George Johnson, OC (November 18, 1920 – July 8, 1995)[1] was a medical doctor and is seen by historians as one of the leading political reformers of the twentieth century in Manitoba.
[citation needed] He served as a Cabinet Minister in the governments of Dufferin Roblin and Walter Weir and as the province's 20th Lieutenant Governor from 1986 to 1993.
A Progressive Conservative, he was appointed Minister of Health and Public Welfare[1] in the minority government of Dufferin Roblin, who had personally recruited him to run for the party.
He held this position until September 24, 1968,[1] and was responsible for, among other achievements, the establishment of the universities of Winnipeg and Brandon, respectively, and the Manitoba Institute of Technology (later 'Red River Community College'), and for introducing the policy of "shared services" for public and separate schools (allowing children in separate schools to access public programs for busing, textbooks and the like).
In 1968, Johnson returned to his old portfolio as Minister of Health, to oversee an historic change in the provision of medical services: the implementation of medicare in Manitoba.
[citation needed] Along with Roblin, he is considered by historians to be the leading political reformer of his generation and among the most influential cabinet ministers in Manitoba history.