Gordon Johnston

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For the Medal of Honor recipient, see Gordon Johnston (soldier).

Gordon Ellwood Johnston (born October 15, 1920- November 7, 2005) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1962 to 1977.

Johnston was educated in the Manitoba public school system, and worked as a grocer. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1941 to 1945, and later served as an alderman in Portage La Prairie.

He was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the general election of 1962, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative John Christianson by 290 votes in Portage La Prairie. In the 1966 election, he was re-elected over Christianson by 735 votes.

The once-dominant Liberal Party was the official legislative opposition for most of the 1960s, and its support dropped even lower in the election of 1969. The party won only five seats, and Johnston was re-elected over Tory candidate Harvey Carmichael by only eleven votes. After the election, he offered to serve as Speaker of the legislature to allow Edward Schreyer's New Democratic Party to form a minority government.

Liberal Party leader Robert Bend was defeated in the 1969 election, and Johnston was chosen to serve as house leader until a permanent replacement could be chosen.[1] He endorsed John Nesbitt's unsuccessful bid for the party leadership in 1970, and was one of only two opposition members who voted to amalgamate the city of Winnipeg in 1971.

Johnston increased his margin of victory to 36 votes in the election of 1973, over Tory George Fairfield. His party's fortunes continued to decline in this period, and he did not seek re-election in 1977.