtual tie.
Doer pledged $13 million to shorten health-care waiting times in the 1999 campaign, and said that he would work to end "hallway medicine" in overcrowded hospitals. He also pledged an additional $2 million to hire more nurses and provide incentives for rural doctors. In education, he promised to cut college and university tuition fees by 10% and to invest $24 million to the province's three community colleges. On election reform, he promised to ban campaign donations from corporations and unions. Doer also criticized the Filmon government's handling of a contract with Urban Shared Services Corp., which attempted to save the province money by reheating food for hospitals and seniors' homes at a centralized location. The project went well over-budget, and the food was often criticized as inedible.
A poll released a week before the election showed the NDP and Progressive Conservatives tied with 42% support, and the election was considered too close to call until the actual day of voting. The NDP ultimately won 32 seats, against 24 for the Progressive Conservatives and only one for the Liberals. A collapse of the Liberal vote worked to the NDP's advantage.
on October 5, 1999. He also took the position of Minister of Federal/Provincial Relations
.
Re-election campaigns
After governing for just under four years, Doer called a new provincial election
for June 2003. He brought forward a five point re-election plan highlighted by promises to reduce property and income taxes, hire more nurses and doctors and make reductions in medical waiting lists, take a cautious approach to managing the economy, and improve the province's education and law enforcement systems. Many journalists noted similarities to the NDP's 1999 platform. The NDP held a massive lead in the polls throughout the campaign, and most observers agreed that its re-election was a foregone conclusion. Even the Winnipeg Free Press
, not traditionally supportive of the NDP, urged voters to re-elect Doer's government. The NDP won an increased majority with 49.47% support and 35 of 57 seats, and made inroads into traditionally Progressive Conservative areas of south Winnipeg.
Four years later, Doer called another election
for May 2007. The NDP campaign focused on Doer's personal popularity and his government's record in office. The party released a seven-point re-election plan, focused on health care, the environment, education, tax cuts, public safety, money for highways, and keeping Manitoba Hydro as a public institution. Doer promised to hire 700 nurses and nurse practitioners, 100 new police officers, 20 new crown prosecutors, and 20 new workplace safety inspectors. He also promised to improve Manitoba's record on vehicle emissions, provide tax credits for caregivers, and phase out the provincial small business tax over three years. The NDP was again re-elected with an increased majority, this time taking 36 of 57 seats.
Prominent cabinet members
Prominent members of Doer's first cabinet included Greg Selinger in Finance, Gord Mackintosh
in Justice, David Chomiak
in Health and Rosann Wowchuk in Agriculture
. Tim Sale
replaced Chomiak at Health in October 2004, and was in turn succeeded by Theresa Oswald
in 2006. Chomiak replaced Mackintosh at Justice in 2006. Selinger remains as Finance Minister in 2009, while Wowchuk remains in Agriculture.
Jean Friesen
served as Doer's Deputy Premier
in his first term. She retired in 2003, and Doer chose Rosann Wowchuk as her replacement. She continues to hold this position as of 2009.
Financial policy
The Doer government has introduced an uninterrupted succession of balanced budget
s since its first election in 1999. These budgets have generally been cautious, and have sought to balance tax concerns with spending increases. Doer's first budget, delivered in 2000, removed 15,000 low-income Manitobans from the tax rolls and introduced $150 million in tax breaks over three years while projecting a $10 million surplus. His 2003 budget, the last of his first term, reduced provincial taxes by $82.7 million and increased spending by about 5%, mostly in health and education.
Despite a series of economic setbacks, the government was able to post a balanced budget in 2004 through increased taxes and drug premiums as well as civil service reduction through attrition. Tobacco and liquor taxes were increased and the provincial sales tax expanded to cover more services, although Doer rejected a panel recommendation to increase the sales tax by 1%.
The government was able introduce a more expansive budget in 2005 after an infusion of federal revenues, reducing personal and property taxes, increasing spending by 3.5%, and putting $314 million into a "rainy day" fund. Doer's 2006 and 2007 budgets introduced further tax cuts, and the 2007 budget offered increased education spending and a new child benefit to assist low-income families.
At the Manitoba NDP's March 2009 convention, Doer announced that Manitoba would continue its commitment to education, training and research despite a global economic downturn and a slowing economy. He argued that the province was still recovering from the Filmon government's spending cuts during the economic downtown of the 1990s, and that his policies would allow Manitoba to emerge from the recession in a strong, competitive position. His government introduced a balanced budget with economic stimulus programs a few weeks later, even as the global recession forced other provincial governments across Canada into deficit.
Doer encouraged the Bank of Canada
to lower its rates in late 2003, saying that the rising strength of the Canadian dollar
in relation to the United States dollar
was causing increased unemployment. He later criticized Bank Governor David Dodge
for doing nothing to save Canadian jobs and profits. In early 2008, he called for a national strategy to offset the disruptions caused by Canada's soaring dollar.
In 2004, provincial Auditor General
Jon Singleton
argued that Manitoba was actually running a deficit due to costs associated with crown corporations, utilities and arm's-length agencies that were not officially counted in the budget. He recommended that Manitoba adopt a system of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP). Greg Selinger, Doer's Finance Minister, noted that the existing rules were set in place by the Filmon government, and indicated that the NDP had included a summary financial statement to its budget including many of the costs Singleton identified. The Doer government nevertheless announced in 2005 that it would adopt GAAP.
For the first seven years of his administration, Doer was assisted on financial matters by Eugene Kostyra
, a cabinet minister from the Pawley government. Kostyra resigned from his position as secretary of Manitoba's Community and Economic Development Committee in late 2006, and Angela Mathieson was appointed as his replacement.
Health
Doer has frequently argued in favour of Canada's public health system. He criticized Alberta
's plan to introduce more private health provisions in 2002, and defended the public system as efficient and less expensive. In the same year, he endorsed Roy Romanow
's assessment that the federal government must play a stronger role in health care to prevent more encroachments by the private system. At a presentation before the Romanow Commission in 2002, Doer called for the federal government to double its health care commitment. Two years later, he played a significant role in negotiations that saw the federal government contribute $18 billion in new funding to the provinces over six years.
The Doer government's first budget included a $135 million increase in health spending, taking total provincial spending to $2.43 billion. In October 2002, the government announced a long-anticipated $100 million expansion to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, with new operating rooms and emergency departments. The government was unable to end "hallway medicine" in the six-month period it had promised during the 1999 election, and faced the problem of nursing vacancies in the early 2000s. Nevertheless, most observers agreed that the provincial situation improved significantly between 1999 and 2003. Health spending continued to increase during Doer's second term; a report in December 2004 indicated that Manitoba's per capita health spending was the highest in Canada for the seventh continuous year.
Doer emerged as a defender of Manitoba's burgeoning internet pharmaceutical industry in the mid-2000s. This industry was very popular among American clients, but nonetheless provoked opposition within both countries. In 2004, Doer accused federal Health Minister
Ujjal Dosanjh
of capitulating to American interests by agreeing to increased restrictions on the industry. He later argued that the Canadian government could protect its national drug supply and maintain Manitoba's pharmaceutical sector simply by banning bulk exports.
Doer's government introduced a landmark anti-smoking bill in 2004, banning smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces across the province. Supported by all parties, the legislation was the first of its kind in Canada. It did not cover Manitobans working in federal government buildings or living on First Nations territory, as these were not under provincial jurisdiction.
Doer welcomed Prime Minister
Paul Martin
's decision to name Winnipeg as the site of Canada's new public health agency in 2004.
Social policy
The Doer government passed a bill granting full adoption rights to gay and lesbian couples in 2002. The NDP and Liberals supported the bill, while the Progressive Conservatives voted against it.
In 2004, the federal government announced that it would introduce legislation to permit the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada
. Federal Justice Minister
Irwin Cotler
initially indicated that civic officials would be allowed to opt out of performing same-sex marriages if the practice offended their beliefs. Doer criticized this, arguing that provincial employees should not be permitted to discriminate. Doer initially declined to express his personal views on the subject, but announced in late 2004 that he supported same-sex marriage as a human right
.
In April 2005, Doer signed a $176 million deal with the federal government of Paul Martin
to expand the provincial day-care sector. The project was canceled in 2006 by the new Conservative
government of Stephen Harper
, over Doer's objections.
Unlike some within the NDP, Doer is personally opposed to the decriminalization of marijuana
, which he has said could result in economic difficulties with the United States
.
As premier, Doer encouraged several Manitoba crown corporations to donate money to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
in Winnipeg; Manitoba Public Insurance
, Manitoba Hydro
, Manitoba Lotteries and the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission
subsequently made donations of one million dollars each. Opposition leader Hugh McFadyen
and some journalists questioned Doer's involvement in the matter, arguing that he was effectively directing the corporations to make these donations.
Education
Doer's government cut university tuition by 10% during its first term, and later provided universities with a property tax exemption. It also amalgamated several school divisions prior to the 2002 municipal elections
, and began to phase out education property taxes in the same period.
In 2006, the Doer government introduced a proposal for Manitoba university graduates to receive a tuition rebate of up to 60% if they chose to stay and work in the province after graduation.
A 2008 Winnipeg Free Press
article indicated that Manitoba and Alberta were investing more money in public education per student than all other provinces of Canada. Teachers' wages in Manitoba were also noted to be healthy in relation to the average national wage.
Agriculture
Shortly after being sworn in as premier, Doer led an all-party delegation to Ottawa
to seek a $1.3 billion financial bailout for western farmers to help mitigate an economic downturn in the sector. He was joined by Saskatchewan
Premier
Roy Romanow
, Progressive Conservative MLA Larry Maguire
, and Manitoba Liberal leader Jon Gerrard
. The federal government introduced $170 million in funding shortly thereafter, a figure that Doer and Romanow described as "heartless". In February 2000, Romanow and Doer stood with Chrétien to announce their support for a compromise bailout of $400 million.
Shortly after his re-election in 2003, Doer criticized the federal government for failing to respond to an agriculture crisis caused by the discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
in a Canadian cow and the subsequent closure of the American border to beef products produced in Canada. The federal and provincial governments subsequently agreed on a $50 million bailout to the industry. The border was reopened to live cattle in December 2004.
Doer strongly supports the Canadian Wheat Board
's policy of single-desk marketing, and has opposed efforts by some on the political right to weaken its status. In late 2006, Doer accused federal Agriculture Minister
Chuck Strahl
of interfering in the Wheat Board's elections.
The Doer government has rejected a return to single-desk hog marketing, which was eliminated during the years of the Filmon government. During its second term, the government supported plans to establish an OlyWest hog processing plant in northeast Winnipeg. This measure was extremely controversial among party members, and area NDP MLAs Daryl Reid
and Bidhu Jha
indicated that they opposed the measure. In response to criticism, Doer withdrew his support for OlyWest in 2007. The Doer government introduced a temporary ban on new hog farm
s throughout most of the province in March 2008, following the release of a provincial environmental report. Around the same time, Doer announced new funding for waste-water treatment plants that would allow two existing hog-processing plants to expand their operations.
Doer is a vocal opponent of the American Country of Origin Labelling initiative, which would require American producers to separate meat from hogs slaughtered in Canada and increase packing and labelling cost.
Justice
Doer opposed the Chrétien government's decision to implement a federal gun registry
, and his government joined with other provinces to raise a constitutional challenge against the law in 2000.
Doer called for the federal government to strengthen its laws against child pornography
in 2002, after the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that John Robin Sharpe's fictional writings involving children met the legal definition of "artistic merit". Doer was quoted as saying, "We believe that the rights of children should be superior rights in our country to the rights of perverts". The following year, the Manitoba government unveiled a website that included photographs and profiles of high-risk sex offenders.
Also in 2002, Doer argued that persons who kill police officers should spend the rest of their natural lives in jail, without access to Canada's so-called "Faint Hope Clause" for early release. Three years later, he argued that the provisions of the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act
were too lenient. In 2007, Doer led an all-party task force to Ottawa
to seek greater federal penalties for gang-related crime, youth offenses and car theft.
In 2004, the Doer government increased funding for the hiring of police officers and Crown prosecutors. Following increased urban violence in 2005, the province announced funding for 54 more officers. The government also launched an initiative to hire seven recreational directors for inner-city Winnipeg neighbourhoods in 2008, to provide sports opportunities for youth as an alternative to crime.
Doer announced the creation of an all-party task force on security following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The following month, he announced that he would work with the Governors of Minnesota
and North Dakota
for a co-ordinated security strategy.
In 2009, Doer's government introduced legislation to provide civilian oversight of Manitoba police officers. This followed an inquiry into the 2005 death of Crystal Taman, who was struck and killed by an off-duty Winnipeg police officer while waiting at a traffic stop. (The inquiry's report strongly criticized the police investigation into Taman's death.)
Environment
Doer has been a strong and consistent supporter of the Kyoto Accord on climate change. In February 2004, his government signed an agreement with the Chicago Climate Exchange
pledging Manitoba to create a trust fund to pay for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2007, he announced that Manitoba would pursue a plan with other provinces and states to push greenhouse gas emissions to 15% below 2005 levels by 2020. The next year, Doer legislated his province's commitment to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol
by 2012.
Doer announced that Manitoba would increase ethanol
production in 2002, and held consultations on a plan requiring Manitoba drivers to use ethanol-blended gasoline. In October 2002, the government instructed its provincial fleet drivers to switch to ethanol fuels. These plans stalled due to limited production, but were revived when a new facility was constructed in late 2005.
In March 2004, the government introduced enabling legislation on water protection, allowing for the introduction of specific regulations on water protection zones, water quality standards, and related matters.
Doer signed the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord with seven American governors in November 2007. The following month, he announced that Manitoba would introduce vehicle emission standards similar to those in California
. In late January 2008, he agreed to a blueprint proposal with the premiers of British Columbia
, Ontario
and Quebec
for a market-based trading system to cut greenhouse gas emissions. He later became an enthusiastic supporter of North American cap and trade programs to reduce energy emissions, while at the same time criticizing the idea of a carbon tax
.
Doer introduced plans to eliminate coal-burning factories in his 2008 budget. The budget also included a new program for water conservation, and a $7 million fund directed toward climate change issues. He also called for an independent review of the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission in 2008, arguing that the renewal process for hydroelectric projects was too long.
In November 2008, Doer announced that his government would ban new logging in provincial parks and phase out existing projects. He also announced a ban on plastic shopping bags
, and on the use of cellphones while driving. Parents were also forbidden to smoke when children were in the car. The opposition Progressive Conservatives indicated that it would support all of these initiatives.
In late 2005, the American magazine Business Week listed Doer as one of the top twenty international leaders fighting climate change.
Aboriginal issues
In November 1999, Doer appointed a two-person panel to advise his government on implementing the findings of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, which had been published eight years earlier. In April 2000, Manitoba took steps to provide indigenous Manitobans with their own child and family-service agencies. Doer convened a provincial summit on aboriginal commerce in November 2004. He indicated that the summit was intended to showcase successful businesses, and to forge greater links between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities.
Doer is a strong supporter of the Kelowna Accord
signed in late 2005 by the federal government of Paul Martin
, provincial premiers and aboriginal leaders. After the Martin government was defeated in the 2006 federal election
and replaced by the government of Stephen Harper
, Doer criticized Harper's failure to implement the accord.
In late 2008, the Doer government introduced legislation to give sixteen bands on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg
greater authority over the management of their traditional lands. The bill requires that plans for development be approved by both the province and the band's chief, and extends the range of influence well beyond the area's small reserves. Some chiefs in the affected area later objected to the bill on procedural grounds, arguing that they were not properly consulted.
Following consultations with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
in 1999, the Doer government established a selection committee to oversee proposals for setting up casino
s in Manitoba first nations. The process subsequently became stalled, and only one of the casinos was up and running by 2003. The government subsequently appointed a panel to review the situation and recommend a change in strategy; the panel argued that the province should consider creating one large casino, instead of several small on-reserve casinos. A second casino was opened in 2005, while the larger issue remained unresolved as of 2007.
Energy
Doer has often referred to hydroelectric power as playing a major role in Manitoba's long-term economic strategy, and has advocated a national east-west power grid to export Manitoba's plentiful hydroelectric power to Ontario
and other provinces in Western Canada
.
Doer announced Manitoba's first wind farm
project in November 2004, near the community of St. Leon
. This was a private-public partnership arranged between Manitoba Hydro and AirSource Power Fund. It was officially started in April 2005.
In September 2007, Manitoba Hydro
indicated that it would construct a new transmission line to connect north and south Manitoba on the west side of Lake Winnipeg
. Hydro's initial plan had been to construct the line on the east side, but Doer's government rejected this approach, arguing that it would damage pristine boreal forest territories. The local aboriginal community is divided on the issue, with some leaders supporting the government's conservation approach and others arguing that east side construction would help combat poverty in the area. The Progressive Conservative Party has strongly criticized Doer's decision. In April 2008, Manitoba Hydro announced a $2 billion agreement to sell surplus energy to Wisconsin
once the construction is complete.
Doer asked Manitoba Hydro
and the Manitoba Public Utilities Board
to provide an analysis of natural gas prices in July 2008, with the intent of limiting price increases during the winter. He also indicated that his government would intervene to protect consumers from high prices. Finance Minister Greg Selinger later indicated that the government would provide some relief for consumers, but would not use Manitoba Hydro's profits to offset rate increases.
Labour issues
The Doer government introduced a number of labour reforms early in its first mandate, making it easier for unions to obtain certification and giving employees increased powers to move disputes to binding arbitration. Business leaders opposed the changes, though Doer argued that the bill was far less contentious than opponents made it out to be. In 2004, Doer rejected a call by party members to introduce legislation that would ban replacement workers in labour disputes.
Doer's government increased Manitoba's minimum wage from $6.00 to $6.25 in November 2000, and brought in subsequent increases of 25 cents on an annual basis. By April 2005, the minimum wage had been increased to $7.25. Some argued that this was still short of a living wage. The minimum wage was increased to $8.50 in 2008. In 2005, the Doer government introduced a bill to expand provincial workers' compensation coverage.
The Doer government announced in late 2007 that temporary foreign workers and modeling agencies would be included under the Employment Standards Act, to prevent worker exploitation.
Science and infrastructure
Doer's government introduced a biotechnology training strategy in October 2002, to address a skilled-worker shortage in the industry.
In early 2003, Doer signed a $160 million deal with the federal government for expansion work on the Red River Floodway
. The floodway expansion was described as the largest infrastructure project in Manitoba history, and was started in late 2005.
Doer took part in discussions in 2007-08 with media mogul David Asper
and officials from other levels of government, regarding the location of a new stadium for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
football
team. He was skeptical about Asper's initial plan for a stadium in the Polo Park region of Winnipeg, and was more supportive of an abortive plan to construct the stadium in the economically depressed area of Point Douglas. Asper eventually chose site in Fort Garry, next to the University of Manitoba
. The deal was finalized in early 2009, with the province providing $20 million in funding; provincial officials believe that all but $1 million will be recovered before the stadium opens in 2011.
In September 2008, Doer and Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz
announced $138 million for a rapid transit
plan that will eventually link downtown Winnipeg with the University of Manitoba
. In the same month, Doer designated a piece of land in northwest Winnipeg as the site of a future inland port. The area was given the name CentrePort Canada, and its first directors were chosen in December 2008.
Doer announced in February 2009 that his government would spend $1 million on special training for northern Manitoba workers, following a global economic downtown that adversely affected the province's forestry and mining sectors. Two months later, he joined with the federal government to announce a $40 million investment in a cold weather aerospace engine testing and research facility in Thompson
. In early May 2009, the federal and provincial governments announced $116 million for infrastructure renewal in rural and northern communities.
Crocus Investment Fund
In early 2005, the labour-managed Crocus Investment Fund
stopped trading and entered into financial protection. The Doer government was subsequently accused of having ignored signs of trouble at the fund, and of failing to protect the interests of investors. The opposition Progressive Conservatives argued that the government had neglected warnings of financial impropriety, in part because of ideological links between the New Democratic Party and the labour movement. Doer rejected this charge, observing that the fund had been established by the Filmon government in conjunction with labour leaders. He also rejected calls from the opposition for a formal inquiry, and insisted that the province did nothing wrong in the matter.
Federal-provincial relations
Doer supported the Chrétien government's Clarity Act
legislation, which required that any future negotiations on provincial secession be preceded by a referendum
with a clearly defined question. The act was opposed by Quebec nationalists
, who regarded it as an infringement on their national sovereignty. In 2004, Doer criticized new Prime Minister Paul Martin
for seeming to undermine the principles of the bill. He also criticized Martin's promise to remove the "Notwithstanding Clause" from the Constitution of Canada
in the 2006 federal election
. Doer later criticized Martin's successor, Stephen Harper
, for recognizing the Québécois
as a nation within Canada in late 2006. He was quoted as saying, "[t]o me, Canada is one nation, one country. I understand Quebec is unique in terms of language, culture and law, but Canada is one country."
Notwithstanding this and other criticisms, a May 2008 article in the Globe and Mail newspaper described Doer as one of the few premiers to have a good working relationship with Conservative
Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
. Manitoba signed on to the federal government's Building Canada Fund in late 2008, receiving about $500 million in new infrastructure monies. Following a global economic downturn in late 2008, Doer called on the federal government to invest in job creation and infrastructure funding. Prime Minister Harper later said that his government would spend more on roads, bridges and other public works.
According to journalist Chantal Hébert
, Doer played a vital role in convincing other provincial leaders to accept Quebec Premier
Jean Charest
's plan to create the Council of the Federation
in 2003. In 2008-09, Charest and Doer helped broker an agreement among the premiers to provide for greater labour mobility within Canada.
In early 2007, Doer said that Manitoba would not enter a free trade deal signed between Alberta
and British Columbia
. He instead called for a national trade accord. Doer met with other western Canadian premiers in June 2009 to introduce a plan for the collective purchase of prescription drugs. The premiers indicated that the plan could save taxpayers millions of dollars.
In late 2008, the federal Liberal and New Democratic parties announced plans to defeat the Conservatives on a vote of confidence and create a coalition government
. The plan was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Conservatives remained in power. Doer did not take a position on the coalition, and instead called for all parties in the Canadian House of Commons
to work in a cooperative manner.
International relations
Since his first election in 1999, Doer has been a leading opponent of a water diversion in Devils Lake
, North Dakota
that many regard as posing a serious environmental threat to Manitoba. In 2005, the Canadian and American governments reached a non-binding compromise deal on the project that committed both sides to design an advanced filter to prevent environmental disruption. Doer initially described this agreement as a significant improvement over prior arrangements, but later criticized the North Dakota government for starting the water diversion before the deal was finalized. In May 2009, Doer said that Manitoba would invest more than $10 million in drainage improvements if North Dakota would agree to construct a permanent filter on its Devils Lake output. North Dakota
Governor
John Hoeven
rejected the deal in the same month, arguing that the issues were separate.
Doer has led several international trade delegations from Manitoba, including visits to Russia
, Germany
, Israel
, India
, China
and The Philippines
. He also made an historic visit to Iceland
in August 2001; Manitoba has a large Icelandic population, and Doer was the first Manitoba Premier to make an official visit to the country. Halldor Asgrimsson
, the Prime Minister of Iceland
, made a follow-up visit to Manitoba in July 2005. In May 2008, Ukrainian
President
Victor Yushchenko made an official visit to Manitoba and addressed the provincial legislature.
Doer signed an agreement with the American state of Georgia
in 2004, for increased co-operation between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the National Virology Lab in Winnipeg. In the same year, he signed a memorandum of understanding with Minnesota Governor
Tim Pawlenty
to create a "biomedical corridor" for the promotion of research, capital investment and technology development. In early 2005, Doer and New Brunswick Premier
Bernard Lord
traveled on a trade mission to Texas
in what was described as an effort to improve relations between Canada and the United States. Later in the year, Doer and Jean Charest
traveled on a trade mission to Mexico
. In 2006, he appeared at a prominent climate change event with California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
. In June 2009, Doer took part in discussions to create a "Western Energy Corridor" to allow an easier flow of both renewable energy and fossil fuels among western American states and Canadian provinces.
Doer has supported Canada's military mission in Afghanistan
, despite skepticism about the purpose of the mission from the federal NDP. He called for Canada to ban donations to Hezbollah's charity wing in 2002, and endorsed Jean Chrétien government's decision to remain out of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq
in 2003.
In 2005, Doer spoke against the American government's plans to require passport
s at Canadian border crossings. He argued that the new expense of travel would create a "financial Berlin Wall
" for some families, and instead proposed a security protocol centred around drivers' licenses. In 2007, North Dakota
Governor
John Hoeven
announced that he was working with Doer to find an alternative approach.
In 2008, Doer argued that Canada should "aggressively" defend the North American Free Trade Agreement
against criticism from American Democratic Party
presidential candidates. He later spoke against the United States Congress
's planned "Buy American" legislation during a business trip to Illinois
and Texas
.
Doer signed an agreement in Manila
in February 2008, to permit an easier flow of immigration from The Philippines to Manitoba.
Legislative reform
Doer's government changed the rules of the legislature in 1999, to allow the Speaker of the Assembly
to be elected by a secret ballot vote of all members. Speakers had previously been appointed by the premier.
The Doer government announced election spending reforms in June 2000, which were highlighted by a ban on political donations by private corporations and organized labour. This measure was opposed by the opposition Progressive Conservatives, and by the right-wing Canadian Taxpayers Federation
. The reforms came into effect in 2001, and were extended to party leadership contests in June 2002. Further restrictions were added in 2006. In June 2009, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz
spoke against Doer's plan to ban union and corporate donations from municipal elections.
The Doer government introduced legislation in April 2006 to prevent MLAs from crossing the floor
from one party to another. Under the terms of this legislation, MLAs who choose to leave their political party are required to sit as independents until the next election, or to resign and seek re-election for another party.
Doer announced plans in early 2008 to create a lobbyist registry for Manitoba, as well as introducing fixed election dates, partial public campaign financing, and restrictions on partisan direct mail flyers sent out by MLAs at public expense. The plan for public campaign financing was later abandoned after public opposition.
In 2009, opposition politicians and some journalists pressured Doer to call a public inquiry into a controversy involving expense claims from the 1999 provincial election. Elections Manitoba
had determined that some reimbursement claims filed by the Manitoba NDP were unwarranted; in late 2003, the party agreed to repay $76,000 in an out-of-court settlement. Critics have charged a lack of transparency in the process, and have questioned why Elections Manitoba did not lay charges. At least one Winnipeg journalist has compared the matter with an expenses scandal faced by the Conservative Party of Canada
following the 2006 federal election
. Doer has argued that the matter is settled, and that there is no need for an inquiry.
Popularity
Doer's government enjoyed an extended honeymoon with voters after the 1999 election. The NDP consistently led all other parties in public opinion polls from 1999 until 2005, often by wide margins. The party's popularity dipped in late 2005, damaged somewhat by questions resulting from the failure of the Crocus Investment Fund. Polls taken in December 2005 and March 2006 showed the NDP and Progressive Conservatives tied for support. In July 2006, the PCs pulled ahead of the NDP for the first time in seven years. The NDP nevertheless recovered to win a convincing majority in the 2007 election, and in July 2008 held a ten-point lead over the Progressive Conservatives in popular support. The PCs posted a surprise lead over the NDP in a December 2008 poll, although some local journalists questioned its accuracy. By April 2009, the NDP once again held a ten-point lead.
Doer was rated as Canada's most popular premier in polls taken in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, scoring a 77% rating in March 2006. His approval rating was 81% in March 2008, making him the second most popular Canadian premier after Danny Williams
of Newfoundland and Labrador
.
Retirement
On August 27, 2009 Doer announced he would not seek re-election in the 2011 election, and on August 28, 2009 he was nominated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper
to succeed Michael Wilson
as Canadian ambassador to the United States. He was formally sworn into that position on October 19, 2009, and on the same day Greg Selinger was sworn in as his replacement as Premier of Manitoba. Doer's former constituency assistant Matt Wiebe
subsequently won the by-election to succeed Doer as MLA for Concordia on March 2, 2010.
as a candidate in the federal New Democratic Party
's 1989 leadership contest. When Schreyer declined to run, Doer tried to convince Stephen Lewis
and then Bob Rae
to enter the contest, without success. He eventually supported Audrey McLaughlin
, who was elected on the fourth ballot of the party's leadership convention.
There was speculation that Doer would seek the federal NDP leadership in 1995, after McLaughlin announced her resignation. He declined, and instead gave his support to longtime friend Alexa McDonough
, whom he nominated at the leadership convention. McDonough was chosen as party leader following the first ballot.
Doer opposed the New Politics Initiative
in 2001. In 2002, he supported the leadership campaign of Bill Blaikie
, whose federal Winnipeg—Transcona riding overlapped with his own provincial division. Blaikie finished second against Jack Layton
.
Doer has disagreed with the federal NDP on some issues. He defended CanWest Global's takeover of a part of Conrad Black
's newspaper empire in 2000, even though the arrangement had been criticized by the federal party. He later called for Svend Robinson
to be demoted as Foreign Affairs Critic in 2002, after Robinson announced his support for the Palestinians
in their conflict with Israel
(official NDP policy was that both sides should seek a peace agreement). Doer was quoted as saying, "Either he represents the party as a foreign affairs critic or he's removed as foreign affairs critic. And I believe he should be removed". He later expressed disappointment that Robinson was allowed to keep his critic's role, albeit with a ban against speaking on Middle East issues.
Doer published a ten-point proposal for the future of the federal NDP in June 2002, calling for a focus on health and education as well as fiscal balance, community safety and election finance reform.
. He once described his political ideology as follows:
Doer endorsed Tony Blair
's approach to leading the British
Labour Party
in 1997, and his own 1999 election platform was frequently compared with Blair's "Third Way
" of social democracy. Doer has also been compared with former Premier of Saskatchewan
Roy Romanow
, who also governed from the centrist wing of the party. Former NDP MLA Cy Gonick
wrote a critical essay about Doer in 2007, describing him as a "small-l liberal
" without "a socialist bone in his body".
. Expenditures refer to candidate election expenses.
Order of Manitoba
The Order of Manitoba is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Manitoba. Instituted in 1999 when Lieutenant Governor Peter M...
(born March 31, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and politician from 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. Since October 19, 2009, he has served as Canada's Ambassador to the United States. Doer previously served as the 20th Premier of Manitoba
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
from 1999 to 2009, leading a 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...
government.
Early life and career
Gary Doer was born to a middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
family in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Manitoba. His background is German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He graduated from St. Paul's High School and went on to study political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at 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...
for one year, but left to become a corrections officer at the Vaughan Street Detention Centre. He later rose to become deputy superintendent of the Manitoba Youth Centre. Doer's work environment was not always safe: he once had to deal with a hostage taking situation, and was attacked with a baseball bat
Baseball bat
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...
on another occasion.
Doer became president of the Manitoba Government Employees' Association in 1979, and served in this capacity until 1986. He also held prominent positions with the Manitoba Federation of Labour
Manitoba Federation of Labour
The Manitoba Federation of Labour is the Manitoba provincial trade union federation of the Canadian Labour Congress.It was formed in 1956 and has a membership of 90,000 people working in various private sector and public sector fields such as Manufacturing, Government, Retail, Hospitals, Schools,...
and the National Union of Provincial Government Employees, served as a director of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, and became a governor of the University of Manitoba. In 1983, he negotiated an agreement with the provincial government of 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 which civil servants agreed to delay a wage increase in return for a guarantee of no layoffs or wage rollbacks. The following year, he openly criticized Dennis McDermott
Dennis McDermott
Dennis McDermott, O.Ont was a Canadian trade unionist, Canadian Director of the United Auto Workers from 1968 to 1978 and president of the Canadian Labour Congress from 1978 to 1986....
's leadership of the Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
.
Doer first joined the New Democratic Party in the 1970s, and worked for the party in the 1973 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1973
The Manitoba General Election of June 28, 1973 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the social-democratic New Democratic Party, which took 31 of 57 seats...
. He discontinued his membership in 1975 to preserve the neutrality of his union, and was later courted by both the New Democrats and 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:...
to run for public office. He rejoined the NDP in 1986, and was a candidate in that year's provincial election
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...
.
Cabinet minister
Doer was elected to the Legislative Assembly of ManitobaLegislative 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...
in the 1986 provincial election for the northeast Winnipeg division of Concordia. He joined the government of Premier
Premier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
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:...
on April 17, 1986 as Minister of Urban Affairs
Minister of Urban Affairs (Manitoba)
The Minister of Urban Affairs is a former cabinet position in Manitoba, Canada.The position was created in the early 1970s, incorporating responsibilities that had previously been held by the Minister of Municipal Affairs...
, and was given additional responsibilities as Minister responsible for the Manitoba Telephone System
Minister responsible for the Manitoba Telephone System
The Minister responsible for the Manitoba Telephone System is a former government position in Manitoba, Canada. It was not a full portfolio, but was invariably held by ministers with other cabinet responsibilities....
on December 2 of the same year. Doer ordered a Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
probe of the MTS soon after his appointment, and worked to reform its practices following a failed investment in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. He soon developed a reputation as a "fixer", working as a trouble-shooter in difficult fields.
Doer was given further responsibilities as Minister of Crown Investments
Minister of Crown Investments (Manitoba)
The Minister of Crown Investments is a former cabinet position in Manitoba, Canada.The position was started by the government of Howard Pawley in 1982, and discontinued by the incoming government of Gary Filmon in 1988....
on February 5, 1987, and was later named as Minister responsible for the Accountability of Crown Corporations (August 19, 1987) and Minister responsible for the Liquor Control Act (September 21, 1987). Seen as a rising star in the party, he was sometimes mentioned as a future leader.
The Pawley government was sustained by a narrow legislative majority after the 1986 election, and was defeated on March 8, 1988 when disgruntled backbencher Jim Walding
Jim Walding
Derek James "Jim" Walding was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1971 to 1988, and served as speaker of the assembly from 1982 to 1986. Walding was a member of the New Democratic Party...
voted with the opposition on a budget non-confidence motion. Pawley resigned as NDP leader the next day, and called a new general election for April 26.
NDP leader
Leadership electionDoer was the first declared candidate in the Manitoba New Democratic Party's 1988 leadership contest. He was supported by cabinet ministers Vic Schroeder
Vic Schroeder
Victor Harold Schroeder is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1979 to 1988, and a senior cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley from 1981 to 1988.-Education:Schroeder was educated at Mennonite College in...
, Myrna Phillips
Myrna Phillips
Myrna Phillips is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and served as speaker of the assembly from 1986 to 1988.Phillips was born in Roland, Manitoba...
, Muriel Smith
Muriel Smith
Muriel Smith, OC is a Manitoba politician. She ran for the leadership of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba in 1979, and subsequently served in the cabinet of NDP Premier Howard Pawley....
, Leonard Evans
Leonard Evans
Leonard Salusbury Evans is a retired politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Manitoba legislature from 1969 to 1999, and was a Cabinet Minister in the governments of New Democratic Premiers Edward Schreyer and Howard Pawley.- Early life and career :Evans was born in Winnipeg, and...
, Jerry Storie
Jerry Storie
Jerry Thomas Storie is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1995, and a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley from 1982 to 1988....
and Wilson Parasiuk
Wilson Parasiuk
Wilson Parasiuk is an entrepreneur with experience in the private and public sectors. As founder and CEO of the Vancouver–area based Paralink Group of Companies, Parasiuk organizes private sector/public sector partnerships in the export of Canada’s health care, education and governmental expertise...
, and by federal Members 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,...
Rod Murphy 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:...
. He also received an endorsement from the Manitoba Federation of Labour. Doer emphasized his experience in managing large organizations, and called for pay equity legislation to be introduced within a year of his election. He narrowly defeated rival candidate Len Harapiak
Len Harapiak
Leonard Harapiak is a Manitoba politician. He served in the NDP government of Howard Pawley, and narrowly lost the party's leadership to Gary Doer in 1988....
on the third ballot of the party's leadership convention in Winnipeg. He was not sworn in as premier, as the legislature had already been dissolved.
Doer became leader of the Manitoba NDP when the party was at a low ebb of popularity. An internal poll before the election showed that they had only 6% popular support, and some NDP workers privately worried that they could lose all of their legislative seats. Many believed Doer was their best hope for a recovery. Support for the NDP increased to 19% during the leadership campaign, and to 23% after Doer was chosen as Pawley's successor. The party nevertheless remained in third place, and faced an uphill struggle 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...
.
1988 election
Doer promised a $58 million tax cut, and opposed the federal government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
's free trade deal with the United States of America. He indicated that he was open to the possibility of amending the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, a federal proposal for constitutional reform. He also promised to build more community health centres, and supported home renovations for senior citizens and the disabled.
The NDP won 12 out of 57 seats, while the Progressive Conservatives under Gary Filmon
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon, PC, OC, OM is a Manitoba politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th Premier from 1988 to 1999.-Early life and municipal career:...
won 25 seats and the Liberals
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 :...
under 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...
jumped from one seat to twenty. Doer rejected the possibility of forming a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
with the Liberals, and the Progressive Conservatives were able to form a minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
with the NDP holding the balance of power. He was not personally blamed for his party's loss, and continued as party leader. The NDP chose not to defeat Filmon's government during confidence votes in late 1988 and early 1989, as Doer argued the public would not support another election so soon.
Meech Lake Accord
The dominant political issue in Manitoba between 1988 and 1990 was the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
, which recognized Quebec
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....
as a "distinct society
Distinct society
Distinct society is a political term especially used during constitutional debate in Canada, in the second half of the 1980s and in the early 1990s, and present in the two failed constitutional amendments, the Meech Lake Accord and the Charlottetown Accord...
" in Canada and devolved some powers from the federal government to the provinces. The accord required approval from all ten provincial legislatures to become law. The provincial Liberals initially opposed the accord, which meant that Doer's support was necessary for its passage. In November 1988, Doer indicated that his party would not support the accord unless certain amendments were introduced. He was later appointed to a provincial panel that held a series of public meetings, and recommended significant changes to the deal. The Filmon government also expressed skepticism about the accord, and announced that it too would seek amendments from the federal government.
All three Manitoba party leaders agreed to a federally brokered compromise in June 1990, shortly before the accord's official deadline. The accord nonetheless failed to pass in the Manitoba legislature because of a procedural motion from Elijah Harper
Elijah Harper
Elijah Harper is an Aboriginal Cree Canadian politician and band chief. He was a key player in the rejection of the Meech Lake Accord, an attempt at Canadian constitutional reform.- Early life :...
, a Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
member of the NDP caucus who argued that it did not give fair representation to indigenous Canadians. Doer described Harper's decision as "a fundamental issue of conscience", and blamed Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
for delaying negotiations until the deadline had almost expired. One year later, he indicated that he felt "betrayed" by federal negotiators, and described the entire Meech Lake process as "dishonest from start to finish".
1990 election
In the aftermath of the accord's defeat, Filmon called a new provincial election
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...
for September 11, 1990. Doer promised a ten-year freeze on personal income taxes, and argued that the Progressive Conservatives would pursue a hidden right-wing agenda if they won a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
. He also promised legislation that would make it more difficult for companies based in Manitoba to close down.
An early poll showed the NDP in third place with 18% support, well behind the governing Progressive Conservatives and also behind the Liberals. The Liberal campaign faltered, however, and the New Democrats were able to make strong gains in the election's final days, partly buoyed by the unexpected victory of Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's New Democrats in the neighbouring province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The Progressive Conservatives won a narrow majority with 30 seats, while the New Democrats won 20 and the Liberals seven. Doer succeeded Carstairs as Leader of the Opposition
Leader of the Opposition (Manitoba)
A list of parliamentary opposition leaders in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, Canada, from 1870 to the present.William Alexander Macdonald was the first officially recognized Leader of the Opposition in Manitoba although Rodmond Roblin is considered to have been the de facto opposition leader...
in the legislature.
Leader of the Opposition
First term, 1990–95Doer criticized the Filmon government's cutbacks to health and education, and drew attention to the province's rising unemployment and child poverty rates in the early 1990s. Opposing Filmon's austerity measures, he argued it was inappropriate for the government to cut jobs at a time of high unemployment. In 1993, he opposed the government's decision to end funding for groups such as the Foster Family Association, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, the Manitoba Anti-Poverty Organization and the Manitoba Environmental Council.
Doer announced in late 1992 that his caucus would support the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
, a comprehensive package on constitutional reform that was introduced by the federal government after the failure of Meech Lake. The Accord was defeated in a national referendum.
Doer released an election platform in November 1994, highlighted by a ten-point preventive health-care program for children and a six-point Manitoba Works plan to reduce unemployment.
1995 election
Doer focused on health issues in the 1995 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1995
The Manitoba general election of April 25,1995 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which won 31 seats out of 57...
. He promised that he would replace walk-in clinics with neighbourhood health organizations, to be staffed with salaried doctors, nurses, midwives and social workers. He pledged to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to reduce prescription drug costs, and to review some of the hundreds of drugs that had been delisted in recent years. He also promised to create a new group of health providers called nurse practitioner
Nurse practitioner
A Nurse Practitioner is an Advanced practice registered nurse who has completed graduate-level education . Additional APRN roles include the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist s, CNMs, and CNSs...
s, to carry out some doctors' responsibilities. On economic issues, Doer promised a balanced budget with no personal or sales tax increases over four years and indicated that he would cut nearly $119 million from government programs to fund health, education, and job creation.
An early poll from the Angus Reid
Angus Reid
Angus Reid is an offensive lineman for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Reid went to Simon Fraser University and played for the Simon Fraser Clan. He began his career with the Montreal Alouettes but was traded, along with a 5th round draft pick, to BC for Adriano Belli...
firm showed the Progressive Conservatives with 37% support, the Liberals with 35%, and the NDP with 21%. The Liberal campaign faltered once again, however, and a poll released only days before the election showed the NDP had again surpassed the Liberals for second place. The Progressive Conservatives were re-elected with 31 seats, the NDP increased their total to 23, and the Liberals fell to only three.
In the closing days of the campaign, Doer asked the province's chief electoral officer to investigate reports that three independent candidates from an unregistered party known as Native Voice
Independent Native Voice
Independent Native Voice, also known as Native Voice, was a short-lived political party in Manitoba, Canada. It was created in 1995 to address aboriginal issues, and ran three candidates in the 1995 provincial election. Native Voice was not registered with Elections Manitoba, and its candidates...
had received assistance from a Progressive Conservative campaign official. Some believed these candidates would split the progressive-left vote in their ridings, and give the Progressive Conservatives a greater chance of winning. Little was done at the time, but the story emerged as a prominent provincial scandal following an exposé from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
in June 1998. Doer called for an inquiry, which the Filmon government granted; the presiding officer determined that at least one of the candidates had been illegally induced to run to by a local agents of the Progressive Conservative Party.
Second term, 1995–99
Despite an improving economy, the Filmon government's 1996 budget introduced further cuts to social assistance, health care, and post-secondary and public school education. Doer argued that the cuts were ideological in nature, and not based on financial necessity. The government also introduced legislation permitting unionized workers to shield their dues from being donated to political parties. Doer suggested that corporate shareholders should also be allowed to opt out of party donations.
Doer opposed the Filmon government's decision to privatize the Manitoba Telephone System in 1996, arguing that it would cause Manitobans to lose control over a vital part of their economy. He called for a referendum, which Filmon rejected. Doer nonetheless accepted the finality of the sale, telling party delegates in 1999 that buying back the service would be too expensive and carry too many risks.
Doer also opposed the Filmon government's proposal to water-down the single-desk marketing powers of the Canadian Wheat Board
Canadian Wheat Board
The Canadian Wheat Board was established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935 as a mandatory producer marketing system for wheat and barley in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and a small part of British Columbia...
. He argued there could be no "middle-of-the-road" position on the Wheat Board, adding that continued single-desk marketing would be "in the economic interests of producers and the economic interests of Winnipeg".
Some New Democrats expressed discontent with Doer's leadership in late 1997. Most notably, a group led by policy committee chairman Victor Olson issued a statement on party renewal that was generally interpreted as a challenge to his leadership. This came to nothing, but there was general agreement among party members that Doer would need to win the next election to continue as party leader.
1999 election
In the buildup to the 1999 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1999
The Manitoba general election of September 21, 1999 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada....
, Doer unveiled a platform that called for balanced budgets, debt repayment and a freeze on taxes. He again emphasized health care as a priority, and said that his government would stop the practice of using public monies for politically motivated polls and advertisements. He also expressed concern that the Progressive Conservatives could privatize Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board and the Manitoba Hydro Act. Today the company operates 15 interconnected generating stations. It has...
, and criticized a provincial workfare
Workfare
Workfare is an alternative model to conventional social welfare systems. The term was first introduced by civil rights leader James Charles Evers in 1968; however, it was popularized by Richard Nixon in a televised speech August 1969...
initiative as giving too much discretionary power to government overseers.
The NDP voted to support the Filmon government's 1999 budget, citing the premier's decision to increase health spending with money from a provincial "rainy day fund". Doer added that, if elected, his party would replace Filmon's budgeted income tax cut with a property tax cut.
The NDP entered the 1999 election in a much stronger position than in the three previous campaigns. A poll taken three years earlier had shown the NDP leading the Progressive Conservatives for the first time since the Pawley administration. The Tories regained their lead by 1998, but fallout from the vote-splitting scandal gave the NDP an 8% lead in a Probe/Free Press poll issued in March 1999. In this period, many began to regard the NDP as a possible government-in-waiting. Later polls showed the gap between the parties narrowing to a virtual tie.
Doer pledged $13 million to shorten health-care waiting times in the 1999 campaign, and said that he would work to end "hallway medicine" in overcrowded hospitals. He also pledged an additional $2 million to hire more nurses and provide incentives for rural doctors. In education, he promised to cut college and university tuition fees by 10% and to invest $24 million to the province's three community colleges. On election reform, he promised to ban campaign donations from corporations and unions. Doer also criticized the Filmon government's handling of a contract with Urban Shared Services Corp., which attempted to save the province money by reheating food for hospitals and seniors' homes at a centralized location. The project went well over-budget, and the food was often criticized as inedible.
A poll released a week before the election showed the NDP and Progressive Conservatives tied with 42% support, and the election was considered too close to call until the actual day of voting. The NDP ultimately won 32 seats, against 24 for the Progressive Conservatives and only one for the Liberals. A collapse of the Liberal vote worked to the NDP's advantage.
Premier
More than eleven years after declining the option, Doer was sworn in as Premier of ManitobaPremier of Manitoba
The Premier of Manitoba is the first minister for the Canadian province of Manitoba. He or she is the province's head of government and de facto chief executive. Until the early 1970s, the title "Prime Minister of Manitoba" was used frequently. Afterwards, the word Premier, derived from the French...
on October 5, 1999. He also took the position of Minister of Federal/Provincial Relations
Minister of Federal/Provincial Relations (Manitoba)
The Minister of Federal/Provincial Relations is a cabinet minister in the province of Manitoba, Canada.The position has existed since the 1960s, and has always been held by the Premier of Manitoba...
.
Re-election campaigns
After governing for just under four years, Doer called a new provincial election
Manitoba general election, 2003
The Manitoba general election held on June 3, 2003 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 35 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with twenty seats...
for June 2003. He brought forward a five point re-election plan highlighted by promises to reduce property and income taxes, hire more nurses and doctors and make reductions in medical waiting lists, take a cautious approach to managing the economy, and improve the province's education and law enforcement systems. Many journalists noted similarities to the NDP's 1999 platform. The NDP held a massive lead in the polls throughout the campaign, and most observers agreed that its re-election was a foregone conclusion. Even the Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
, not traditionally supportive of the NDP, urged voters to re-elect Doer's government. The NDP won an increased majority with 49.47% support and 35 of 57 seats, and made inroads into traditionally Progressive Conservative areas of south Winnipeg.
Four years later, Doer called another election
Manitoba general election, 2007
The Manitoba general election held on May 22, 2007 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the New Democratic Party, which won 36 seats out of 57. The Progressive Conservative Party finished second with nineteen seats. The Liberal...
for May 2007. The NDP campaign focused on Doer's personal popularity and his government's record in office. The party released a seven-point re-election plan, focused on health care, the environment, education, tax cuts, public safety, money for highways, and keeping Manitoba Hydro as a public institution. Doer promised to hire 700 nurses and nurse practitioners, 100 new police officers, 20 new crown prosecutors, and 20 new workplace safety inspectors. He also promised to improve Manitoba's record on vehicle emissions, provide tax credits for caregivers, and phase out the provincial small business tax over three years. The NDP was again re-elected with an increased majority, this time taking 36 of 57 seats.
Prominent cabinet members
Prominent members of Doer's first cabinet included Greg Selinger in Finance, Gord Mackintosh
Gord Mackintosh
Gordon Henry Alexander "Gord" Mackintosh is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Greg Selinger....
in Justice, David Chomiak
David Chomiak
David Walter Chomiak is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Greg Selinger....
in Health and Rosann Wowchuk in Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (Manitoba)
The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives is a cabinet minister in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The minister oversees Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, a department is often referred to as MAFRI...
. Tim Sale
Tim Sale (politician)
Edward Timothy Sale was a Manitoba politician, and a former member of the Premier Gary Doer's cabinet.Sale was born in Goderich, Ontario in 1942...
replaced Chomiak at Health in October 2004, and was in turn succeeded by Theresa Oswald
Theresa Oswald
Theresa Oswald is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She is a New Democratic Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.Oswald was born and raised in St. Vital, Manitoba, and was a teacher and school administrator for fifteen years before entering politics. She initially taught English,...
in 2006. Chomiak replaced Mackintosh at Justice in 2006. Selinger remains as Finance Minister in 2009, while Wowchuk remains in Agriculture.
Jean Friesen
Jean Friesen
Jean Friesen is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. She served in the Manitoba legislature for thirteen years, and was a member of New Democratic Premier Gary Doer's cabinet from 1999 to 2003....
served as Doer's Deputy Premier
Deputy Premier (Manitoba)
The Deputy Premier is a cabinet minister in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The position has existed for several years, but only appears to have become a full-fledged cabinet portfolio in 1988....
in his first term. She retired in 2003, and Doer chose Rosann Wowchuk as her replacement. She continues to hold this position as of 2009.
Financial policy
The Doer government has introduced an uninterrupted succession of balanced budget
Balanced budget
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit or a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure – particularly by a government. More generally, it refers to when there is no deficit, but possibly a surplus...
s since its first election in 1999. These budgets have generally been cautious, and have sought to balance tax concerns with spending increases. Doer's first budget, delivered in 2000, removed 15,000 low-income Manitobans from the tax rolls and introduced $150 million in tax breaks over three years while projecting a $10 million surplus. His 2003 budget, the last of his first term, reduced provincial taxes by $82.7 million and increased spending by about 5%, mostly in health and education.
Despite a series of economic setbacks, the government was able to post a balanced budget in 2004 through increased taxes and drug premiums as well as civil service reduction through attrition. Tobacco and liquor taxes were increased and the provincial sales tax expanded to cover more services, although Doer rejected a panel recommendation to increase the sales tax by 1%.
The government was able introduce a more expansive budget in 2005 after an infusion of federal revenues, reducing personal and property taxes, increasing spending by 3.5%, and putting $314 million into a "rainy day" fund. Doer's 2006 and 2007 budgets introduced further tax cuts, and the 2007 budget offered increased education spending and a new child benefit to assist low-income families.
At the Manitoba NDP's March 2009 convention, Doer announced that Manitoba would continue its commitment to education, training and research despite a global economic downturn and a slowing economy. He argued that the province was still recovering from the Filmon government's spending cuts during the economic downtown of the 1990s, and that his policies would allow Manitoba to emerge from the recession in a strong, competitive position. His government introduced a balanced budget with economic stimulus programs a few weeks later, even as the global recession forced other provincial governments across Canada into deficit.
Doer encouraged the Bank of Canada
Bank of Canada
The Bank of Canada is Canada's central bank and "lender of last resort". The Bank was created by an Act of Parliament on July 3, 1934 as a privately owned corporation. In 1938, the Bank became a Crown corporation belonging to the Government of Canada...
to lower its rates in late 2003, saying that the rising strength of the Canadian dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
in relation to the United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
was causing increased unemployment. He later criticized Bank Governor David Dodge
David A. Dodge
David A. Dodge, OC, FRSC is a Canadian economist. He served a seven-year term as Governor of the Bank of Canada from February 1, 2001 to January 31, 2008. He was succeeded by Mark Carney. On September 12, 2008 he joined Bennett Jones LLP, a leading Canadian law firm, as a senior advisor in their...
for doing nothing to save Canadian jobs and profits. In early 2008, he called for a national strategy to offset the disruptions caused by Canada's soaring dollar.
In 2004, provincial Auditor General
Office of the Auditor General Manitoba
The Office of the Auditor General Manitoba, formerly called the Provincial Auditor's Office, is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Its stated purpose is to assist Members of the Legislative Assembly with matters such as accountability and the performance of...
Jon Singleton
Jon Singleton
Jon Singleton is a public servant in Manitoba, Canada. He is best known for his high-profile tenure as Auditor General of Manitoba from 1996 to 2006....
argued that Manitoba was actually running a deficit due to costs associated with crown corporations, utilities and arm's-length agencies that were not officially counted in the budget. He recommended that Manitoba adopt a system of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
Generally Accepted Accounting Principles refer to the standard framework of guidelines for financial accounting used in any given jurisdiction; generally known as accounting standards...
(GAAP). Greg Selinger, Doer's Finance Minister, noted that the existing rules were set in place by the Filmon government, and indicated that the NDP had included a summary financial statement to its budget including many of the costs Singleton identified. The Doer government nevertheless announced in 2005 that it would adopt GAAP.
For the first seven years of his administration, Doer was assisted on financial matters by Eugene Kostyra
Eugene Kostyra
Eugene Michael Kostyra is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley for all of this period.Kostyra dropped out of St...
, a cabinet minister from the Pawley government. Kostyra resigned from his position as secretary of Manitoba's Community and Economic Development Committee in late 2006, and Angela Mathieson was appointed as his replacement.
Health
Doer has frequently argued in favour of Canada's public health system. He criticized Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
's plan to introduce more private health provisions in 2002, and defended the public system as efficient and less expensive. In the same year, he endorsed Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....
's assessment that the federal government must play a stronger role in health care to prevent more encroachments by the private system. At a presentation before the Romanow Commission in 2002, Doer called for the federal government to double its health care commitment. Two years later, he played a significant role in negotiations that saw the federal government contribute $18 billion in new funding to the provinces over six years.
The Doer government's first budget included a $135 million increase in health spending, taking total provincial spending to $2.43 billion. In October 2002, the government announced a long-anticipated $100 million expansion to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg, with new operating rooms and emergency departments. The government was unable to end "hallway medicine" in the six-month period it had promised during the 1999 election, and faced the problem of nursing vacancies in the early 2000s. Nevertheless, most observers agreed that the provincial situation improved significantly between 1999 and 2003. Health spending continued to increase during Doer's second term; a report in December 2004 indicated that Manitoba's per capita health spending was the highest in Canada for the seventh continuous year.
Doer emerged as a defender of Manitoba's burgeoning internet pharmaceutical industry in the mid-2000s. This industry was very popular among American clients, but nonetheless provoked opposition within both countries. In 2004, Doer accused federal Health Minister
Minister of Health (Canada)
The Minister of Health is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's health department and the enforcing the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canada Health Act, the law governing Medicare...
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dosanjh
Ujjal Dev Singh Dosanjh, PC, QC, is a Sikh Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as 33rd Premier of British Columbia from 2000 to 2001 and as a Liberal Party of Canada Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011 including a stint as Minister of Health from 2004 until 2006 when the party lost...
of capitulating to American interests by agreeing to increased restrictions on the industry. He later argued that the Canadian government could protect its national drug supply and maintain Manitoba's pharmaceutical sector simply by banning bulk exports.
Doer's government introduced a landmark anti-smoking bill in 2004, banning smoking in all indoor public places and workplaces across the province. Supported by all parties, the legislation was the first of its kind in Canada. It did not cover Manitobans working in federal government buildings or living on First Nations territory, as these were not under provincial jurisdiction.
Doer welcomed Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
's decision to name Winnipeg as the site of Canada's new public health agency in 2004.
Social policy
The Doer government passed a bill granting full adoption rights to gay and lesbian couples in 2002. The NDP and Liberals supported the bill, while the Progressive Conservatives voted against it.
In 2004, the federal government announced that it would introduce legislation to permit the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada
Same-sex marriage in Canada
On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world and the first country in the Americas to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the enactment of the Civil Marriage Act which provided a gender-neutral marriage definition...
. Federal Justice Minister
Minister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler
Irwin Cotler, PC, OC, MP was Canada's Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada from 2003 until the Liberal government of Paul Martin lost power following the 2006 federal election. He was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the constituency of Mount Royal in a by-election...
initially indicated that civic officials would be allowed to opt out of performing same-sex marriages if the practice offended their beliefs. Doer criticized this, arguing that provincial employees should not be permitted to discriminate. Doer initially declined to express his personal views on the subject, but announced in late 2004 that he supported same-sex marriage as a human right
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
.
In April 2005, Doer signed a $176 million deal with the federal government of Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
to expand the provincial day-care sector. The project was canceled in 2006 by the new Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
government of Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, over Doer's objections.
Unlike some within the NDP, Doer is personally opposed to the decriminalization of marijuana
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, which he has said could result in economic difficulties with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
As premier, Doer encouraged several Manitoba crown corporations to donate money to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is a national museum currently under construction in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the historic Forks where the Assiniboine and Red Rivers meet...
in Winnipeg; Manitoba Public Insurance
Manitoba Public Insurance
Manitoba Public Insurance is a non-profit Crown corporation based in Manitoba that has provided basic public auto insurance since 1971....
, Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board and the Manitoba Hydro Act. Today the company operates 15 interconnected generating stations. It has...
, Manitoba Lotteries and the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission
Manitoba Liquor Control Commission
The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission is a Crown Agency mandated with regulating, distributing and selling beverage alcohol in the Canadian province of Manitoba....
subsequently made donations of one million dollars each. Opposition leader Hugh McFadyen
Hugh McFadyen
Hugh Daniel McFadyen is a lawyer and politician in Manitoba, Canada. Since 2006, he has been leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and Leader of the Opposition in the Manitoba legislature. Following his party's loss in the 2011 election he announced that he would resign as...
and some journalists questioned Doer's involvement in the matter, arguing that he was effectively directing the corporations to make these donations.
Education
Doer's government cut university tuition by 10% during its first term, and later provided universities with a property tax exemption. It also amalgamated several school divisions prior to the 2002 municipal elections
Manitoba municipal elections, 2002
The 2002 Manitoba municipal elections were held on October 23, 2002 to elect mayors, councillors and school trustees in various communities throughout Manitoba, Canada.-Brandon:...
, and began to phase out education property taxes in the same period.
In 2006, the Doer government introduced a proposal for Manitoba university graduates to receive a tuition rebate of up to 60% if they chose to stay and work in the province after graduation.
A 2008 Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Free Press is a daily broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Founded in 1872, as the Manitoba Free Press, it is the oldest newspaper in western Canada. It is the newspaper with the largest readership in the province....
article indicated that Manitoba and Alberta were investing more money in public education per student than all other provinces of Canada. Teachers' wages in Manitoba were also noted to be healthy in relation to the average national wage.
Agriculture
Shortly after being sworn in as premier, Doer led an all-party delegation to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to seek a $1.3 billion financial bailout for western farmers to help mitigate an economic downturn in the sector. He was joined by Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
Premier
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....
, Progressive Conservative MLA Larry Maguire
Larry Maguire
Larry Maguire is a politician and activist farmer in Manitoba, Canada. He is currently the deputy leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba in the Manitoba legislature.-Farming activist:...
, and Manitoba Liberal leader Jon Gerrard
Jon Gerrard
Jon Gerrard, PC, MLA is a politician and medical doctor in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament from 1993 to 1997, and was a secretary of state in the government of Jean Chrétien...
. The federal government introduced $170 million in funding shortly thereafter, a figure that Doer and Romanow described as "heartless". In February 2000, Romanow and Doer stood with Chrétien to announce their support for a compromise bailout of $400 million.
Shortly after his re-election in 2003, Doer criticized the federal government for failing to respond to an agriculture crisis caused by the discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
in a Canadian cow and the subsequent closure of the American border to beef products produced in Canada. The federal and provincial governments subsequently agreed on a $50 million bailout to the industry. The border was reopened to live cattle in December 2004.
Doer strongly supports the Canadian Wheat Board
Canadian Wheat Board
The Canadian Wheat Board was established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935 as a mandatory producer marketing system for wheat and barley in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and a small part of British Columbia...
's policy of single-desk marketing, and has opposed efforts by some on the political right to weaken its status. In late 2006, Doer accused federal Agriculture Minister
Minister of Agriculture (Canada)
The Minister of Agriculture is a Minister of the Crown in the Cabinet of Canada, who is responsible for overseeing several organizations including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canadian Dairy Commission, Farm Credit Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Farm Products Council and...
Chuck Strahl
Chuck Strahl
Charles Strahl, PC, MP was a politician in British Columbia, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament in the governing Conservative Party of Canada.-Before politics:...
of interfering in the Wheat Board's elections.
The Doer government has rejected a return to single-desk hog marketing, which was eliminated during the years of the Filmon government. During its second term, the government supported plans to establish an OlyWest hog processing plant in northeast Winnipeg. This measure was extremely controversial among party members, and area NDP MLAs Daryl Reid
Daryl Reid
Daryl Gary Reid is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has represented the electoral division of Transcona in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 1990, serving as a member of the New Democratic Party.-Early life and career:...
and Bidhu Jha
Bidhu Jha
Bidhu Shekhar Jha is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since 2003, representing the Winnipeg division of Radisson as a member of the New Democratic Party.-Private life and career:...
indicated that they opposed the measure. In response to criticism, Doer withdrew his support for OlyWest in 2007. The Doer government introduced a temporary ban on new hog farm
Intensive pig farming
Intensive piggeries are a type of factory farm ' specialized in the raising of domestic pigs up to slaughter weight...
s throughout most of the province in March 2008, following the release of a provincial environmental report. Around the same time, Doer announced new funding for waste-water treatment plants that would allow two existing hog-processing plants to expand their operations.
Doer is a vocal opponent of the American Country of Origin Labelling initiative, which would require American producers to separate meat from hogs slaughtered in Canada and increase packing and labelling cost.
Justice
Doer opposed the Chrétien government's decision to implement a federal gun registry
Canadian gun registry
The Canadian Firearms Registry is part of the Firearms Act and is managed by the Canadian Firearms Program of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police . It requires the registration of all guns in Canada. It was introduced by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and implemented by...
, and his government joined with other provinces to raise a constitutional challenge against the law in 2000.
Doer called for the federal government to strengthen its laws against child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
in 2002, after the British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that John Robin Sharpe's fictional writings involving children met the legal definition of "artistic merit". Doer was quoted as saying, "We believe that the rights of children should be superior rights in our country to the rights of perverts". The following year, the Manitoba government unveiled a website that included photographs and profiles of high-risk sex offenders.
Also in 2002, Doer argued that persons who kill police officers should spend the rest of their natural lives in jail, without access to Canada's so-called "Faint Hope Clause" for early release. Three years later, he argued that the provisions of the federal Youth Criminal Justice Act
Youth Criminal Justice Act
Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act is a Canadian statute, which came into effect on April 1, 2003. It covers the prosecution of youths for criminal offences...
were too lenient. In 2007, Doer led an all-party task force to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
to seek greater federal penalties for gang-related crime, youth offenses and car theft.
In 2004, the Doer government increased funding for the hiring of police officers and Crown prosecutors. Following increased urban violence in 2005, the province announced funding for 54 more officers. The government also launched an initiative to hire seven recreational directors for inner-city Winnipeg neighbourhoods in 2008, to provide sports opportunities for youth as an alternative to crime.
Doer announced the creation of an all-party task force on security following the attacks of September 11, 2001. The following month, he announced that he would work with the Governors of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
for a co-ordinated security strategy.
In 2009, Doer's government introduced legislation to provide civilian oversight of Manitoba police officers. This followed an inquiry into the 2005 death of Crystal Taman, who was struck and killed by an off-duty Winnipeg police officer while waiting at a traffic stop. (The inquiry's report strongly criticized the police investigation into Taman's death.)
Environment
Doer has been a strong and consistent supporter of the Kyoto Accord on climate change. In February 2004, his government signed an agreement with the Chicago Climate Exchange
Chicago Climate Exchange
The now defunct Chicago Climate Exchange was North America’s only voluntary, legally binding greenhouse gas reduction and trading system for emission sources and offset projects in North America and Brazil....
pledging Manitoba to create a trust fund to pay for projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2007, he announced that Manitoba would pursue a plan with other provinces and states to push greenhouse gas emissions to 15% below 2005 levels by 2020. The next year, Doer legislated his province's commitment to meet its targets under the Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , aimed at fighting global warming...
by 2012.
Doer announced that Manitoba would increase ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
production in 2002, and held consultations on a plan requiring Manitoba drivers to use ethanol-blended gasoline. In October 2002, the government instructed its provincial fleet drivers to switch to ethanol fuels. These plans stalled due to limited production, but were revived when a new facility was constructed in late 2005.
In March 2004, the government introduced enabling legislation on water protection, allowing for the introduction of specific regulations on water protection zones, water quality standards, and related matters.
Doer signed the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord with seven American governors in November 2007. The following month, he announced that Manitoba would introduce vehicle emission standards similar to those in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. In late January 2008, he agreed to a blueprint proposal with the premiers of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
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....
for a market-based trading system to cut greenhouse gas emissions. He later became an enthusiastic supporter of North American cap and trade programs to reduce energy emissions, while at the same time criticizing the idea of a carbon tax
Carbon tax
A carbon tax is an environmental tax levied on the carbon content of fuels. It is a form of carbon pricing. Carbon is present in every hydrocarbon fuel and is released as carbon dioxide when they are burnt. In contrast, non-combustion energy sources—wind, sunlight, hydropower, and nuclear—do not...
.
Doer introduced plans to eliminate coal-burning factories in his 2008 budget. The budget also included a new program for water conservation, and a $7 million fund directed toward climate change issues. He also called for an independent review of the Manitoba Clean Environment Commission in 2008, arguing that the renewal process for hydroelectric projects was too long.
In November 2008, Doer announced that his government would ban new logging in provincial parks and phase out existing projects. He also announced a ban on plastic shopping bags
Plastic bag
A plastic bag, polybag, or pouch is a type of packaging made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, comic books, chemicals and waste.Most plastic bags are...
, and on the use of cellphones while driving. Parents were also forbidden to smoke when children were in the car. The opposition Progressive Conservatives indicated that it would support all of these initiatives.
In late 2005, the American magazine Business Week listed Doer as one of the top twenty international leaders fighting climate change.
Aboriginal issues
In November 1999, Doer appointed a two-person panel to advise his government on implementing the findings of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, which had been published eight years earlier. In April 2000, Manitoba took steps to provide indigenous Manitobans with their own child and family-service agencies. Doer convened a provincial summit on aboriginal commerce in November 2004. He indicated that the summit was intended to showcase successful businesses, and to forge greater links between the aboriginal and non-aboriginal communities.
Doer is a strong supporter of the Kelowna Accord
Kelowna Accord
The Kelowna Accord is a series of agreements between the Government of Canada, First Ministers of the Provinces, Territorial Leaders, and the leaders of five national aboriginal organizations in Canada. The Accord sought to improve the education, employment, and living conditions for Aboriginal...
signed in late 2005 by the federal government of Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, provincial premiers and aboriginal leaders. After the Martin government was defeated in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
and replaced by the government of Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, Doer criticized Harper's failure to implement the accord.
In late 2008, the Doer government introduced legislation to give sixteen bands on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
greater authority over the management of their traditional lands. The bill requires that plans for development be approved by both the province and the band's chief, and extends the range of influence well beyond the area's small reserves. Some chiefs in the affected area later objected to the bill on procedural grounds, arguing that they were not properly consulted.
Following consultations with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is an organization of First Nations leaders in Manitoba, Canada. Its current Grand Chief is Ron Evans of the Norway House Cree Nation.-External links:*...
in 1999, the Doer government established a selection committee to oversee proposals for setting up casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s in Manitoba first nations. The process subsequently became stalled, and only one of the casinos was up and running by 2003. The government subsequently appointed a panel to review the situation and recommend a change in strategy; the panel argued that the province should consider creating one large casino, instead of several small on-reserve casinos. A second casino was opened in 2005, while the larger issue remained unresolved as of 2007.
Energy
Doer has often referred to hydroelectric power as playing a major role in Manitoba's long-term economic strategy, and has advocated a national east-west power grid to export Manitoba's plentiful hydroelectric power to Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and other provinces in Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
.
Doer announced Manitoba's first wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
project in November 2004, near the community of St. Leon
St. Leon, Manitoba
Saint-Leon is a community in Manitoba, Canada. It is located in the Rural Municipality of Lorne, to the southwest of Winnipeg, near the United States border.The community is best known as the site of a major wind farm project....
. This was a private-public partnership arranged between Manitoba Hydro and AirSource Power Fund. It was officially started in April 2005.
In September 2007, Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board and the Manitoba Hydro Act. Today the company operates 15 interconnected generating stations. It has...
indicated that it would construct a new transmission line to connect north and south Manitoba on the west side of Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg
Lake Winnipeg is a large, lake in central North America, in the province of Manitoba, Canada, with its southern tip about north of the city of Winnipeg...
. Hydro's initial plan had been to construct the line on the east side, but Doer's government rejected this approach, arguing that it would damage pristine boreal forest territories. The local aboriginal community is divided on the issue, with some leaders supporting the government's conservation approach and others arguing that east side construction would help combat poverty in the area. The Progressive Conservative Party has strongly criticized Doer's decision. In April 2008, Manitoba Hydro announced a $2 billion agreement to sell surplus energy to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
once the construction is complete.
Doer asked Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro
Manitoba Hydro is the electric power and natural gas utility in the province of Manitoba, Canada. Founded in 1961, it is a provincial Crown Corporation, governed by the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board and the Manitoba Hydro Act. Today the company operates 15 interconnected generating stations. It has...
and the Manitoba Public Utilities Board
Manitoba Public Utilities Board
The Manitoba Public Utilities Board is a utility board in Manitoba, Canada. Its primary responsibility is to regulate the province's natural gas rates....
to provide an analysis of natural gas prices in July 2008, with the intent of limiting price increases during the winter. He also indicated that his government would intervene to protect consumers from high prices. Finance Minister Greg Selinger later indicated that the government would provide some relief for consumers, but would not use Manitoba Hydro's profits to offset rate increases.
Labour issues
The Doer government introduced a number of labour reforms early in its first mandate, making it easier for unions to obtain certification and giving employees increased powers to move disputes to binding arbitration. Business leaders opposed the changes, though Doer argued that the bill was far less contentious than opponents made it out to be. In 2004, Doer rejected a call by party members to introduce legislation that would ban replacement workers in labour disputes.
Doer's government increased Manitoba's minimum wage from $6.00 to $6.25 in November 2000, and brought in subsequent increases of 25 cents on an annual basis. By April 2005, the minimum wage had been increased to $7.25. Some argued that this was still short of a living wage. The minimum wage was increased to $8.50 in 2008. In 2005, the Doer government introduced a bill to expand provincial workers' compensation coverage.
The Doer government announced in late 2007 that temporary foreign workers and modeling agencies would be included under the Employment Standards Act, to prevent worker exploitation.
Science and infrastructure
Doer's government introduced a biotechnology training strategy in October 2002, to address a skilled-worker shortage in the industry.
In early 2003, Doer signed a $160 million deal with the federal government for expansion work on the Red River Floodway
Red River Floodway
The Red River Floodway is an artificial flood control waterway in Western Canada, first used in 1969. It is a long channel which, during flood periods, takes part of the Red River's flow around the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba to the east and discharges it back into the Red River below the dam at...
. The floodway expansion was described as the largest infrastructure project in Manitoba history, and was started in late 2005.
Doer took part in discussions in 2007-08 with media mogul David Asper
David Asper
David Asper is a Canadian businessman and lawyer. He is the former Executive Vice President of the Canadian media company CanWest Global Communications Corp. He is also a Professor at the Robson Hall Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba.Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Asper is the eldest son...
and officials from other levels of government, regarding the location of a new stadium for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
team. He was skeptical about Asper's initial plan for a stadium in the Polo Park region of Winnipeg, and was more supportive of an abortive plan to construct the stadium in the economically depressed area of Point Douglas. Asper eventually chose site in Fort Garry, next to 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...
. The deal was finalized in early 2009, with the province providing $20 million in funding; provincial officials believe that all but $1 million will be recovered before the stadium opens in 2011.
In September 2008, Doer and Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz
Sam Katz
Samuel Michael Katz, OM is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.- Life before mayorship :...
announced $138 million for a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
plan that will eventually link downtown Winnipeg with 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...
. In the same month, Doer designated a piece of land in northwest Winnipeg as the site of a future inland port. The area was given the name CentrePort Canada, and its first directors were chosen in December 2008.
Doer announced in February 2009 that his government would spend $1 million on special training for northern Manitoba workers, following a global economic downtown that adversely affected the province's forestry and mining sectors. Two months later, he joined with the federal government to announce a $40 million investment in a cold weather aerospace engine testing and research facility in Thompson
Thompson, Manitoba
Thompson is a city in northern Manitoba. As the "Hub of the North" it serves as the regional trade and service centre of northern Manitoba. Thompson is located north of the Canada – United States border, north of the provincial capital of Winnipeg, and is northeast of Flin Flon...
. In early May 2009, the federal and provincial governments announced $116 million for infrastructure renewal in rural and northern communities.
Crocus Investment Fund
In early 2005, the labour-managed Crocus Investment Fund
Crocus Investment Fund
The Crocus Investment Fund was a Labour Sponsored Venture Capital Corporation in Manitoba, Canada.In 2004-05, the company stopped trading and was forced into receivership following allegations that it misled shareholders and overvalued its assets...
stopped trading and entered into financial protection. The Doer government was subsequently accused of having ignored signs of trouble at the fund, and of failing to protect the interests of investors. The opposition Progressive Conservatives argued that the government had neglected warnings of financial impropriety, in part because of ideological links between the New Democratic Party and the labour movement. Doer rejected this charge, observing that the fund had been established by the Filmon government in conjunction with labour leaders. He also rejected calls from the opposition for a formal inquiry, and insisted that the province did nothing wrong in the matter.
Federal-provincial relations
Doer supported the Chrétien government's Clarity Act
Clarity Act
The Clarity Act is legislation passed by the Parliament of Canada that established the conditions under which the Government of Canada would enter into negotiations that might lead to secession following such a vote by one of the provinces. The Clarity Bill was tabled for first reading in the...
legislation, which required that any future negotiations on provincial secession be preceded by a referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
with a clearly defined question. The act was opposed by Quebec nationalists
Quebec nationalism
Quebec nationalism is a nationalist movement in the Canadian province of Quebec .-1534–1774:Canada was first a french colony. Jacques Cartier claimed it for France in 1534, and permanent French settlement began in 1608. It was part of New France, which constituted all French colonies in North America...
, who regarded it as an infringement on their national sovereignty. In 2004, Doer criticized new Prime Minister Paul Martin
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC , also known as Paul Martin, Jr. is a Canadian politician who was the 21st Prime Minister of Canada, as well as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
for seeming to undermine the principles of the bill. He also criticized Martin's promise to remove the "Notwithstanding Clause" from the Constitution of Canada
Constitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
. Doer later criticized Martin's successor, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
, for recognizing the Québécois
French-speaking Quebecer
French-speaking Quebecers are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Quebec....
as a nation within Canada in late 2006. He was quoted as saying, "[t]o me, Canada is one nation, one country. I understand Quebec is unique in terms of language, culture and law, but Canada is one country."
Notwithstanding this and other criticisms, a May 2008 article in the Globe and Mail newspaper described Doer as one of the few premiers to have a good working relationship with Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
. Manitoba signed on to the federal government's Building Canada Fund in late 2008, receiving about $500 million in new infrastructure monies. Following a global economic downturn in late 2008, Doer called on the federal government to invest in job creation and infrastructure funding. Prime Minister Harper later said that his government would spend more on roads, bridges and other public works.
According to journalist Chantal Hébert
Chantal Hébert
Chantal Hébert is a Canadian columnist and political commentator.-Life and career:Hébert was born in Ottawa, Ontario. She is the eldest of 5 children. In 1966 her family moved to Toronto where the 12-year-old was enrolled in École secondaire catholique Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel...
, Doer played a vital role in convincing other provincial leaders to accept Quebec Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
's plan to create the Council of the Federation
Council of the Federation
The Council of the Federation is a council in Canada made up of the premiers of Canada's thirteen provinces and territories. Its main function is to provide a united front amongst the provincial and territorial governments when interacting with Canada's federal government...
in 2003. In 2008-09, Charest and Doer helped broker an agreement among the premiers to provide for greater labour mobility within Canada.
In early 2007, Doer said that Manitoba would not enter a free trade deal signed between Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He instead called for a national trade accord. Doer met with other western Canadian premiers in June 2009 to introduce a plan for the collective purchase of prescription drugs. The premiers indicated that the plan could save taxpayers millions of dollars.
In late 2008, the federal Liberal and New Democratic parties announced plans to defeat the Conservatives on a vote of confidence and create a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
. The plan was ultimately unsuccessful, and the Conservatives remained in power. Doer did not take a position on the coalition, and instead called for all parties in 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...
to work in a cooperative manner.
International relations
Since his first election in 1999, Doer has been a leading opponent of a water diversion in Devils Lake
Devils Lake, North Dakota
As of the 2000 Census, there were 7,222 people, 3,127 households, and 1,773 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,508 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.23% White, 0.22% African American, 7.84% Native American, 0.28%...
, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
that many regard as posing a serious environmental threat to Manitoba. In 2005, the Canadian and American governments reached a non-binding compromise deal on the project that committed both sides to design an advanced filter to prevent environmental disruption. Doer initially described this agreement as a significant improvement over prior arrangements, but later criticized the North Dakota government for starting the water diversion before the deal was finalized. In May 2009, Doer said that Manitoba would invest more than $10 million in drainage improvements if North Dakota would agree to construct a permanent filter on its Devils Lake output. North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
Governor
Governor of North Dakota
The Governor of North Dakota is the chief executive of North Dakota. The current Governor is Jack Dalrymple. The Governor has the right to sign and laws, and to call the Legislative Assembly, into emergency session. The Governor is also chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The...
John Hoeven
John Hoeven
John Henry Hoeven III is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Republican Party. He is expected to become the state's senior senator when Kent Conrad retires from the Senate in January 2013.Hoeven served as the 31st Governor of North Dakota,...
rejected the deal in the same month, arguing that the issues were separate.
Doer has led several international trade delegations from Manitoba, including visits to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and The Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He also made an historic visit to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
in August 2001; Manitoba has a large Icelandic population, and Doer was the first Manitoba Premier to make an official visit to the country. Halldor Asgrimsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson
Halldór Ásgrímsson is an Icelandic politician, formerly Prime Minister of Iceland from 2004 to 2006 and leader of the Progressive Party from 1994 to 2006.-Education and early life:...
, the Prime Minister of Iceland
Prime Minister of Iceland
The Prime Minister of Iceland is Iceland's head of government. The prime minister is appointed formally by the President and exercises executive authority along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support....
, made a follow-up visit to Manitoba in July 2005. In May 2008, Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
President
President of Ukraine
Prior to the formation of the modern Ukrainian presidency, the previous Ukrainian head of state office was officially established in exile by Andriy Livytskyi. At first the de facto leader of nation was the president of the Central Rada at early years of the Ukrainian People's Republic, while the...
Victor Yushchenko made an official visit to Manitoba and addressed the provincial legislature.
Doer signed an agreement with the American state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
in 2004, for increased co-operation between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and the National Virology Lab in Winnipeg. In the same year, he signed a memorandum of understanding with Minnesota Governor
Governor of Minnesota
The Governor of Minnesota is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty different people have been governors of the state, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. Alexander Ramsey, the first territorial...
Tim Pawlenty
Tim Pawlenty
Timothy James "Tim" Pawlenty , also known affectionately among supporters as T-Paw, is an American politician who served as the 39th Governor of Minnesota . He was a Republican candidate for President of the United States in the 2012 election from May to August 2011...
to create a "biomedical corridor" for the promotion of research, capital investment and technology development. In early 2005, Doer and New Brunswick Premier
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Bernard Lord
Bernard Lord
Bernard Lord, ONB, QC, is a Canadian politician and lobbyist. Lord served as the 30th Premier of New Brunswick from 1999 to 2006.-Early life:...
traveled on a trade mission to Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
in what was described as an effort to improve relations between Canada and the United States. Later in the year, Doer and Jean Charest
Jean Charest
John James "Jean" Charest, PC, MNA is a Canadian politician who has been the 29th Premier of Quebec since 2003. He was leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1993 to 1998 and has been leader of the Quebec Liberal Party since 1998....
traveled on a trade mission to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. In 2006, he appeared at a prominent climate change event with California Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
. In June 2009, Doer took part in discussions to create a "Western Energy Corridor" to allow an easier flow of both renewable energy and fossil fuels among western American states and Canadian provinces.
Doer has supported Canada's military mission in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, despite skepticism about the purpose of the mission from the federal NDP. He called for Canada to ban donations to Hezbollah's charity wing in 2002, and endorsed Jean Chrétien government's decision to remain out of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in 2003.
In 2005, Doer spoke against the American government's plans to require passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s at Canadian border crossings. He argued that the new expense of travel would create a "financial Berlin Wall
Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall was a barrier constructed by the German Democratic Republic starting on 13 August 1961, that completely cut off West Berlin from surrounding East Germany and from East Berlin...
" for some families, and instead proposed a security protocol centred around drivers' licenses. In 2007, North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
Governor
Governor of North Dakota
The Governor of North Dakota is the chief executive of North Dakota. The current Governor is Jack Dalrymple. The Governor has the right to sign and laws, and to call the Legislative Assembly, into emergency session. The Governor is also chairman of the North Dakota Industrial Commission. The...
John Hoeven
John Hoeven
John Henry Hoeven III is the junior United States Senator from North Dakota. He is a member of the North Dakota Republican Party. He is expected to become the state's senior senator when Kent Conrad retires from the Senate in January 2013.Hoeven served as the 31st Governor of North Dakota,...
announced that he was working with Doer to find an alternative approach.
In 2008, Doer argued that Canada should "aggressively" defend the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
against criticism from American Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential candidates. He later spoke against the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
's planned "Buy American" legislation during a business trip to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
and Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Doer signed an agreement in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in February 2008, to permit an easier flow of immigration from The Philippines to Manitoba.
Legislative reform
Doer's government changed the rules of the legislature in 1999, to allow the Speaker of the Assembly
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba is the presiding officer of the provincial legislature.-List of Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba:-References:* *...
to be elected by a secret ballot vote of all members. Speakers had previously been appointed by the premier.
The Doer government announced election spending reforms in June 2000, which were highlighted by a ban on political donations by private corporations and organized labour. This measure was opposed by the opposition Progressive Conservatives, and by the right-wing Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Canadian Taxpayers Federation
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is a Canadian federally incorporated, non-profit organization and taxpayers union that claims to have over 70,000 supporters across Canada. The organization advocates lower taxes, and a reduction of what it considers to be waste in government...
. The reforms came into effect in 2001, and were extended to party leadership contests in June 2002. Further restrictions were added in 2006. In June 2009, Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz
Sam Katz
Samuel Michael Katz, OM is the 42nd mayor of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He is also a businessperson and a member of the Order of Manitoba.- Life before mayorship :...
spoke against Doer's plan to ban union and corporate donations from municipal elections.
The Doer government introduced legislation in April 2006 to prevent MLAs from crossing the floor
Crossing the floor
In politics, crossing the floor has two meanings referring to a change of allegiance in a Westminster system parliament.The term originates from the British House of Commons, which is configured with the Government and Opposition facing each other on rows of benches...
from one party to another. Under the terms of this legislation, MLAs who choose to leave their political party are required to sit as independents until the next election, or to resign and seek re-election for another party.
Doer announced plans in early 2008 to create a lobbyist registry for Manitoba, as well as introducing fixed election dates, partial public campaign financing, and restrictions on partisan direct mail flyers sent out by MLAs at public expense. The plan for public campaign financing was later abandoned after public opposition.
In 2009, opposition politicians and some journalists pressured Doer to call a public inquiry into a controversy involving expense claims from the 1999 provincial election. Elections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba is the non-partisan agency of the Government of Manitoba, responsible for the conduct of provincial elections....
had determined that some reimbursement claims filed by the Manitoba NDP were unwarranted; in late 2003, the party agreed to repay $76,000 in an out-of-court settlement. Critics have charged a lack of transparency in the process, and have questioned why Elections Manitoba did not lay charges. At least one Winnipeg journalist has compared the matter with an expenses scandal faced by the Conservative Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
following the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
. Doer has argued that the matter is settled, and that there is no need for an inquiry.
Popularity
Doer's government enjoyed an extended honeymoon with voters after the 1999 election. The NDP consistently led all other parties in public opinion polls from 1999 until 2005, often by wide margins. The party's popularity dipped in late 2005, damaged somewhat by questions resulting from the failure of the Crocus Investment Fund. Polls taken in December 2005 and March 2006 showed the NDP and Progressive Conservatives tied for support. In July 2006, the PCs pulled ahead of the NDP for the first time in seven years. The NDP nevertheless recovered to win a convincing majority in the 2007 election, and in July 2008 held a ten-point lead over the Progressive Conservatives in popular support. The PCs posted a surprise lead over the NDP in a December 2008 poll, although some local journalists questioned its accuracy. By April 2009, the NDP once again held a ten-point lead.
Doer was rated as Canada's most popular premier in polls taken in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, scoring a 77% rating in March 2006. His approval rating was 81% in March 2008, making him the second most popular Canadian premier after Danny Williams
Danny Williams (politician)
Daniel E. "Danny" Williams, QC, MHA is a Canadian politician, businessman and lawyer who served as the ninth Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador between November 6, 2003, and December 3, 2010. Williams was born and raised in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador...
of Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
.
Retirement
On August 27, 2009 Doer announced he would not seek re-election in the 2011 election, and on August 28, 2009 he was nominated by Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
to succeed Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson (politician)
Michael Holcombe Wilson, PC, CC is a Canadian diplomat, politician and business leader.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Wilson attended Upper Canada College, Trinity College at the University of Toronto where he joined The Kappa Alpha Society...
as Canadian ambassador to the United States. He was formally sworn into that position on October 19, 2009, and on the same day Greg Selinger was sworn in as his replacement as Premier of Manitoba. Doer's former constituency assistant Matt Wiebe
Matt Wiebe
Matthew Wiebe is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in a by-election on March 2, 2010. A New Democrat, he represents the electoral district of Concordia....
subsequently won the by-election to succeed Doer as MLA for Concordia on March 2, 2010.
Federal politics
Doer supported a bid to draft former Manitoba Premier Edward SchreyerEdward 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....
as a candidate in 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...
's 1989 leadership contest. When Schreyer declined to run, Doer tried to convince 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 then Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
to enter the contest, without success. He eventually supported Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin
Audrey McLaughlin, PC, OC was leader of Canada's New Democratic Party from 1989 to 1995. She was the first female leader of a political party with representation in the Canadian House of Commons, as well as the first federal political party leader to represent an electoral district in a Canadian...
, who was elected on the fourth ballot of the party's leadership convention.
There was speculation that Doer would seek the federal NDP leadership in 1995, after McLaughlin announced her resignation. He declined, and instead gave his support to longtime friend Alexa McDonough
Alexa McDonough
Alexa Ann Shaw McDonough OC is a Canadian politician who became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada, when she was elected the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party's leader in 1980...
, whom he nominated at the leadership convention. McDonough was chosen as party leader following the first ballot.
Doer opposed the New Politics Initiative
New Politics Initiative
New Politics InitiativeFounded:2001Dissolved:2004Political ideology:social democracy,democratic socialismThe New Politics Initiative was a faction of Canada's New Democratic Party...
in 2001. In 2002, he supported the leadership campaign of Bill Blaikie
Bill Blaikie
William Alexander "Bill" Blaikie, PC is a Canadian politician. He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba since April 2009, representing the Winnipeg division of Elmwood as a member of the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, and Minister of Conservation and Government House Leader...
, whose federal Winnipeg—Transcona riding overlapped with his own provincial division. Blaikie finished second against Jack Layton
Jack Layton
John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC was a Canadian social democratic politician and the Leader of the Official Opposition. He was the leader of the New Democratic Party from 2003 to 2011, and previously sat on Toronto City Council, serving at times during that period as acting mayor and deputy mayor of...
.
Doer has disagreed with the federal NDP on some issues. He defended CanWest Global's takeover of a part of Conrad Black
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
's newspaper empire in 2000, even though the arrangement had been criticized by the federal party. He later called for Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson
Svend Robinson is a former Canadian politician. He was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004, representing the suburban Vancouver-area constituency of Burnaby for the New Democratic Party...
to be demoted as Foreign Affairs Critic in 2002, after Robinson announced his support for the Palestinians
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
in their conflict with Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(official NDP policy was that both sides should seek a peace agreement). Doer was quoted as saying, "Either he represents the party as a foreign affairs critic or he's removed as foreign affairs critic. And I believe he should be removed". He later expressed disappointment that Robinson was allowed to keep his critic's role, albeit with a ban against speaking on Middle East issues.
Doer published a ten-point proposal for the future of the federal NDP in June 2002, calling for a focus on health and education as well as fiscal balance, community safety and election finance reform.
Ideology
Doer is on the centrist wing of the New Democratic PartyNew 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...
. He once described his political ideology as follows:
- I don't believe in nationalizing everything in our society, as in socialist theory. Anybody who calls himself a socialist has to believe in nationalizing almost everything. I see myself as a social democrat - mixed economy, strong role of the public sector.
Doer endorsed Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's approach to leading the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1997, and his own 1999 election platform was frequently compared with Blair's "Third Way
Third way (centrism)
The Third Way refers to various political positions which try to reconcile right-wing and left-wing politics by advocating a varying synthesis of right-wing economic and left-wing social policies. Third Way approaches are commonly viewed from within the first- and second-way perspectives as...
" of social democracy. Doer has also been compared with former Premier of Saskatchewan
Premier of Saskatchewan
The Premier of Saskatchewan is the first minister for the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Roy Romanow
Roy Romanow
Roy John Romanow, PC, OC, QC, SOM is a Canadian politician and the 12th Premier of Saskatchewan ....
, who also governed from the centrist wing of the party. Former NDP MLA Cy Gonick
Cy Gonick
Cy Gonick is a former politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1969 to 1973, sitting as a member of the New Democratic Party....
wrote a critical essay about Doer in 2007, describing him as a "small-l liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
" without "a socialist bone in his body".
Electoral record
All electoral information is taken from Elections ManitobaElections Manitoba
Elections Manitoba is the non-partisan agency of the Government of Manitoba, responsible for the conduct of provincial elections....
. Expenditures refer to candidate election expenses.
External links
- Canadainternational.gc.ca, Ambassador's Biography
- http://www.lg.gov.mb.ca/awards/order/ordermb10.html