Wilson Parasiuk
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Wilson Parasiuk (born May 6, 1943 in Stenen, Saskatchewan) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba from 1977 to 1988, and a cabinet minister in the New Democratic Party government of Howard Pawley from 1981 to 1988.
Born into a working-class family, Parasiuk was educated at the University of Manitoba, and subsequently became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University (also playing for the University's ice hockey team in 1967 and 1968). He taught Political Science before entering public life, and was the President of Leafrapids Corporation from 1971 to 1977.
Parasiuk first ran for the Manitoba legislature in the provincial election of 1973, losing to Progressive Conservative candidate Donald Craik by about 2,000 votes in the central Winnipeg riding of Riel. In the 1977 election, he was elected in the traditional NDP stronghold of Transcona in east Winnipeg, even as the NDP government of Edward Schreyer was defeated by the Tories under Sterling Lyon.
There were rumours that Parasiuk would run to replace Schreyer as party leader in 1979, and some believed that prominent MLA Saul Cherniack was promoting his candidacy. The general view among party insiders, however, was that he was not yet experienced enough to run for the position. He declined to run for the leadership himself, and itstead supported the successful candidacy of Howard Pawley. He was easily re-elected in the 1981 election, as Pawley's NDP won a majority government.
On November 30, 1981, Parasiuk was named Minister of Energy and Mines with responsibility for Manitoba Hydro, the Development Corporation Act, Manitoba Data Services and Manfor Resources Ltd.. On January 20, 1982, he was also named Minister for Crown Investments. He was relieved of the DCA and MDS responsibilities on May 19, 1982, and the Crown Investments portfolio and the Manfor responsibility on November 4, 1983.
Parasiuk was easily re-elected in the 1986 provincial election. He resigned his portfolios on May 20, 1986 amid a conflict-of-interest allegation, but was reinstated on August 29, 1986 after his name was cleared by an independent retired judge. On September 21, 1987, he was appointed Minister of Health, with responsibility for Sport, the Boxing and Wrestling Commission Act and the Fitness and Amateur Sports Act.
Throughout the 1980s, Parasiuk was regarded by many as the heir apparent to the Manitoba NDP leadership, and it is possible that Pawley retained him in the Energy and Mines portfolio for seven years to reduce his general profile in government. His plans to seek the party leadership, however, were effectively nullified when the Pawley government was unexpectedly defeated in the legislature in early 1988, at a time when the party had lost much of its popular support. Pawley resigned the NDP leadership as the party was forced to enter an election which it had little hope of winning. Parasiuk, accordingly, did not to replace him, and instead supported Gary Doer for the position. Parasiuk himself was upset by Richard Kozak in the 1988 election, and has not sought a return to political life since then.
Parasiuk has remained active in health-care policy research in Canada, and also hired by the government of Michael Harcourt to work as President of the British Columbia Trade and Development Corporation in 1991. In 2003, he supported Bill Blaikie's campaign to lead the federal New Democratic Party. He is now the President of Paralink Management.
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