1989 Alberta general election

1989 Alberta general election

March 20, 1989 (1989-03-20)
83 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 42 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	53.60%
Majority party Minority party Third party   Leader Don Getty Ray Martin Laurence Decore Party Progressive Conservative New Democratic Liberal Leader since November 1, 1985 November 10, 1984 October 9, 1988 Leader's seat Edmonton-Whitemud (lost re-election) Edmonton-Norwood Edmonton-Glengarry Last election 61 seats, 51.4% 16 seats, 29.2% 4 seats, 12.2% Seats before 61 16 4 Seats won 59 16 8 Seat change 2 ±0 4 Popular vote 367,244 217,972 237,787 Percentage 44.3% 26.3% 28.7% Swing 7.1% 2.9% 16.5%
Premier before election Don Getty Progressive Conservative Premier after election Don Getty Progressive Conservative

The 1989 Alberta general election was held on March 20, 1989, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Many political observers were surprised by the early election call as less than three years had passed since the previous election. Premier Don Getty, in his second election as Progressive Conservative Party leader, led it to its sixth consecutive term in government, although supported by less than half the votes cast in the election.

Despite losing a significant share of the popular vote, the PC's benefited from a split vote between the two main opponents Liberals and NDP. Together those two parties received 55 percent of the vote to the Conservative's 44 percent.

The Conservatives sustained a net loss of only two seats in the legislature. Most notably, the premier lost his own seat of Edmonton-Whitemud to Liberal candidate Percy Wickman. The PC's were reduced to just two seats in Edmonton, however despite their losses in urban areas they remained largely dominant in Calgary while their losses were somewhat offset by gains in rural areas, notably at the expense of the moribund Representative Party. Getty himself would quickly return to the Legislature by winning a by-election in a safe rural seat.

The New Democratic Party led by Ray Martin largely held its share of the popular vote, with its gains being balanced by its losses and the party left with the same number of seats (16) as in the previous in the legislature.

The Liberal Party, under new leader Laurence Decore, was the principal beneficiary of the voters' continuing distrust of Don Getty. The Liberals' share of the popular vote increased to over 28%, more than the NDP, but whereas the NDP continued to dominate in Edmonton the Liberal vote was more evenly distributed and the party's legislative caucus increased from four to only eight members.

The Representative Party, which had elected 2 candidates in the previous election, did not run any candidates in 1989 (although it remained registered). Leader Ray Speaker defected to the Progressive Conservatives, while Walt Buck retired. The party disbanded soon after the election.

Results

Overall voter turnout was 53.60%.

Party		Party leader	# of candidates	Seats			Popular vote
				1986	Elected	% Change	#	%	% Change
	Progressive Conservative	Don Getty	83	61	59	-3.3%	367,244	44.29%	-7.11%
	New Democrats	Ray Martin	83	16	16	-	217,952	26.29%	-2.93%
	Liberal	Laurence Decore	83	4	8	+100%	237,787	28.68%	+16.46%
	Social Credit	Harvey Yuill	6	*	-	*	3,939	0.47%	*
	Independent		10	-	-	-	2,162	0.26%	-0.60%
	Communist	Norman Brudy	2	-	-	-	85	0.01%	-0.02%
	Representative		0	2	-	-100%	0	0.00%	-
Total			267	83	83	-	829,189	100%
Source: Elections Alberta

Note:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

Popular vote PC   44.29% Liberal   28.68% New Democratic   26.29% Social Credit   0.47% Others   0.27%

Seats summary PC   71.08% New Democratic   19.28% Liberal   9.64%

Results by riding

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	PC		NDP		Liberal		Other
Athabasca-Lac La Biche		Mike Cardinal 4,237 45.07%		Leo Piquette 3,342 35.55%		Tom Maccagno 1,791 19.05%				Leo Piquette
Banff-Cochrane		Brian Evans 4,389 50.82%		Steven Scott 1,802 20.86%		Jim N. Tanner 2,411 27.91%				Greg Stevens
Barrhead		Kenneth R. Kowalski 5,294 57.41%		Harold E. Wharton 1,673 18.14%		Dave Perrin 1,660 18.00%		J. Harvey Yuill (SoCred) 578 6.27%		Kenneth R. Kowalski
Bonnyville		Ernie Isley 3,362 50.20%		Lori Hall 1,553 23.19%		Denis Lapierre 1,769 26.41%				Ernie Isley
Bow Valley		Tom N. Musgrove 3,405 60.33%		Larry D. Kern 666 11.80%		George Timko 1,561 27.66%				Tom N. Musgrove
Calgary-Bow		Bonnie Laing 3,968 34.76%		Scott Jeffrey 3,513 30.77%		Timothy Walter Bardsley 3,892 34.09%				Neil Webber
Calgary-Buffalo		Kate Thrasher 3,601 31.25%		Iain Dunbar 877 7.61%		Sheldon Chumir 7,014 60.86%				Sheldon Chumir
Calgary-Currie		Dennis L. Anderson 5,072 49.45%		Bruce McGuigan 1,716 16.73%		Mairi Matheson 3,434 33.48%				Dennis L. Anderson
Calgary-Egmont		David John Carter 5,272 52.35%		Vinay Dey 1,864 18.51%		Clive R. Mallory 2,907 28.87%				David John Carter
Calgary-Elbow		Ralph Klein 4,505 49.52%		David Jones 719 7.90%		Gilbert J. Clark 3,682 40.47%		Larry R Heather (Ind.) 174 1.91%		David J. Russell
Calgary-Fish Creek		William Edward Payne 6,996 47.86%		Tom Polmear 2,071 14.17%		Wayne Gillis 5,517 37.74%				William Edward Payne
Calgary-Foothills		Patricia Black 5,341 37.13%		Theresa Catherine Baxter 4,133 28.74%		Harvey Locke 4,866 33.83%				Janet Koper
Calgary-Forest Lawn		Moe Amiri 3,177 35.01%		Barry Pashak 3,994 44.02%		Gene Czaprowski 1,584 17.46%		Jim Othen (Ind.) 294 3.24%		Barry Pashak
Calgary-Glenmore		Dianne Mirosh 5,189 45.39%		Barry Bristman 1,197 10.47%		Brendan Dunphy 4,587 40.12%		Greg Pearson (Ind.) 437 3.82%		Dianne Mirosh
Calgary-McCall		Stanley Kenneth Nelson 5,109 44.53%		Ken Richmond 3,311 28.86%		A. Giga 3,032 26.42%				Stanley Kenneth Nelson
Calgary-McKnight		Mark Petros 4,704 37.91%		Roy Brown 2,371 19.11%		Yolande Gagnon 5,303 42.74%				Eric Charles Musgreave
Calgary-Millican		Gordon Wells Shrake 3,840 42.93%		Bill Flookes 3,713 41.51%		Dale Muti 1,366 15.27%				Gordon Wells Shrake
Calgary-Montrose		Rick Orman 5,044 54.49%		Frank Gereau 2,585 27.92%		Jamil Farhat 1,605 17.34%				Rick Orman
Calgary-Mountain View		Vicky Adamson 4,171 33.22%		Robert Andrew Hawkesworth 6,469 51.53%		Kevin Murphy 1,862 14.83%				Robert Andrew Hawkesworth
Calgary-North Hill		Frederick Alan Stewart 4,918 44.59%		Emily Drzymala 2,720 24.66%		Pauline Kay 3,030 27.47%		John J. Jasienczyk (Ind.) 328 2.97%		Frederick Alan Stewart
Calgary-North West		Stan Cassin 6,985 41.80%		Kelly Hegg 2,281 13.65%		Frank Bruseker 7,417 44.38%				Stan Cassin
Calgary-Shaw		Jim Dinning 7,412 52.81%		Gordon M. Christie 1,728 12.31%		Robert J. (Bob) Crump 4,865 34.67%				Jim Dinning
Calgary-West		Elaine McCoy 6,133 46.12%		Joseph Yanchula 2,564 19.28%		Bernie Myers 4,550 34.22%				Elaine McCoy
Camrose		Ken Rostad 6,494 63.16%		Bill Scotten 2,141 20.82%		Carol Ayers 1,605 15.61%				Ken Rostad
Cardston		Jack Ady 3,483 74.42%		Don Ferguson 517 11.05%		Beth Wendorff 667 14.25%				Jack Ady
Chinook		Shirley McClellan 3,585 70.98%		H. James Powers 765 15.15%		Mel H. Buffalo 691 13.68%				Henry Kroeger
Clover Bar		Kurt Gesell 3,717 34.53%		W.H. (Skip) Gordon 3,505 32.56%		Stephen Lindop 3,533 32.82%				Walt A. Buck
Cypress-Redcliff		Alan Hyland 2,514 48.87%		Rudolf Schempp 659 12.81%		Lloyd B. Robinson 1,968 38.26%				Alan Hyland
Drayton Valley		Tom Thurber 4,563 45.48%		Lynne Martin 2,622 26.13%		G. (Bear) Werschler 2,826 28.17%				Shirley Cripps
Drumheller		Stan Schumacher 5,049 59.07%		Sid Holt 1,658 19.40%		Roger Nelson 1,800 21.06%				Stan Schumacher
Dunvegan		Glen Clegg 4,049 56.12%		Jim Gurnett 2,603 36.08%		R. Gerald Eherer 550 7.62%				Glen Clegg
Edmonton-Avonmore		James Albers 3,831 30.17%		Marie Laing 5,290 41.66%		Don Massey 3,562 28.05%				Marie Laing
Edmonton-Belmont		Walter R. Szwender 3,093 23.65%		Thomas Sigurdson 5,319 40.67%		Cathy Greco 4,644 35.51%				Thomas Sigurdson
Edmonton-Beverly		Gary Kump 3,835 29.57%		Ed W. Ewasiuk 6,408 49.41%		Daryl Robb 2,520 19.43%		Bonny Royce (Ind.) 188 1.45%		Ed W. Ewasiuk
Edmonton-Calder		Aldo De Luca 2,709 21.66%		Christie Mjolsness 5,338 42.69%		Lance D. White 4,435 35.47%				Christie Mjolsness
Edmonton-Centre		Don Clarke 3,217 30.29%		William Roberts 4,440 41.80%		Mary Molloy 2,821 26.56%				William Roberts
Edmonton-Glengarry		John Belzerowski 3,759 24.72%		John Younie 3,974 26.14%		Laurence Decore 7,401 48.67%		Robin Boodle (Comm.) 30 0.20%		John Younie
Edmonton-Glenora		Nancy Betkowski 5,128 47.50%		George Millar 2,709 25.09%		Hal Annett 2,935 27.19%				Nancy Betkowski
Edmonton-Gold Bar		Cathy Wyatt 4,381 30.29%		Chris Tomaschuk 2,170 15.00%		Bettie Hewes 7,833 54.16%		Naomi Rankin (Comm.) 55 0.38%		Bettie Hewes
Edmonton-Highlands		Ziad N. Jaber 2,415 27.28%		Pam Barrett 4,997 56.44%		Ken Kozak 1,673 18.90%				Pam Barrett
Edmonton-Jasper Place		Leslie Gordon Young 4,503 31.64%		John McInnis 4,966 34.90%		Karen Leibovici 4,747 33.36%				Leslie Gordon Young
Edmonton-Kingsway		Allen Wasnea 2,818 28.92%		Alex McEachern 4,314 44.28%		Joan Cowling 2,585 26.53%				Alex McEachern
Edmonton-Meadowlark		Joan Majeski 4,421 31.24%		William A. (Bill) Mullen 1,829 12.92%		Grant Mitchell 7,877 55.66%				Grant Mitchell
Edmonton-Mill Woods		Bas Roopnarine 3,475 24.73%		Gerry Gibeault 5,824 41.44%		Murray W. Scambler 4,729 33.65%				Gerry Gibeault
Edmonton-Norwood		Dan Papirnik 1,519 20.64%		Ray Martin 4,229 57.47%		Luis C. Baptista 1,594 21.66%				Ray Martin
Edmonton-Parkallen		Doug Main 6,169 40.06%		Jim Selby 4,979 32.33%		Nadene Thomas 4,203 27.29%				Neil S. Crawford
Edmonton-Strathcona		Jack Scott 3,724 28.86%		Gordon S.B. Wright 6,696 51.89%		Philip Lister 2,437 18.88%				Gordon S.B. Wright
Edmonton-Whitemud		Donald Ross Getty 8,005 43.28%		Nao Fernando 2,099 11.35%		Percy Wickman 8,350 45.14%				Donald Ross Getty
Fort McMurray		Norman A. Weiss 4,245 49.30%		Ann Dort-Maclean 2,740 31.82%		James Carbery 1,606 18.65%				Norman A. Weiss
Grande Prairie		Bob Elliott 5,319 52.52%		Evelyn Vardalas 2,696 26.62%		Irv Macklin 1,611 15.91%		Murray Gauvreau (SoCred) 482 4.76%		Bob Elliott
Highwood		Don Tannas 5,481 60.00%		Janis Belgum 1,591 17.42%		Don Dearle 2,024 22.16%				Harry E. Alger
Innisfail		Gary Severtson 4,169 57.38%		Larry Whaley 1,294 17.81%		Bruce A. Jackson 1,761 24.24%				Nigel I. Pengelly
Lacombe		Ron A. Moore 4,014 59.71%		Cliff Reid 1,217 18.10%		Roger Young 1,467 21.82%				Ron A. Moore
Lesser Slave Lake		Pearl M. Calahasen 3,249 47.51%		Philip G.S. Lukken 1,294 18.92%		Denise C. Wahlstrom 2,286 33.43%				Larry R. Shaben
Lethbridge-East		Archibald Dick Johnston 4,993 49.17%		Sylvia A. Campbell 2,170 21.37%		John I. Boras 2,973 29.28%				Archibald Dick Johnston
Lethbridge-West		John Gogo 4,741 45.33%		Joyce Green 2,483 23.74%		Rhonda Ruston 3,210 30.69%				John Gogo
Little Bow		Raymond Albert Speaker 3,907 79.43%		Keith Ford 426 8.66%		Elzien Schopman 579 11.77%				Raymond Albert Speaker
Lloydminster		Doug Cherry 3,584 66.75%		Gordon E. Swaters 849 15.81%		Steve McLachlin 923 17.19%				Doug Cherry
Macleod		LeRoy Fjordbotten 4,459 67.20%		Mike Dawson 1,292 19.47%		Darrell Piehl 856 12.90%				LeRoy Fjordbotten
Medicine Hat		James Horsman 6,465 40.88%		Wally Regehr 4,088 25.85%		Garth Vallely 5,213 32.96%				James Horsman
Olds-Didsbury		Roy Brassard 4,960 60.01%		Tom Monto 842 10.19%		Garfield Marks 1,182 14.30%		Ray Young (SoCred) 1249 15.11%		Roy Brassard
Peace River		Al (Boomer) Adair 3,749 57.62%		Adele Gale Boucher 1,613 24.79%		Erich Wahl 1,127 17.32%				Al (Boomer) Adair
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest		Frederick Deryl Bradley 3,262 52.56%		Mike Cooper 2,119 34.14%		Stan Stoklosa 811 13.07%				Frederick Deryl Bradley
Ponoka-Rimbey		Halvar C. Jonson 3,729 59.81%		Doug Hart 1,667 26.74%		Ervan Stobbe 808 12.96%				Halvar C. Jonson
Red Deer-North		Stockwell Day 3,652 48.10%		Gerry Clayton 1,427 18.80%		Bernie Fritze 2,260 29.77%		Cory Lanterman (Ind.) 231 3.04%		Stockwell Day
Red Deer-South		John Oldring 4,637 49.39%		Linda Ross 1,840 19.60%		Roxanne V. Prior 2,874 30.61%				John Oldring
Redwater-Andrew		Steve Zarusky 4,366 52.83%		Chris Ewasiuk 2,359 28.55%		Dennis Holowaychuk 1,525 18.45%				Steve Zarusky
Rocky Mountain House		Ty Lund 4,392 59.59%		Dolly (Martin) Brown 1,727 23.43%		Bob Paston 1,224 16.61%				John Murray Campbell
Sherwood Park		Peter Elzinga 6,462 46.60%		Ted Paszek 3,088 22.27%		John Convey 4,299 31.00%				Peter Elzinga
Smoky River		Walter Paszkowski 3,575 50.82%		Bill Termeer 1,721 24.47%		Duane Dutka 1,398 19.87%		Roy Housworth (SoCred) 332 4.72%		Marvin Moore
St. Albert		Dick Fowler 6,590 45.20%		Cheryl Wharton 3,552 24.36%		Len Bracko 4,278 29.34%		Archie Baldwin (Ind.) 147 1.01%		Bryan Strong
St. Paul		John Drobot 2,931 45.95%		Victor Chrapko 1,124 17.62%		Paul Langevin 2,304 36.12%				John Drobot
Stettler		Brian C. Downey 3,875 57.75%		Fred J. Rappel 1,089 16.23%		Frank Pickering 1,731 25.80%				Brian C. Downey
Stony Plain		Jim Heron 4,604 36.54%		Stan Woloshyn 4,699 37.29%		Dan Fitze 2,732 21.68%		John Torringa (SoCred) 557 4.42%		Jim Heron
Taber-Warner		Robert Bogle 4,932 73.44%		Charlene Vickers 782 11.64%		Patrick (Pat) Flanagan 981 14.61%				Robert Bogle
Three Hills		Connie Osterman 4,986 56.45%		Fred Mertz 1,851 20.96%		Peter Burch 1,245 14.10%		Poul Wesch (SoCred) 741 8.39%		Connie Osterman
Vegreville		Gordon Miller 3,806 41.61%		Derek Fox 4,865 53.19%		Frederick G. Paasche 448 4.90%				Derek Fox
Vermilion-Viking		Steve West 4,086 63.44%		Grant Bergman 1,078 16.74%		Greg Michaud 1,252 19.44%				Steve West
Wainwright		Robert A. (Butch) Fischer 4,009 67.54%		Willy Kelch 1,182 19.91%		Joseph A. Vermette 726 12.23%				Robert A. (Butch) Fischer
West Yellowhead		Ian Reid 3,109 36.72%		Jerry J. Doyle 3,989 47.12%		Sharron Johnstone 1,103 13.03%		Harvey Ball (Ind.) 240 2.83%		Ian Reid
Westlock-Sturgeon		Leo Seguin 4,958 41.08%		Tom Turner 1,696 14.05%		Nicholas Taylor 5,401 44.75%				Nicholas Taylor
Wetaskiwin-Leduc		Donald H. Sparrow 5,761 46.59%		Bruce Hinkley 3,133 25.34%		George Carrier 3,446 27.87%				Donald H. Sparrow
Whitecourt		Peter Trynchy 3,877 49.72%		Gwen E. Symington 1,456 18.67%		Jurgen Preugschas 2,432 31.19%				Peter Trynchy

See also

• List of Alberta political parties

Further reading

• Leyton-Brown, David, ed. (1995). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs, 1989. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802007148.