Russell Paulley
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Russell Paulley | |
---|---|
11th Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation | |
In office 1960–1961 | |
Preceded by | Lloyd Stinson |
Succeeded by | Himself as leader of the Manitoba NDP |
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba | |
In office June 25, 1969 – June 28, 1973 | |
Preceded by | new constituency |
Succeeded by | Wilson Parasiuk |
Constituency | Transcona |
In office June 16, 1958 – June 25, 1969 | |
Preceded by | new constituency |
Succeeded by | Harry Shafransky |
Constituency | Radisson |
In office June 8, 1953 – June 16, 1958 | |
Preceded by | George Olive |
Succeeded by | constituency abolished |
Constituency | Kildonan—Transcona |
Personal details | |
Born | November 3, 1909 Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (1949-1961) New Democratic Party (1961-1977) |
Occupation | Upholsterer |
Andrew Russell Paulley (November 3, 1909 – May 19, 1984) was a Canadian politician.
The son of Russell Henry Paulley and Elizabeth Partington, Paulley was born in
Paulley was a CCF candidate for St. Boniface in the federal election of 1949, finishing a distant second to Liberal Fernand Viau.[3] He turned to provincial politics for the 1953 provincial election, and was elected for the riding of Kildonan—Transcona. After redistribution, he was re-elected for Radisson in 1958 and 1959.[1]
CCF leader
The late 1950s was a period of transformation for the Manitoba CCF, as the federal party was in the process of merging with the
The elections of 1962 and 1966 were disappointments for the Manitoba NDP. In the late 1950s, the CCF under Lloyd Stinson had made modest increases from its previous standing, and some party members believed that the NDP was well-positioned to replace the Liberals as the main opposition to Dufferin Roblin's Progressive Conservative government.
This did not occur. Roblin's government was fairly progressive, and won the support of many centre-left voters. Roblin was also a more popular figure than Paulley on a personal level. The Liberals, for their part, still had a support base in the province's rural and francophone communities, and were also able to win a few Winnipeg-area seats. The NDP fell from ten seats to seven in 1962. It recovered to eleven seats in 1966, but was still relegated to third-party status.
Paulley, who was re-elected on both occasions,
The contest between Paulley and Green exposed a number of divisions within the Manitoba NDP. Green claimed (probably correctly) that he was not challenging Paulley on ideological grounds, but his campaign was nevertheless depicted by some as "radical left". Paulley, in turn, was depicted as representing an "old labourite" demographic, unable to reach out to a younger voters or communities which had not previously supported the CCF and NDP.
Paulley fended off Green's challenge by unusual means. During the campaign, eight NDP MLAs signed a letter calling for Paulley to be re-elected such that he could stand aside for Edward Schreyer the following year. Paulley responded to this endorsement by claiming that he had long regarded Schreyer as the best choice to be his successor, though he was somewhat ambiguous as to whether he would actually resign if re-elected.
At the 1968 leadership convention, Paulley received 213 votes to Green's 168. Despite making a half-hearted attempt to retain power, he resigned as leader the following year. Schreyer defeated Green by 506 votes to 177 in the leadership race held shortly thereafter.[4]
Under Schreyer's leadership, the NDP won an upset victory in the
Paulley was one of several MLAs in the Winnipeg area to be targeted by a conservative "citizen's group" in the election of 1973. The group in question convinced the Progressive Conservative and Liberal parties to avoid competing against each other in certain ridings, such that a single "anti-socialist" candidate could be offered. Facing Tory Phil Rizzuto as his only opponent, Paulley nevertheless won re-election[1] by 6275 votes to 4151.
Paulley continued to serve as Minister of Labour throughout the second Schreyer government, also taking responsibility for the
Paulley died on May 19, 1984.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "MLA Biographies - Deceased". Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. Archived from the original on 2014-03-30.
- ^ Normandin, Pierre G (1976). "Canadian Parliamentary Guide".
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ "St. Boniface, Manitoba (1947 - 1952)". History of Federal Ridings since 1867. Library of Parliament. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
- ^ ISBN 0887553664. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
- ^ "NDP Aim Is to Form Govt. at Next Election". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. November 6, 1961. p. 19. Retrieved 2013-08-17.