the average income in Manitoba. He wanted to implement ability-to-pay options for people with varying income such as farmers. Dawson criticized the 45 per cent increase in education taxes on agricultural lands after reassessments of property values in March 1968. He felt that mineral, timber and agricultural resources were underdeveloped, and advocated for cattle raising similar to Alberta and Saskatchewan. He sought for changes in the Manitoba Development Fund for these causes and to relieve rural industries and businesses from tax burden. He also sat as a member on a special committee to investigate legislation on the sale and use of farm machinery and repairs in Manitoba, and legislation for artificial insemination of livestock under the Animal Husbandry Act. Dawson was mentioned as a possible replacement for Gildas Molgat, who resigned as leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party in March 1969. Prior to the 1969 Manitoba general election, Dawson's riding of Hamiota was dissolved when boundaries were redistributed. He was nominated as the Liberal Party candidate in the riding of Virden against its Conservative Party incumbent Morris McGregor. Dawson was defeated with 1,571 votes compared to 2,161 votes for McGregor. National sports and later life Dawson became a civil servant in April 1970, when he was hired as a part-time consultant and liaison by the Fitness and Amateur Sport Directorate of Canada working under national director Lou Lefaive. Dawson went on to serve for 17 years as a full-time national sport director and secretary of the Canada Games council. In July 1970, the CAHA closed its Winnipeg office which had operated for three years and relocated to Ottawa. The new office was in the same building as the Fitness and Amateur Sport Directorate of Canada, and Dawson stated that the CAHA would spend $40,000 less per year and take advantage of the federal funding project for amateur sports announced by John Munro. The Directorate of Fitness and Amateur Sport was split into Sport Canada and Recreation Canada in 1971, to oversee competitive and recreational aspects of sport. Dawson oversaw funding programs to assist athletes and promote amateur sports, which included the Canada Fitness Award Program at the 1972 Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba, and grants to communities of First Nations in Canada to operate recreational programs. Dawson's role within Sport Canada included serving on the Hockey Canada board of directors, and supporting Canada's Junior Olympics program. He also sat on the