to prevent the establishment of official bilingualism in the province. These measures seemed to be supported by many in Manitoba's anglophone community, and the provincial Liberals were shut out in four crucial by-elections in early 1969. Molgat resigned as party leader soon thereafter, and was replaced by Robert Bend. This proved to be a poor strategic decision for the Liberals. Bend represented the rural, traditional wing of the party, and had been out of politics for a decade. His campaign fared poorly, and the party was reduced to five members in the general election of 1969 (three of whom were francophone). Molgat was again elected in Ste. Rose without serious difficulty. The election itself resulted in a temporary stalemale, with Edward Schreyer's New Democrats winning 28 seats out of 57, one shy of a majority. There were negotiations among the Liberal and Conservative parties to form a coalition; one scenario would have seen Molgat serving as Premier. The impasse was ended when a francophone Liberal MLA named Laurent Desjardins announced that he would support the NDP. Molgat resigned his seat on October 7, 1970, having been appointed on the recommendation of Pierre Trudeau to the Canadian Senate. Now allowed to use the title "The Honourable", he soon became one the Senate's leading figures in the field of constitutional reform, co-chairing a Special Joint Committee on the Constitution of Canada in 1971, and another on Senate Reform in 1983. He also served as president of the Liberal Party of Canada from 1973 until 1976. Later in the 1980s, he would serve of Chair of the Senate Committee of the Whole on the Meech Lake Constitutional Accord. Molgat was elected deputy speaker in 1983 and was re-elected to the position in 1988. From September 30, 1991, to November 11, 1993, he served as deputy opposition leader in the Senate. When the federal Liberals under Jean Chrétien formed government, Molgat became deputy government leader. One year later, when Roméo LeBlanc was appointed Governor General of Canada, Molgat replaced him as Speaker of the Senate of Canada. Molgat also served as President of the Liberal Party of Canada. He died in hospital on February 28, 2001 following a stroke. References 1927 births 2001 deaths Canadian senators from Manitoba Franco-Manitoban people Liberal Party of Canada senators Manitoba Liberal Party MLAs People from Parkland Region, Manitoba Presidents of the Liberal Party of Canada Speakers of the