Stuart Murray

This was the party's worst showing since 1953.

The NDP made historic inroads in south-end Winnipeg, while the Progressive Conservative Party's support was largely concentrated in the rural south of the province.

A post-election editorial in the Winnipeg Free Press described Murray as "pleasant and even-tempered" but noted that he "did not make a deep impression on the public either by his work in the legislature or in the election campaign".

Murray continued as party leader after the election.

He recommended adopting Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for determining Manitoba's budget, and called for provincial whistleblower protection legislation.

Stuart Murray (born November 24, 1954) is a former politician from Manitoba, Canada.

He later worked as road manager for the rock band Blood, Sweat and Tears, and in 1982 became media director for the Canadian Opera Company.

Gary Filmon, the party's leader since 1983, stepped down in 2000.

Murray soon emerged as the party establishment's preferred choice to succeed Filmon as leader.

Darren Praznik considered running against him, but withdrew several months before the convention because of fundraising difficulties.

Murray began working for Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1985.

He moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1989 after being named vice-president of the family-owned Domo Gasoline Corporation, and became its CEO and president four years later.

Murray was also an organizer for the Manitoba Progressive Conservative Party in the 1990, 1995 and 1999 elections, and supported Kim Campbell's successful bid to succeed Mulroney as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 1993.

Murray was appointed to the board of Canadian National Railways in 1991, and served for one term.

He was a founding member of the Manitoba Entertainment Complex Group (MEC) in 1994, and chaired the successful World Hockey Junior Championship in 1999.

In recognition of their contribution, he and his team were each awarded the Order of the Buffalo Hunt, one of Manitoba’s highest honours.

After eleven years in power, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives were defeated by Gary Doer's New Democratic Party in the 1999 election.

He served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba and leader of the opposition in the Manitoba legislature from 2000 to 2006.

Murray was acclaimed as party leader in November 2000, and won a by-election in Kirkfield Park shortly thereafter.

On December 5, he was sworn in as leader of the opposition.

He criticized the New Democratic Party's 2001 budget for increased government spending, and called for significant tax cuts.

He also argued the NDP was too close to provincial labour unions.

Murray held progressive views on some social issues, and supported the principle of gay adoption rights late 2001.

Murray was criticized for hiring Taras Sokolyk as an advisor in 2002 without informing his caucus.

Sokolyk had previously been implicated in a vote-manipulation scheme involving the Independent Native Voice party, and was largely discredited as a political figure.

Murray later spoke at a Winnipeg rally held in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Murray led the Progressive Conservatives in the 2003 provincial election.

His health strategy called for the government to purchase more surgeries and diagnostic services at private clinics, with the intent of reducing waiting times.

He also promised to reintroduce workfare laws and to cancel the planned University College of the North, using the savings for tax cuts.

Murray argued that provincial laws were skewed in favour of labour unions, and considered introducing right-to-work legislation.

His most radical proposal was to eliminate the taxation powers of local school boards.

Gary Doer's NDP government was re-elected, and Murray's Conservatives slipped to 36.31% of the popular vote and 20 seats in the 57-member legislature.

He endorsed the new Conservative Party of Canada in 2004, and campaigned on behalf of Steven Fletcher in the 2004 federal election.

Despite concerns about Murray's leadership, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives voted overwhelmingly against a leadership review in November 2004.

In early 2004-05, Manitoba's labour-managed Crocus Investment Fund stopped trading and was forced into receivership after reports that it had misled shareholders and overstated the values of its assets.

From 2006 until 2009, Murray was the President and Chief Executive Officer of the St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation.

He subsequently served as director and chief executive officer of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights from 2009 to 2014.

Murray was born in Lestock, Saskatchewan, and raised in Punnichy in the same province.

His mother, Jean Murray, was a town councillor.

He studied Science at the University of Manitoba, and transferred to Ryerson Polytechnical Institute to further his studies in Architectural Science.