1981 Ontario general election

The 1981 Ontario general election was held on March 19, 1981, to elect members of the 32nd Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

1981 Ontario general election
March 19, 1981
125 seats in the 32nd Legislative Assembly of Ontario
63 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  LIB
Leader Bill Davis Stuart Smith Michael Cassidy
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since February 12, 1971 January 25, 1976 February 5, 1978
Leader's seat Brampton Hamilton West Ottawa Centre
Last election 58 34 33
Seats won 70 34 21
Seat change 12 0 12
Percentage 44.4% 33.7% 21.1%
Swing 4.7pp 2.2pp 6.9pp
Premier before election

Bill Davis
Progressive Conservative

 Premier after election

Bill Davis
Progressive Conservative

The governing Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Bill Davis, was re-elected for a twelfth consecutive term in office. The PCs finally won a majority government after winning only minorities in the 1975 and 1977 elections. The Liberal Party, led by Stuart Smith, was able to maintain its standing in the Legislature, while the New Democratic Party, led by Michael Cassidy, lost a significant number of seats, allowing the Tories to win a majority.

Results
  Party Leader 1977 Elected % change Popular vote
% change
  Progressive Conservative William Davis 58 70 +20.7% 44.4% +4.7%
  Liberal Stuart Smith 341 34 - 33.7% +2.2%
  New Democratic Michael Cassidy 33 21 -36.4 21.1% -6.9%
Communist Mel Doig - - - 0.16% -0.08%
Libertarian Scott Bell - - - - -
  Other - - - 0.8% -
Total Seats 125 125 - 100%  
Popular vote
PC
 
 44.40%
Liberal
 
 33.70%
New Democratic
 
 21.10%
Others
 
 0.80%
Seats summary
PC
 
 56.00%
Liberal
 
 27.20%
New Democratic
 
 16.80%

1 Includes T. Patrick Reid, a Liberal MPP who was re-elected in 1977 as a Liberal-Labour candidate (he had previously been elected as Liberal-Labour in 1967 but was re-elected in 1971 and 1975 as a straight Liberal). In 1981 he ran again and was re-elected as a straight Liberal.

A number of unregistered parties also fielded candidates in this election.

There were a number of Rhinoceros Party candidates in the Toronto area, and the party may have also fielded candidates elsewhere in the province. The Workers Communist Party (Marxist–Leninist) a single candidate, Judy Darcy. Ronald G. Rodgers, founder of the Détente Party of Canada, contested a Toronto constituency.

Social Credit leader Reg Gervais announced prior to the election that he planned to run in Nickel Belt, but could not follow through and resigned at a meeting of nominated candidates where John Turmel was appointed interim leader of the Ontario Social Credit Party during the campaign, though there has never been independent confirmation of this (nor is it clear if the Ottawa-area candidacies of Turmel and Raymond Turmel and Serge Girard and Dale Alkerton and Andrew Dynowski were approved by the remaining few members of the official Social Credit Party of Ontario).

Constituency results

Algoma:

  • (x) Bud Wildman (NDP) 7096
  • Vyrn Peterson (PC) 4770
  • Dan Koob (L) 1567

Algoma—Manitoulin:

  • (x) John Lane (PC) 7160
  • Ernest Massicotte (L) 2986
  • Peter Boychuk (NDP) 2336

Armourdale:

Beaches—Woodbine:

Bellwoods:

  • (x) Ross McClellan (NDP) 5111
  • Walter Bardyn (L) 4746
  • Tina Gabriel (PC) 2186
  • Sylvie Baillargeon (Comm) 246
  • Ronald G. Rodgers (Ind [Détente Party]) 180

Brampton:

Brantford:

Brant—Oxford—Haldimand:

  • (x) Robert Nixon (L) 13067
  • Ian Birnie (PC) 6034
  • W.E. Jefferies (NDP) 2899

Brock:

  • (x) Bob Welch (PC) 10547
  • Bill Andres (L) 6882
  • Heather Lee Kilty (NDP) 4204

Burlington South:

  • (x) George Kerr (PC) 19037
  • Pearl Cameron (L) 8953
  • Michael C. Wright (NDP) 4942

Cambridge:

Carleton:

Carleton East:

Carleton-Grenville:

  • (x) Norm Sterling (PC) 15202
  • Paul Raina (L) 5764
  • Alan White (NDP) 2391

Chatham—Kent:

  • (x) Andy Watson (PC) 9471
  • Ron Franko (NDP) 6508
  • Darcy Want (L) 6466

Cochrane North:

  • René Piché (PC) 5910
  • Jean-Paul Bourgeault (L) 5722
  • Emil Touchette (NDP) 4426
  • Richard Coatsworth (Lbt) 274

Cochrane South:

  • (x) Alan Pope (PC) 12540
  • John Sullivan (L) 6975
  • Cliff Simpson (NDP) 2777

Cornwall:

  • (x) George Samis (NDP) 9484
  • Jim Kirkey (PC) 7817
  • Brian Lynch (L) 5333

Don Mills:

Dovercourt:

  • (x) Tony Lupusella (NDP) 5491
  • Gil Gillespie (L) 5197
  • John Burigana (PC) 3416
  • Vince Corriero (Ind [Independent Liberal]) 258
  • Mel Doig (Comm) 162

Downsview:

Dufferin—Simcoe:

  • (x) George McCague (PC) 18101
  • Larry MacKenzie (L) 6702
  • Ed Robinson (NDP) 4007

Durham East:

  • (x) Sam Cureatz (PC) 14900
  • Bruce McArthur (NDP) 8648
  • Jim Potticary (L) 7226
  • Jeff Hubbell 253

Durham West:

  • (x) George Ashe (PC) 17029
  • Norman Wei (L) 7446
  • Hugh Peacock (PC) 6578
  • Bill Leslie (Lbt) 1215

Durham—York:

  • Ross Stevenson (PC) 14404
  • Gary Adamson (L) 6330
  • Margaret Wilbur (NDP) 4314

Eglinton:

  • (x) Roy McMurtry (PC) 17386
  • Keith Polson (L) 5606
  • Eileen Elmy (NDP) 3324
  • Angelo R. Cosentini (Lbt) 466

Elgin:

  • (x) Ron McNeil (PC) 13119
  • Maurice Dillon (L) 7306
  • Gord Campbell (NDP) 3250

Erie:

  • (x) Ray Haggerty (L) 8796
  • Cam McKnight (PC) 5271
  • Barrie MacLeod (NDP) 3586

Essex North:

  • (x) Dick Ruston (L) 9187
  • Marcel Lefebvre (NDP) 5911
  • Ron Arkell (PC) 4812

Essex South:

  • (x) Remo Mancini (L) 10454
  • Wayne Patterson (PC) 5008
  • Blake Sanford (NDP) 4349

Etobicoke:

Fort William:

Frontenac—Addington:

  • (x) J. Earl McEwen (L) 10558
  • Murray Gorham (PC) 10218
  • Vincent Maloney (NDP) 2374
  • Ross Baker 409
  • Sally Hayes (Lbt) 322

Grey:

  • (x) Bob McKessock (L) 13334
  • John Young (PC) 8793
  • Joan Stone (NDP) 1629
  • Eric Biggins (Lbt) 284

Grey—Bruce:

  • (x) Eddie Sargent (L) 14006
  • Bob Rutherford (PC) 7767
  • Frank Butler (NDP) 1455

Haldimand—Norfolk:

  • (x) Gordon Miller (L) 16254
  • Clarence Abbott (PC) 8775
  • Lois Berry (NDP) 3744

Halton—Burlington:

  • (x) Julian Reed (L) 13395
  • Fran Baines (PC) 12877
  • Chris Cutler (NDP) 3500

Hamilton Centre:

Hamilton East:

Hamilton Mountain:

  • (x) Brian Charlton (NDP) 11008
  • Duncan Beattie (PC) 10811
  • Vince Agro (L) 8956

Hamilton West:

  • (x) Stuart Smith (L) 12106
  • Alec Murray (PC) 9788
  • Joy Warner (NDP) 4255
  • Elizabeth Rowley (Comm) 260

Hastings—Peterborough:

High Park—Swansea:

Humber:

  • Morley Kells (PC) 20844
  • Jim Mills (L) 10064
  • Jacquie Chic (NDP) 3583

Huron—Bruce:

  • Murray Elston (L) 12164
  • Gary Harron (PC) 11940
  • Tony McQuail (NDP) 1979

Huron—Middlesex:

  • (x) Jack Riddell (L) 10707
  • Jim Britnell (PC) 8618
  • Gwen Pemberton (NDP) 1170

Kenora:

  • (x) Leo Bernier (PC) 10418
  • Colin Wasacase (NDP) 4170
  • Jeff Holmes (L) 2536

Kent—Elgin:

  • (x) Jim McGuigan (L) 10115
  • Wes Thompson (PC) 9778
  • Ed Cutler (NDP) 1591

Kingston and the Islands:

  • (x) Keith Norton (PC) 12488
  • Carl Ross (L) 8465
  • Ron Murray (NDP) 3897

Kitchener:

  • (x) Jim Breithaupt (L) 12592
  • Morley Rosenberg (PC) 7982
  • Ian MacFarlane (NDP) 4126

Kitchener—Wilmot:

  • (x) John Sweeney (L) 11515
  • Alan Barron (PC) 8513
  • Hemi Mitic (NDP) 3686

Lake Nipigon:

  • (x) Jack Stokes (NDP) 7846
  • John Paziuk (PC) 1828
  • John Lentowicz (L) 1714

Lambton:

  • (x) Lorne Henderson (PC) 13467
  • Leigh Crozier (L) 6435
  • Ralph Wensley (NDP) 1276

Lanark—Renfrew:

  • (x) Douglas Wiseman (PC) 10502
  • Ray Matthey (L) 3864
  • Cliff Bennett (NDP) 2659

Lakeshore:

  • Al Kolyn (PC) 10607
  • Don Sullivan (NDP) 9375
  • Bill Whelton (L) 5738
  • Gordon Flowers (Comm) 376

Leeds:

  • Bob Runciman (PC) 13725
  • John Fournell (L) 4643
  • Bob Smith (NDP) 2940

Lincoln:

London Centre:

  • (x) David Peterson (L) 12315
  • Russ Monteith (PC) 8329
  • Diane Risler (NDP) 3189

London North:

  • (x) Ron Van Horne (L) 15444
  • Ted Browne (PC) 11825
  • Sam Saumur (NDP) 3864

London South:

  • (x) Gordon Walker (PC) 19714
  • Frank Green (L) 11116
  • Dale Green (NDP) 5187

Middlesex:

  • (x) Robert G. Eaton (PC) 11672
  • Bob Coulthard (L) 8264
  • Larry Green (NDP) 2155

Mississauga East:

  • (x) Bud Gregory (PC) 15759
  • Murray Schelter (L) 7716
  • Doug Bennett (NDP) 4829

Mississauga North:

  • (x) Terry Jones (PC) 20331
  • John Brooks (L) 9130
  • Sylvia Weylie (NDP) 6667

Mississauga South:

Muskoka:

  • (x) Frank Miller (PC) 9029
  • Ken McClellan (L) 4148
  • Jim Maguire (NDP) 3214

Niagara Falls:

Nickel Belt:

Nipissing:

Northumberland:

Oakville:

Oakwood:

  • (x) Tony Grande (NDP) 8862
  • Harriet Wolman (PC) 5961
  • Jean Gammage (L) 4171
  • Nan McDonald (Comm) 624

Oriole:

Oshawa:

  • (x) Michael Breaugh (NDP) 10307
  • Bob Boychyn (PC) 7836
  • Ivan Wallace (L) 3311

Ottawa Centre:

Ottawa East:

  • (x) Albert J. Roy (L) 14207
  • Omer Deslauriers (PC) 4235
  • Danielle Page (NDP) 1905
  • Serge Girard (Ind [SCO]) 177

Ottawa South:

  • (x) Claude Bennett (PC) 15218
  • Robert Dyck (L) 8832
  • Chris Chilton (NDP) 6146
  • Ray Turmel (Ind [SCO]) 259

Ottawa West:

  • (x) Reuben Baetz (PC) 17418
  • George Anderson (L) 9112
  • Lofty MacMillan (NDP) 2348
  • Dale E. Alkerton (Ind [SCO]) 494

Oxford:

Parkdale:

  • Tony Ruprecht (L) 6941
  • (x) Jan Dukszta (NDP) 6020
  • Verrol Whitmore (PC) 2914
  • Bill McGinnis (Ind) 289
  • Anna Larsen (Comm) 259

Parry Sound:

  • Ernie Eves (PC) 8955
  • Richard Thomas (L) 8949
  • Arthur Davis (NDP) 1448

Perth:

  • (x) Hugh Edighoffer (L) 16283
  • Colleen Misener (PC) 7883
  • Scott Wilson (NDP) 1881

Peterborough:

Port Arthur:

  • (x) Jim Foulds (NDP) 12258
  • Allan Laakkonen (PC) 10844
  • Kenneth R. Tilson (L) 3247
  • Dennis Deveau (Ind) 140
  • Paul Pugh (Comm) 103

Prescott and Russell:

Prince Edward—Lennox:

  • (x) James Taylor (PC) 11135
  • Dan Brady (L) 6797
  • Bob King (NDP) 1423

Quinte:

  • (x) Hugh O’Neil (L) 14861
  • George Mills (PC) 9517
  • Reg Pearson (NDP) 1795

Rainy River:

Renfrew North:

  • (x) Sean Conway (L) 9113
  • Bryan D. Hocking (PC) 7137
  • Phil Chester (NDP) 1086

Renfrew South:

  • (x) Paul Yakabuski (PC) 14552
  • Dick Trainor (L) 10420
  • Lynne Pattinson (NDP) 1174

Riverdale:

  • (x) Jim Renwick (NDP) 6770
  • Peter Hesky (PC) 4088
  • Ed Schofield (L) 3237
  • Thelma R. Forsyth (Ind) 233
  • Anna Sideris (Comm) 158

St. Andrew—St. Patrick:

  • (x) Larry Grossman (PC) 10674
  • Anne Johnston (L) 6839
  • Stanley E. Kutz (NDP) 3709
  • Judy Darcy (Ind [Workers Communist Party]) 262
  • Jeanne McGuire (Comm) 148
  • Sophia M. Firth (Ind) 106

St. Catharines:

Party Candidate Votes % +/-
  Liberal (x) Jim Bradley 16,509 51.85
     Progressive Conservative John Larocque 10,273 32.26
  New Democratic Party Don Loucks 4,927 15.47
CommunistNorman J. Newell1320.41
Total valid votes 31,841 100.00
Rejected, unmarked and declined ballots 181
Turnout 32,022 57.20

St. David:

St. George:

Sarnia:

Sault Ste. Marie:

  • (x) Russ Ramsay (PC) 14712
  • Albert Ferranti (L) 7555
  • Susan Brothers (NDP) 7162

Scarborough Centre:

  • (x) Frank Drea (PC) 12793
  • Paul Rook (NDP) 4898
  • Kurt Christensen (L) 4657
  • D’Arcy Cain (Lbt) 531

Scarborough East:

  • (x) Margaret Birch (PC) 16386
  • Charles Beer (L) 7301
  • Gordon Wilson (NDP) 4826
  • Jim McIntosh (Lbt) 562
  • Jeff Nelles (Ind [Rhinoceros]) 171

Scarborough—Ellesmere:

Scarborough North:

Scarborough West:

  • (x) Richard Johnston (NDP) 10019
  • John Adams (PC) 9644
  • Barbara Fava (L) 3914
  • Kevin James (Ind [Rhinoceros]) 369

Simcoe Centre:

Simcoe East:

  • Al McLean (PC) 12487
  • Fayne Bullen (NDP) 9085
  • Jack Harber (L) 7320
  • Ted Wolda (Ind) 749

Stormont—Dundas and Glengarry:

  • (x) Osie Villeneuve (PC) 12487
  • Gerry Rosenquist (L) 7846
  • Joe O’Neil (NDP) 1836

Sudbury:

  • Jim Gordon (PC) 12043
  • (x) Bud Germa (NDP) 8052
  • Jim Marchbank (L) 5998
  • Richard Orlandini (Comm) 115

Sudbury East:

  • (x) Elie Martel (NDP) 13883
  • George McDonald (PC) 9420
  • Esther Davidson (L) 4909

Timiskaming:

  • (x) Ed Havrot (PC) 8377
  • Bob Bain (NDP) 6768
  • Leo St. Cyr (L) 3593

Victoria—Haliburton:

  • (x) John Eakins (L) 12807
  • Dave Murray (PC) 10509
  • Art Field (NDP) 2449

Waterloo North:

  • (x) Herbert Epp (L) 12843
  • Bob Labbett (PC) 9606
  • Bob Needham (NDP) 3672

Welland—Thorold:

  • (x) Mel Swart (NDP) 13379
  • Al Lacavera (L) 7916
  • Ivy Riddell (PC) 5564

Wellington—Dufferin—Peel:

  • (x) Jack Johnson (PC) 16644
  • Elbert van Donkersgoed (L) 8136
  • Marion Chambers (NDP) 4650

Wellington South:

  • (x) Harry Worton (L) 16237
  • Peter Mercer (PC) 7917
  • Terry Crowley (NDP) 5934
  • Lynne Hulley (Comm) 224

Wentworth:

Wentworth North:

Wilson Heights:

Windsor—Riverside:

  • (x) Dave Cooke (NDP) 13626
  • Gerry Levesque (L) 9102
  • Sandy Thomson (PC) 4418
  • John H. Snyder (Ind) 333

Windsor—Sandwich:

Windsor—Walkerville:

  • (x) Bernard Newman (L) 10553
  • Ray Simpson (NDP) 4988
  • Tom Porter (PC) 3428
  • Gerard O’Neil (Comm) 238

York Centre:

York East:

  • (x) Robert Elgie (PC) 14562
  • Lois Cox (NDP) 4935
  • Don McNeill (L) 4811
  • Ed McDonald (Comm) 628
  • E. Scott Hughes (Unparty) 460

York Mills:

  • (x) Bette Stephenson (PC) 20613
  • Isadore Weinberg (L) 5667
  • Dave Crisp (NDP) 3858
  • Scott Bell (Lbt) 1287

York North:

  • (x) Bill Hodgson (PC) 18405
  • Jim Wilson (L) 10216
  • Keith Munro (NDP) 4614

York South:

  • (x) Donald C. MacDonald (NDP) 9518
  • Les Green (L) 8099
  • Barbara Jafelice (PC) 7628
  • Mike Phillips (Comm) 472

Yorkview:

York West:

  • (x) Nick Leluk (PC) 18501
  • Michael Eagen (L) 10228
  • Pauline Durning (NDP) 2865
  • Don Douloff (Ind [Rhinoceros]) 538

Post-election changes

Hamilton West: Stuart Smith resigned his legislative seat on January 25, 1982, and a by-election was called for June 17, 1982.

York South: Donald C. MacDonald resigned his legislative seat in 1982, and a by-election was called for November 4, 1982.

Stormont—Dundas and Glengarry: Osie Villeneuve died in 1983, and a by-election has called on December 15, 1983:

Frontenac—Addington: Liberal MPP J. Earl McEwen crossed the floor to join the Progressive Conservatives in 1984.

Hamilton Centre: Sheila Copps resigned her legislative seat in 1984, and a by-election was held on December 13, 1984:

Ottawa Centre: Michael Cassidy resigned his legislative seat in 1984, and a by-election was held on December 13, 1984.

Ottawa East: Albert J. Roy resigned his legislative seat in 1984, and a by-election was held on December 13, 1984:

Prescott and Russell: Don Boudria resigned his legislative seat in 1984, and a by-election was held on December 13, 1984:

  • Jean Poirier (L) 10182
  • Gaston Patenaude (PC) 8347
  • Rheo Lalonde (NDP) 1791

Wentworth North: Eric Cunningham resigned his legislative seat in 1984, and a by-election was held on December 13, 1984:

Riverdale: Jim Renwick died in 1984.

Kitchener: Jim Breithaupt resigned in 1984.

Rainy River: T. Patrick Reid resigned in 1984.

Eglinton: Roy McMurtry resigned his seat in 1985 to take a government position in the United Kingdom.

See also
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.