Harold Neufeld

Neufeld began a public practice as a chartered accountant in 1954, and was a member of the Chartered Accountants of Manitoba.

He first ran for the Manitoba legislature in the 1986 provincial election as a Progressive Conservative, losing to incumbent New Democrat Vic Schroeder by 527 votes in the north-end Winnipeg riding of Rossmere. In the 1988 election, with NDP support falling throughout the province, he was able to defeat Schroeder by 526 votes in a rematch.^[4]

Neufeld was appointed Minister of Energy and Mines with responsibility for the Manitoba Hydro Act^[5] and Seniors on May 9, 1988. He was relieved of the latter responsibility on April 21, 1989.^[2] He was re-elected by an increased margin in the 1990 provincial election.^[4]

Neufeld stepped down from his cabinet position on January 14, 1992, and resigned from the legislature on May 12, 1993.^[2] There are suggestions that Neufeld resigned as a matter of principle, disturbed by the dubious methods used by the Filmon government to conceal its deficit spending.^[6]

A lifelong Mennonite,^[3] Neufeld joined the executive of Menno Simons College and became chair of the Menno Simons College Foundation after his retirement from the legislature.