Lögberg-Heimskringla - 18.10.1996, Page 4

4 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Föstudagur 18, október 1996
The Dogged
Determmation to
Succeed
Part Two ofa Series
by Kevin Jón Johnson and
Melinda McCracken
Magnus Eliasson
The dedication of a
lifetime to politics, built
up in visits to half the
hamlets in western
Canada, showed itself
nowhere better than in the tenacity and
skill with which Magnus helped usher
Edward Schreyer into the Premiership
of Manitoba:
By 1965, Russ Paulley prepared
to retire as leader; he would rehnquish
the leadership if we found a worthy
replacement. By January of 1965, I
decided that Ed Schreyer represented
the best potential leader. He was 30
years old. I had convinced myself that
with Ed as leader, we could reasonably
expect to form the Government in
Manitoba. Early in 1965, I ac-
companied Ed Schreyer to a meeting
in Beausejour; the snow blew vio-
lently, and Schreyer watched the road
with intensity.
In part of the conversation, I said,
“I have come to the conclusion, after
watching your performance in the
Legislature, and keeping close tabs on
you, that you have the makings of our
next leader. Don’t be surprised if you
fínd yourself Premier some day!”
Ed Schreyer took his eyes off the
road, and replied, “Magnus, I don’t
think that far ahead.”
Wally Johannson and I prepared
to visit Ed Schreyer in September of
1968, before the hot contest for
leadership between Sid Green and
Russ Paulley. We planned to meet at
a christening in the Schreyer home.
Wally Johannson, who sat in the
Manitoba legislature for the NDP, and
I wanted to impress upon Ed the
importance of his becoming pro-
vincial leader. Kay, my wife, felt we
should leave the man alone for the
christening of his son, Jason. She said,
“Lily should throw you both out when
you get there!”
We had the good grace not to stay
too long. Wally Johannson and I were
on the warpath to get Schreyer as the
leader.
During the winter, discussions
intensified. One evening early in
March of 1969, we invited Sam Uskiw
over for dinner. Sam, the MLA for
Brokenhead, had followed Schreyer
in this riding, As Sam left, I said to
him, “You get a message to Schreyer,
and tell him 50 to 100 of us, here in
Manitoba, are just determined to see
him as provincial leader.”
A couple of weeks later, I walked
into my home. “Ed Schreyer is on the
phone,” Kay said. “He is phoning
from Ottawa.”
Ed usually went straight to the
point. He said, “Magnus, why are yóu
insisting that I become the leader?”
“It is very simple, Ed,” I replied.
“With Sid Green we’ll take 17 seats;
with you we will take 26, and I don’t
know anything about The Pas and
Rupertsland.”
“I can take them both,” Ed added.
“Well, it’s 28,” I said, “if you are
the leader.”
We would, in fact, take all 28 seats
under Ed Schreyer’s firm leadership.
Ed told me he felt uncom-
fortable about walking out on
some of the solid people who
had supported him federally in good
faith only the previous June; he
regretted disappointing his federal
supporters. “If you are that de-
termined,” Ed said, “I want you to go
to Arboig and Gimli and talk to certain
people.” He named the individuals.
One was Gunnar Simundsson and
another, Mundi Gudmundsson, served
as Councillor in the municipality of
Bifrost. “I don’t want you to use your
ordinary persuasion or salesmanship.”
Ed Schreyer continued. “I want you
to raise the point, and listen to what
they say. Then give me a report of
what they said.”
I received favourable responses
from all of the people whom Ed asked
me to contact. I retumed to Winnipeg
and wrote Ed a lengthy report on my
findings. A week or two later, Ed
Schreyer announced his candidacy.
Russ Paulley signified his intention to
resign, and Sid Green signified his
intention to contest the leadership.
Ed Schreyer and Sid Green
campaigned together prior to the
leadership convention. On Saturday,
June 7, 1969, the day of the Interlake
nomination meeting at Fisher Branch,
and only six days before the leadership
convention, they landed by sea-plane
in Lake Manitoba. As they could not
reach the shore, Ed and Sid waded up
to their waists in water, and arrived at
the meeting soaking wet.
By this time I had retired as
organizer, so I campaigned high, wide
and handsome for Ed Schreyer. At
this Sunday nomination meeting in
Fisher Branch, Bill Uruski won the
nomination for the newly-formed
Interlake constituency; Bill served in
the Manitoba Legislature with dis-
tinction for 21 years, from 1969 to
1990.1 rode back with Ed; we drove
from Fisher Branch to Winnipeg. Ed
picked up some dry clothes from his
mother-in-law, Mrs. Schulz. His
father-in-law, Jake Schulz and Jake’s
son, Herb, supported Sid Green. Ed
remained a Member of Parliament; he
did not have to resign his seat in
Parliament until he filed provincial
nomination papers.
I said to Ed on the way in, “I am
going to convince Jake to support
you.” So while Ed picked up some dry
clothes, I confronted Jake in the living
room.
Jake thought highly of me because
of my successful work in the country-
side and farming communities. Jake
had led the Farmer’s Union as
provincial president. “All right,” Jake
agreed, “I will go out and support Ed.”
Ed gave me a lift closer into town,
and I took a bus home. I told Ed,
“Now, I am going after Herb, to
convince him.”
“No, Magnus,” Ed replied, “don’t
rub it in; let Herb make up his own
mind.”
Whom Herb actually supported at
the convention, I am not sure. It was
a major convention.
Ed Schreyer received close to 60
per cent of the votes; Sid Green
received the other 40 per cent. Close
to 100 votes separated them. I directed
incredible energy into that campaign.
Frank Sims became president of the
New Democratic Party in Manitoba.
Throughout, Sid Green retained
his sense of humour. When the results
of the leadership vote were an-
nounced, Sid Green got up and said,
“Maybe not a Premier, but a Cabinet
Minister!”
By this statement, Sid Green
proposed we would take the Govern-
ment, and that he was prepared to sit
in the Cabinet. He would become
Schreyer’s first Minister of Health.
The campaign ran in full force,
and on election night we took
28 seats out of 57, so Schreyer
faced a combined opposition of 29. Ed
persuaded Larry Desjardins to sup-
port his minority Govemment in the
Legislature. Larry Desjardins agreed
to work with the caucus. We thought
our forming the Government in
Manitoba a great achievement.
I sprained my ankle only days
before that election. I served on City
Continued on page 7
We thought ourforming the Govemment in
Manitoba a great achievement.