The members of the 15th Manitoba Legislature were elected in the
Manitoba general election held in August 1915. The legislature sat from January 6, 1916, to March 27, 1920.
The
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
led by
Tobias Norris
Tobias Crawford Norris (September 5, 1861 – October 29, 1936) was a Canadian politician who served as the tenth premier of Manitoba from 1915 to 1922. Norris was a member of the Liberal Party.J. M. Bumsted"Tobias Crawford Norris" ''The Ca ...
formed the government.
of the
Conservatives was
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
.
On January 16, 1916, a bill was passed to amend the ''Manitoba Election Act'' to grant women the right to vote. Manitoba became the first Canadian province where women were allowed to vote and hold office.
In a referendum held on March 13, 1916, the province's voters supported
prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. On June 1, the ''Manitoba Temperance Act'' came into effect, which banned the sale of liquor in the province, except by pharmacists for medical purposes. However, bringing alcohol into the province for personal use or for wholesale outside the province was still legal.
Also in 1916, the ''Workers Compensation Act'' was passed, which established the
Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba. The act established an employer-funded compensation system for work-related injuries or illness and, in exchange, employers were granted protection against lawsuits by workers for these occurrences.
In 1918, a ''Minimum Wage Act'' was passed. Manitoba and British Columbia were the first provinces in Canada to introduce
minimum wage legislation. In 1921, the minimum hourly wage in Manitoba was $0.25. Up until 1931, the minimum wage only applied to female workers.
James Bryson Baird served as
speaker for the assembly.
There were five sessions of the 15th Legislature:
was
Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba
The lieutenant governor of Manitoba (, (if male) or (if female) ) is the representative in Manitoba of the monarch, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada. The lieuten ...
until August 3, 1916, when
James Albert Manning Aikins became lieutenant governor.
Members of the Assembly
The following members were elected to the assembly in 1915:
Notes:
By-elections
By-elections were held to replace members for various reasons:
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:015
Terms of the Manitoba Legislature
1916 establishments in Manitoba
1920 disestablishments in Manitoba