Stuart Murray (born November 24, 1954) is a Manitoba politician. He is the current leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, and is the leader of the opposition in the Manitoba legislature.
Murray was born in Lestock , Saskatchewan. He attended the University of Manitoba and Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, receiving a degree in Architectural Science from the latter. He then worked as the road manager for the rock band Blood, Sweat and Tears, and in 1982 became Media Director of the Canadian Opera Company.
In 1985, Murray began working for Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He moved to Winnipeg in 1989 after being named Vice President of Domo Gasoline Corporation ; four years later, he became its CEO and President. He also campaigned for the Manitoba Tories in the elections of 1990, 1995 and 1999.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba was defeated by Gary Doer's New Democrats in the 1999 election. In 2000, Gary Filmon stepped down as Tory leader, a position that he had held since 1983.
Although Murray had no personal experience as a politician, he soon became the preferred candidate of the party leadership. Darren Praznik initially considered running against Murray, but withdrew well before the leadership convention. As such, Murray was acclaimed as the party's leader in November 2000. He won a by-election in Kirkfield Park almost immediately thereafter, and was sworn in as leader of the opposition in December.
Murray was unable to make a strong impression with the voting public between 2000 and 2003. The province's economy performed well under Gary Doer's centrist government, and Murray's right-wing policy alternatives failed to find a broad audience. Party officials acknowledged that a dynamic leadership race would have been a better way to introduce Murray to voters.
Doer's government was re-elected with a record majority in 2003, as Murray's Tories slipped to 36.31% of the vote and 20 seats in a 57-member parliament (their worst showing since 1953). Even more worrying for the Tories was the fact that their strength was primarily concentrated in the rural south of the province, with Doer's NDP making inroads in the traditional Tory bastions of south Winnipeg.
Murray remained as party leader after this loss. In 2004, he endorsed the new Conservative Party of Canada and campaigned on behalf of Steven Fletcher during the election of 2004.
Despite some concerns about Murray's leadership, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives voted overwhelmingly against holding a leadership review at a conference held in November 2004.
