Reformer campaigned in a 1997 provincial by-election, but the idea went no further. He considered leaving the party in 1998, but chose to stay after receiving promises that it would devote more attention to agriculture. Hoeppner was excluded from the Reform Party caucus on July 27, 1999, after criticizing party leader Preston Manning and strategist Rick Anderson for their plans to fold Reform into the United Alternative. Hoeppner later announced his plans to challenge Manning for the United Alternative leadership, though this came to nothing. He was permanently expelled from caucus later in the year, and changed his parliamentary designation to "Independent Reform" on September 28. On April 4, 2000, he changed his designation to "Independent". Hoepnner was accused of assaulting Reform MP Inky Mark at a meeting in September 1999, but was cleared of the charge in May 2000. He sought re-election in November 2000 and this time finished a distant fourth against Pallister, who was now a candidate of Reform's successor party, the Canadian Alliance. Hoeppner openly used $10,500 taken from the Portage—Lisgar Canadian Alliance Association in this election, claiming that the money belonged to him. The Alliance later sued to recover the money. Controversy Hoeppner once blamed women for inciting male violence, claiming: "As kids we were always taught at home when we went to get the cattle out of the pasture not to wear red because it would infuriate the bull". After politics After leaving office, Hoeppner was involved with "Farmers for Justice", a conservative agrarian group seeking to reduce the powers of the Canadian Wheat Board. Hoeppner was later skeptical about efforts to merge the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservatives to form the Conservative Party of Canada He also brought a series of lawsuits against former leaders of the Reform Party, including one in 2004 for "embarrassment, damage to his reputation and humiliation" resulting from his expulsion from the party five years earlier. Personal life Hoeppner's brother Walter has campaigned for the Manitoba Liberal Party at the provincial level. He passed away on October 22, 2015. Electoral history References External links 1936 births 2015 deaths Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Manitoba Reform Party of Canada MPs Politicians affected by a party expulsion process People from Morden, Manitoba