Johnson was first elected to the
Manitoba legislature in 1958, for the riding of
Gimli, north of
Winnipeg. A
Progressive Conservative, he was appointed
Minister of Health and Public Welfare in the minority government of
Dufferin Roblin, who had personally recruited him to run for the party. He retained the health portfolio when the Progressive Conservatives won a majority government in 1959, and oversaw a policy of major hospital expansions in the province and other significant reforms between 1959 and 1963. On December 9, 1963, Johnson moved to the
Ministry of Education as the government sought to cope with the educational requirements of a rapidly expanding baby-boom population. He held this position until September 24, 1968, 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. Ideologically, Johnson was a progressive, often referred to as (somewhat erroneously) a
Red Tory with beliefs similar to those held by Premier Roblin. 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. Although generally a
free marketeer, Johnson supported government intervention in the economy in certain areas, for example, in such areas as public utility management, education, major infrastructure projects and certain medical services. When Roblin shifted to federal politics in 1967, Johnson was the only candidate from the Progressive Conservative Party's progressive wing to seek its leadership. A late entry into the leadership race hurt his campaign and while he was the alternative choice for leader among many delegates, the fact that Johnson did not survive to the later balloting prevented him from emerging as the possible compromise choice for party leader among delegates.
Break from politics Johnson did not seek re-election in 1969, and returned to medical practice in Winnipeg. An experienced
physician, within a few years he had one of the largest medical practices in Manitoba.
Lieutenant governorship Leaving medicine again for the public arena in 1978, Johnson served for the subsequent eight years as a special consultant to the Manitoba government, providing strategic advice and counsel to the government in various areas of health policy. On December 11, 1986, in "recognition of his services to the people of Manitoba", he was appointed as the province's lieutenant governor by
Governor General Jeanne Sauvé, on the advice of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney. He served in this position until March 5, 1993. ==Honours==