Charles Huband

Charles Huband was a Manitoba politician, who subsequently became a judge. He was the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party between 1975 and 1978.

Huband attended the University of Manitoba in the 1950s, earning his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Manitoba in 1955.

Huband was a member of the Metropolitan Council of Winnipeg from 1964 until 1968 (in which year he served as its Vice Chair). He supported the amalgamation of the city with its suburban neighbourhoods, which was accomplished in the early 1970s by New Democratic Party Premier Edward Schreyer.

Huband first attempted to run for the provincial legislature in 1966, but lost the Liberal nomination in Wolseley to Julius Koteles. He later alleged that Koteles signed up several "instant members" to win the nomination.

He ran in the upscale riding of River Heights in the 1973 provincial election, and lost to Progressive Conservative leader Sidney Spivak.

Huband was elected leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party on February 22, 1975, defeating his lone opponent Lloyd Henderson by 381 votes to 87. The party had only four seats in the 57-member legislature at the time, and was in need of renewal. Huband represented a more centrist direction in the party, following the right-wing and libertarian leadership of Israel Asper and the rural populism of Robert Bend.

Huband declared himself a candidate when the central Winnipeg seat of Crescentwood became vacant in early 1975, after the one-vote victory of NDP MLA Harvey Patterson in the 1973 election was overturned. Huband was narrowly defeated by Progressive Conservative Warren Steen. He again lost to Steen in the general election of 1977, as the Manitoba Liberals fell to only one seat (that of Lloyd Axworthy).

Huband resigned as party leader in 1978, and later became a Manitoba Court of Appeal judge. In the mid-1990s, he ruled that the Canadian Wheat Board could not be sued by producers. This decision was given in response to a challenge initiated by the right-wing group Farmers For Justice.

In 1996, Huband's years of service to the legal profession were recognized by the Manitoba Bar Association, which presented him with its Distinguished Service Award.

In 2007, Huband retired from the Manitoba Court of Appeal and resumed private practice, joining the firm of Taylor McCaffrey LLP.

Huband is also an active member of the United Church of Canada.

References

Professional profile (accessed July 24, 2007)

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