Murray John Elston (born October 8, 1949) is a former politician in Ontario Canada. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1981 to 1994 who represented the central Ontario ridings of Huron—Bruce and Bruce. He was a senior cabinet minister in the government of David Peterson. He briefly served as interim leader of the Liberal Party from July to November 1991. Background Elston was educated at the University of Western Ontario, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree and a law degree. He practised law, working for the firm of Crawford, Mill Davies & Elston. Politics Elston was elected to the Ontario legislature in the 1981 provincial election defeating Progressive Conservative Gary Harron by 224 votes in the rural, southwestern constituency of Huron—Bruce. The Progressive Conservatives won a majority government under Bill Davis in this election, and Elston sat on the opposition benches for the next four years. He was re-elected in the 1985 election. After the Miller government failed on a vote of no confidence, The Liberals formed a minority government with the support of the New Democratic Party and Elston was appointed to the high-profile position of Minister of Health. In this role, he was at the centre of the government's fight against extra-billing by doctors, an issue the government won after withstanding the province's first doctors' strike. Elston also announced subsidies for residents of Northern Ontario who needed to travel south for medical care. The Liberals were re-elected with a landslide majority in the 1987 provincial election, and Elston was returned by a significant majority in the redistributed riding of Bruce. In the cabinet shuffle that followed on September 29, 1987, Elston was appointed Chair of the Management Board of Cabinet. He was also appointed Minister of Financial Institutions on August 16, 1988. In the 1990 Ontario election, the Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party under Bob Rae. Many high-profile Liberals lost their seats, though Elston was returned in Bruce by a comfortable if reduced margin. Peterson, who had lost his own seat on election night, resigned immediately as party leader. Cabinet positions Interim leader and convention The Liberals initially chose Robert Nixon as their interim leader, but he resigned on July 31, 1991 to accept a federal appointment. Elston was then chosen as interim leader in Nixon's place, though his time in this position was brief. He declared himself a