Walter Weir

Walter Cocksmith Weir ( born June 7, 1929 in High Bluff, Manitoba, † April 17, 1985 in Minnedosa, Manitoba ) was a Canadian politician. He was from 1959 to 1971 Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba. After he had held several ministerial posts in the government of Dufferin Roblin, he ruled the province of Manitoba on 27 November 1967 to 15 July 1969 as prime minister. From 1967 to 1971 he was chairman of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba ( Tories ).

Biography

A few years after his graduation drew Weir 1953 by Minnedosa, where for ten years he owned a funeral home. He was initially active in local politics, 1955-1957 Chairman of the Hospital Committee and from 1958 to 1959 as a member of the City Council. In May 1959 he stood as a candidate in elections to the Legislative Assembly and was elected MP for the rural constituency Minnedosa. Three times in a row, he managed to re-election. Prime Minister Dufferin Roblin called Weir in October 1961 the Cabinet and appointed him as Minister of Municipal Affairs; he held until February 1963 this office. In November 1962 he was appointed Minister of Public Works, in July 1967, he moved to the road ministry.

After Roblin had announced his move from provincial to federal politics, Weir was a candidate for the party presidency of the Tories. At the party congress he won against Sterling Lyon and two other candidates and was, whereupon he assumed the office of the Prime Minister on 27 November 1967. Weir represented the rural- populist wing of the party and spoke to the Conservative members who had been marginalized during the tenure of the progressive Roblin. His government cut spending growth to a minimum and presented in 1968 a balanced budget without tax increases. He opposed the introduction of official bilingualism and achieved with the Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau because of clashes national prominence.

Weir also suggested a reform of the Canadian Senate. According to his ideas, all provinces should be equally represented and some senators were to be appointed on the recommendation of the provincial governments. The Senate should be given more powers, including the right to ratify international treaties. He called out early elections for 25 June 1969 which proved to be a strategic error. Instead as we had hoped to be able to continue to govern with a majority, the Tories lost to the New Democratic Party of Manitoba led by Edward Schreyer.

On July 15, 1969 Weir was forced to resign as Prime Minister. Until February 1971 he was chairman of the party of the Tories and opposition leaders. In September of the same year he resigned as deputy. He lived for five years in Ontario, but returned in 1976 back to Minnedosa. From 1978 he was a member of the supervisory board of state-owned utilities, Manitoba, during the reign of Sterling Lyon, he led a set up by the provincial government Commission for local taxes.