Avis Gray
Encyclopedia
Avis Gray is a politician
in Manitoba
, Canada
. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1992 to 1995.
Gray was born in Virden
, Manitoba, and was educated at the University of Manitoba
. She subsequently worked as a home economist, and was a member of the Manitoba Home Economics Association and the Canadian Home Economics Association.
Gray was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1988 provincial election
as a Liberal
, defeating incumbent New Democrat
Harvey Smith
by 624 votes in the riding of Ellice. The election was won by the Progressive Conservatives
, and Gray joined 19 other Liberals in the official opposition. She argued for an increase in welfare rates during this period.
The Liberals fell back to seven seats in the 1990 provincial election
, and Gray lost to NDP candidate Conrad Santos
by 108 votes. Two years later, she returned to the legislature via a by-election
in the Winnipeg riding of Crescentwood, defeating NDP candidate Tim Sale
by 441 votes.
Despite an early lead in the polls, the Manitoba Liberal Party ran a poor campaign in the 1995 provincial election
and fell from seven to three seats. Gray placed last in a close three-way race in Crescentwood, finishing behind Sale and PC candidate Debbie Vivian. She has not sought a return to the legislature since this time.
Gray worked as the campaign manager for federal Liberal
cabinet minister
Reg Alcock
in the 2004 federal election, and was subsequently hired as a lobbyist of the Canadian Wheat Board
, a department under Alcock’s ministry.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. She was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
Legislative Assembly of Manitoba
The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and the lieutenant governor form the Legislature of Manitoba, the legislature of the Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly in provincial general elections, all in single-member constituencies with first-past-the-post...
from 1988 to 1990, and again from 1992 to 1995.
Gray was born in Virden
Virden, Manitoba
Virden, Manitoba is a town in southwestern Manitoba. Oil was first discovered in 1951, and Virden has since come to be known as the "Oil Capital of Manitoba"....
, Manitoba, and was educated at the University of Manitoba
University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
. She subsequently worked as a home economist, and was a member of the Manitoba Home Economics Association and the Canadian Home Economics Association.
Gray was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1988 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1988
The Manitoba general election of April 26, 1988 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It resulted in a minority government...
as a Liberal
Manitoba Liberal Party
The Manitoba Liberal Party is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late nineteenth-century, following the province's creation in 1870.-Origins and early development :...
, defeating incumbent New Democrat
New Democratic Party of Manitoba
The New Democratic Party of Manitoba is a social-democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial wing of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba Co-operative Commonwealth Federation...
Harvey Smith
Harvey Smith (politician)
Harvey Smith is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was born in British Columbia and first became involved in politics at age twelve, joining that province's Social Credit Party when it was still a fringe organization....
by 624 votes in the riding of Ellice. The election was won by the Progressive Conservatives
Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba is the only right wing political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is also the official opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.-Origins and early years:...
, and Gray joined 19 other Liberals in the official opposition. She argued for an increase in welfare rates during this period.
The Liberals fell back to seven seats in the 1990 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1990
The Manitoba general election of September 11, 1990 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 30 out of 57 seats...
, and Gray lost to NDP candidate Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos
Conrad Santos is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988, and again from 1990 to 2007....
by 108 votes. Two years later, she returned to the legislature via a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the Winnipeg riding of Crescentwood, defeating NDP candidate Tim Sale
Tim Sale (politician)
Edward Timothy Sale was a Manitoba politician, and a former member of the Premier Gary Doer's cabinet.Sale was born in Goderich, Ontario in 1942...
by 441 votes.
Despite an early lead in the polls, the Manitoba Liberal Party ran a poor campaign in the 1995 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1995
The Manitoba general election of April 25,1995 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which won 31 seats out of 57...
and fell from seven to three seats. Gray placed last in a close three-way race in Crescentwood, finishing behind Sale and PC candidate Debbie Vivian. She has not sought a return to the legislature since this time.
Gray worked as the campaign manager for federal Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
cabinet minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
Reg Alcock
Reg Alcock
Reginald B. Alcock, PC was a Canadian politician. He represented the riding of Winnipeg South in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2006 and was a cabinet minister in the government of Prime Minister Paul Martin. Alcock was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada.-Early life and...
in the 2004 federal election, and was subsequently hired as a lobbyist of the Canadian Wheat Board
Canadian Wheat Board
The Canadian Wheat Board was established by the Parliament of Canada on 5 July 1935 as a mandatory producer marketing system for wheat and barley in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and a small part of British Columbia...
, a department under Alcock’s ministry.