Myrna A. Phillips (born November 1942) is a

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

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, Canada. She was a member of the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba (french: Assemblée législative du Manitoba) is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected ...

from 1981 to 1988, and served as speaker of the assembly from 1986 to 1988. Phillips was born in Roland, Manitoba. Before entering politics, she was active in feminist organizations such as the Equal Rights and Opportunities Commission, and in community programs such as Place for Kids Daycare. She was also a member of the Wolseley Residents's Association in central

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...

. Phillips worked for the provincial government from 1974 to 1981, also working for

Great West Life The Canada Life Assurance Company, commonly known as Canada Life, is an insurance and financial services company with its headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The current company is the result of the 2020 amalgamation of The Great-West Life Assuran ...

and the Manitoba Telephone System. She was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in the 1981 provincial election, defeating incumbent Progressive Conservative Len Domino by 1,468 votes in the Wolseley constituency. The NDP won a majority government in this election, and Phillips served in the assembly as a backbench supporter of

Howard Pawley Howard Russell Pawley (November 21, 1934 – December 30, 2015) was a Canadian politician and professor who was the 18th premier of Manitoba from 1981 to 1988. Prior to his premiership, Pawley served in various ministerial positions after his ...

's administration. She was easily re-elected in the 1986 election. On May 8, 1986, Pawley appointed Phillips as speaker of the legislature. The previous speaker,

Jim Walding Derek James Walding (May 9, 1937 – April 23, 2007) was a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1971 to 1988 and served as speaker of the assembly from 1982 to 1986. Walding was a member of ...

, had become unpopular with his own party in 1984, when he allowed the opposition Progressive Conservatives to delay passage of a bill entrenching

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in ...

rights in Manitoba. The PCs boycotted house proceedings for several weeks, and Walding refused to call the house to order for a vote. Many questioned the validity of his actions. The Progressive Conservatives supported Walding, and refused to co-nominate Phillips as his successor. Phillips generally avoided the controversies of her predecessor, although she was once criticized for attending an NDP caucus meeting during her tenure as speaker. The NDP were unexpectedly defeated in the legislature in early 1988, when Jim Walding voted against his party's budget in an evenly divided house. A new election was held, which the NDP lost. Phillips was personally defeated in Wolseley, losing to

Manitoba Liberal Party The Manitoba Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral du Manitoba) is a political party in Manitoba, Canada. Its roots can be traced to the late 19th century, following the province's creation in 1870. Origins and early development (to 1883) Origin ...

candidate Harold Taylor by 506 votes. After leaving politics, Phillips worked with the

National Democratic Institute The National Democratic Institute (NDI), or National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, is a non-profit American NGO that works with partners in developing countries to increase the effectiveness of democratic institutions. The NDI's ...

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. She also returned to work in the provincial civil service, retiring in 2001. She endorsed Kristine Barr for the Wolseley NDP nomination in the 2003 provincial election. In August 2012, Phillips was named to the Manitoba Law Reform Commission.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Myrna 1942 births Living people Women MLAs in Manitoba New Democratic Party of Manitoba MLAs Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba People from Pembina Valley Region, Manitoba Women legislative speakers 20th-century Canadian politicians 20th-century Canadian women politicians