Another great what if in this province's political history was the Liberal Reform party. Aside from the 3 main parties it probably held the most influence of any party in this province's political history. Around for just 1 election the party played a huge role in shaping up the 1975 election.
The final results of the 1975 election where actually pretty lopsided in the PC column (They won 30, the Liberals won 16, the Liberal Reform 4 and Indepdent Liberal 1) but what we'll find out today is if the combined Liberal vote would have been enough to topple the PC party and make Ed Roberts premier.
Here are the districts in play in 1975 and the final results in each:
Baie Verte White Bay: Liberal Tom Rideout won the seat by 1319 votes.
Bay of Islands: PC Luke Woodrow won by 476 votes. The combined Liberal vote in that election would have meant a Liberal win by 494 votes.
Bellevue: The Liberal Reform candidate, Wilson Callan, won this seat so another win for the Liberals
Bonavista North: PC George Cross won by 7 votes. The combined Liberal vote in this district for this election would have meant a Liberal win by 1204 votes.
Bonavista South: PC Jim Morgan won by 1388 votes. The combined Liberal vote in this district was 1412 votes which means a 914 vote win for PC Jim Morgan
Burgeo Bay D'espoir: Liberal Roger Simmons won by 1780 votes.
Burin Placentia West: Liberal Patrick Canning won by 1126 votes.
Carbonear: Liberal Reform Rod Moores won by 126 votes, so another win for the Liberals
Conception Bay South: Liberal John Nolan won by 50 votes.
Eagle River: Liberal Iain Strachan won by 377 votes.
Exploits: Liberal Stephen Mulrooney won by 9 votes.
Ferryland: PC Charlie Power won by 8 votes, the combined Liberal vote would have meant a 910 vote win for the Liberals.
Fogo: Liberal Earl Winsor won by 1481 votes.
Fortune Hermitage: Liberal Jack Winsor won by 477 votes.
Gander: PC Harold Collins won by 610 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate running here in this election.
Grand Bank: PC Alec Hickman won by 126 votes. A combined Liberal vote would have meant a 928 vote win for the Liberals.
Grand Falls: PC John Lundrigan won by 1112 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate running here in this election.
Green Bay: PC Brian Peckford won by 1611 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate running here in this election.
Harbour Grace: PC Haig Young won by 604 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 365 vote win for the Liberals.
Hr.Main Bell Island: PC Bill Doody won by 1425 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
Humber East: PC Tom Farrell won by 729 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
Humber Valley: PC Wallace House won by 1299 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 434 vote win for Wallace House.
Humber West: PC Frank Moores won by 1039 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 112 vote win for Frank Moores.
Kilbride: PC Robert Wells won by 1902 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 1191 vote win for Robert Wells.
Lapoile: IL Steve Neary won by 627 votes so a win for the Liberals.
Lewisporte: Liberal Freeman White won by 505 votes.
Menihek: PC Joe Rousseau won by 1940 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 1506 vote win for Rousseau.
Mount Pearl: PC Neil Windsor won by 372 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
Mount Scio: PC Ray Winsor won by 707 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election
Naskaupi: PC Joe Goudie won by 297 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
Placentia: PC Bill Patterson won by 23 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 715 vote win for the Liberals.
Pleasantville: Pc Jerome Dinn won by 1144 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 665 vote win for Jerome Dinn.
Port Au Port: Liberal Jim Hodder won by 446 votes.
Port De Grave: LR Eric Dawe won by 24 votes so a win for the Liberals.
St.Barbe: Pc Ed Maynard won by 76 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
St.George's: Liberal Hazel McIsaac won by 153 votes.
St.John's Centre: PC Anthony Murphy won by 1410 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 761 vote win for Anthony Murphy.
St.John's East: PC Bill Marshall won by 1311 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 954 vote win for Marshall.
St.John's East Extern: PC Tom Hickey won by 1553 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this distirct in this election.
St.John's North: PC John Carter won by 558 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
St.John's South: PC John Collins won by 1125 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
St.John's West: Pc John Crosbie won by 437 votes. There was only 1 Liberal candidate in this district in this election.
St.Mary's The Capes: PC Walter Carter won by 1035 votes. The combined Liberal vote in this district would have equalled a 771 vote win for Carter.
Stephenville: Liberal Bill Macneil won by 290 votes.
Strait of Belle Isle: Liberal Ed Roberts won by 1837 votes.
Terra Nova: Liberal Tom Lush won by 1047 votes.
Trinity Bay De Verde: Liberal Fred Rowe Jr. won by 661 votes.
Trinity North: PC Charlie Brett won by 1481 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 502 vote win for Brett.
Twillingate: LR Joey Smallwood won by 267 votes. So another win for the Liberals.
Waterford Kenmount: PC Gerry Ottenheimer won by 1860 votes. The combined Liberal vote would have meant a 1052 vote win for Ottenheimer.
Windsor Buchans: Liberal Graham Flight won by 1130 votes.
So with the combined Liberal vote, here would have been the results for the 1975 NL Election:
PC: 24
Liberal: 27
So it would have been a razor thin Liberal majority and Ed Roberts would have been premier. In other writings I've often said that Roberts was perhaps the best MHA to never be premier. He had a stellar 23 year political career winning each of the 8 elections he contested and was a minister of health, public welfare and justice. Roberts was 35 at the time of the 1975 election so he would have been a young premier but that might have worked at that time as the province was coming of age a bit more in the 70's. Part of the criticism facing Roberts was his lack of charisma, I don't know how Roberts would have performed as premier in the House of Assembly but I think he would have performed ably. Another thing that could have worked against Roberts would have been Smallwood. I really can't see Smallwood playing 2nd fiddle in the House of Assembly especially when his party was in government. Remember that Joey Smallwood faced off against Ed Roberts for the Liberal leadership in 1974 and lost and then created the Liberal Reform party. A lot of unanswered questions about the Roberts premiership.
But what of the Pc Party? After 3 years of being in government they're in opposition again, the results where close enough that they still can be confident. I can't see Frank Moores staying on as leader so that means a PC leadership vote for probably early-1977, I can see a few people being interested in running for the PC leadership but John Crosbie would have been a overwhelming favourite. He had been a minister in many portfolios at that point. I can see John Crosbie becoming PC leader in 1977 and a general election for 1979, don't know what would have happened there. Also if Crosbie becomes premier in the 1979 election does he ever become a federal politician? Another interesting question.
Also future premiers Tom Rideout and Brian Peckford ran in this election, it was Tom's 1st election and Brian's 2nd. Question is if Roberts loses the 1979 election, does Rideout become Liberal leader in the early 80's? Many people have said that Rideout was seen as a rising star within the Liberal party at that time? Also if Crosbie wins the 1979 election does Peckford ever become PC leader? Peckford was only 37 in 1979 and was 47 when he resigned as premier so I can see him succeeding Crosbie possibly in time for a general election in the early 90's.
So many questions to ask about the results of this election and how the results had the Liberal party been united could have shaped the political future of this province for a long time to come.
The author thanks everyone for reading his blog, he can be reached via email at tducey1@gmail.com
