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115-403: Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He was the first, and to date, only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada , serving as the party's first leader from 2004 to 2015. Harper studied economics, earning a bachelor's degree in 1985 and a master's degree in 1991 at
230-769: A minority government led by the Conservative Party with Harper becoming prime minister of Canada. During his first term, Harper confronted the In and Out scandal , reduced the goods and services tax to five percent, and passed the Federal Accountability Act , the Québécois nation motion , and the Veterans' Bill of Rights . After the 2008 federal election , in which the Conservatives won
345-700: A no-confidence vote found his government to be in contempt of Parliament , triggering a federal election in which the Conservatives won a majority government . During his third term, Harper withdrew Canada from the Kyoto Protocol , launched Operation Impact in opposition to ISIL , privatized the Canadian Wheat Board , repealed the long-gun registry , passed the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015 , launched Canada's Global Markets Action Plan , and grappled with controversies surrounding
460-557: A 2007 amendment to the Canada Elections Act , Section 56.1(2) limited the term of a Parliament to four years, with election day being set as the third Monday in October of the fourth calendar year after the previous polling date. The governor general may still, on the advice of the prime minister, dissolve parliament and issue the writs of election prior to the date mandated by the constitution or Canada Elections Act ;
575-497: A May 2005, budget vote. If the story had been proved true, the actions may have been grounds for charges as a criminal offence as under the Criminal Code , it is illegal to bribe an MP. When asked by Vancouver journalist Tom Zytaruk about the alleged life insurance offer then-opposition leader Stephen Harper states on an audio tape "I don't know the details. I know there were discussions" and goes on to say "The offer to Chuck
690-460: A Montreal hotel. On September 9, 2004, the three signed a letter addressed to the governor general , Adrienne Clarkson , stating, "We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult
805-545: A candidate in the next federal election . He resigned his parliamentary seat on January 14, 1997, the same day that he was appointed as a vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition (NCC), a conservative think-tank and advocacy group. He was promoted to NCC president later in the year. In April 1997, Harper suggested that the Reform Party was drifting toward social conservatism and ignoring
920-543: A caucus may trigger a party leadership review and, if necessary, chose an interim leader, thereby making a prime minister more accountable to the MPs in one's party. Caucuses may choose to follow these rules, though the decision would be made by recorded vote, thereby subjecting the party's choice to public scrutiny. The Senate may delay or impede legislation put forward by the Cabinet, such as when Brian Mulroney 's bill creating
1035-613: A coalition government with the Bloc and NDP in response to Harper's allegations that the Liberals may form a coalition with the Bloc and the NDP. The Conservative Party's first policy convention was held from March 17 to 19, 2005, in Montreal . Harper had been rumoured to be shifting his ideology closer to that of a Blue Tory , and many thought he'd wanted to move the party's policies closer to
1150-550: A confidence vote the following week. Ultimately, the effort to bring down the Martin government failed following the decision of Conservative MP Belinda Stronach to cross the floor to the Liberal Party. The vote on the NDP amendment to the budget tied, and with the speaker of the House voting to continue the debate, the Liberals stayed in power. At the time, some considered the matter to be a constitutional crisis . Harper
1265-525: A divided opposition. Harper and Flanagan argued that federal conservative governments between 1917 and 1993 were founded on temporary alliances between Western populists and Quebec nationalists , and were unable to govern because of their fundamental contradictions. The authors called for an alliance of Canada's conservative parties, and suggested that meaningful political change might require electoral reforms such as proportional representation . "Our Benign Dictatorship" also commended Conrad Black 's purchase of
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#17327806478641380-605: A few sections of the Constitution Act, 1982 , and the Letters Patent, 1947 , issued by King George VI . The office and its functions are instead governed by constitutional conventions and modelled on the same office in the United Kingdom . In 2008, a public opinion survey showed that 51% of Canadians believed they voted to directly elect the prime minister. In fact, the prime minister, along with
1495-661: A former United Church of Canada moderator. Harper told a reporter during the campaign that he "despise[d]" Phipps, and declined to debate him. Harper officially became the leader of the Official Opposition in May 2002. Later in the same month, he said that the Atlantic Provinces were trapped in "a culture of defeat" which had to be overcome, the result of policies designed by Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments. Many Atlantic politicians condemned
1610-480: A government, the governor general can consult whomever he wishes. While there is no legal requirement for the prime minister to be an MP, for practical and political reasons the prime minister is expected to win a seat very promptly. However, in rare circumstances individuals who are not sitting members of the House of Commons have been appointed to the position of prime minister. Two former prime ministers— John Joseph Caldwell Abbott and Mackenzie Bowell —served in
1725-609: A larger minority, Harper prorogued Parliament to defeat a non-confidence motion by a potential coalition of opposition parties , passed the Economic Action Plan of major personal income tax cuts and infrastructure investments in response to the Great Recession , introduced the tax-free savings account , and ordered military intervention during the First Libyan Civil War . In March 2011,
1840-673: A letter to The Wall Street Journal in which they condemned the Canadian government's unwillingness to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq . As party leader, Harper sought to merge the Alliance with the Progressive Conservatives (PCs) to create a united right-of-centre party. The possibility of a united conservative party increased after Peter Mackay was elected Progressive Conservative leader in May 2003. On October 16, 2003, Harper and Mackay agreed to merge
1955-434: A majority of seats, the prime minister may resign or choose to meet Parliament to see if the incumbent government can win a confidence vote. Should the prime minister's party achieve a minority while an opposition party wins a plurality (i.e., more seats than any other party but less than a majority), the prime minister can attempt to maintain the confidence of the House by forming a coalition with other minority parties, which
2070-425: A motion of no confidence on the Martin government, telling the House of Commons "that this government has lost the confidence of the House of Commons and needs to be removed". As the Liberals had lost NDP support in the house by refusing to accept an NDP plan to prevent health care privatization, the no-confidence motion was passed by a vote of 171–133. It was the first time that a Canadian government had been toppled by
2185-480: A result of a Government of Canada " sponsorship program" in the province of Quebec and involving the Liberal Party of Canada) and other scandals surrounding his government. The Liberals attempted to counter this with an early election call, as this would give the Conservatives less time to consolidate their merger. This, along with an unpopular provincial budget by Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty in Ontario, moved
2300-419: A seat in the House of Commons; Turner won a riding in the next election but the Liberal Party was swept from power. When a prime minister loses their seat in the legislature, or should a new prime minister be appointed without holding a seat, the typical process that follows is that a member in the governing political party will resign to allow the prime minister to run in the resulting by-election. A safe seat
2415-575: A senator, and Bennett moved to the United Kingdom after being elevated to the House of Lords . A number were leaders of the Official Opposition : John A. Macdonald, Arthur Meighen , Mackenzie King, and Pierre Trudeau, all before being re-appointed as prime minister (Mackenzie King twice); Alexander Mackenzie and John Diefenbaker , both prior to sitting as regular Members of Parliament until their deaths; Wilfrid Laurier dying while still in
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#17327806478642530-455: A straight motion of no confidence proposed by the opposition. As a result, Parliament was dissolved and a general election was scheduled for January 23, 2006. On February 27, 2008, allegations surfaced that two Conservative Party officials offered terminally ill, independent MP Chuck Cadman a million-dollar life insurance policy in exchange for his vote to bring down the Liberal government in
2645-806: Is a prime minister and a government in place, and exercising the right 'to encourage, to advise, and to warn'[...] Without really revealing any secrets, I can tell you that I have done all three." Two official residences are provided to the prime minister— 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa and Harrington Lake , a country retreat in Gatineau Park —as well an office in the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council building (formerly known as Langevin Block), across from Parliament Hill . For transportation,
2760-621: Is not a coalition, but this is a co-operative effort." On October 4, Mike Duffy , who was later appointed as a Conservative senator by Harper, said: "It is possible that you could change prime minister without having an election." He added that some Conservatives wanted Harper to temporarily become prime minister without holding an election. The next day, Layton walked out on talks with Harper and Duceppe, accusing them of trying to replace Paul Martin with Harper as prime minister. Both Bloc and Conservative officials denied Layton's accusations. On March 26, 2011, Duceppe stated that Harper had tried to form
2875-400: Is often the leader of the party, or a coalition of parties, whose members form a majority , or a very large plurality , of seats in the House of Commons. No document is needed to begin the appointment; a party leader becomes prime minister-designate as soon as he accepts the governor general's invitation to form a government . A prime minister who has given intention to resign may advise
2990-762: Is supported by the Prime Minister's Office and heads the Privy Council Office . The prime minister also selects individuals for appointment as governor general (in the federal jurisdiction) and lieutenant governor (in the provinces ), as well as to the Senate of Canada , Supreme Court of Canada , other federal courts , and the chairs and boards of various Crown corporations . Since Confederation in 1867, 23 prime ministers (twenty-two men and one woman) have formed 29 ministries . Justin Trudeau
3105-458: Is the Parliament that's supposed to run the country, not just the largest party and the single leader of that party. That's a criticism I've had and that we've had and that most Canadians have had for a long, long time now so this is an opportunity to start to change that." At the time, Harper and the two other opposition leaders denied trying to form a coalition government . Harper said, "This
3220-466: Is the case in the UK). There do exist checks on the prime minister's power: the House of Commons may revoke its confidence in an incumbent prime minister and Cabinet or caucus revolts can quickly bring down a serving premier and even mere threats of such action can persuade or compel a prime minister to resign their post, as happened with Jean Chrétien . The Reform Act, 2014 , codifies the process by which
3335-411: Is the current prime minister, who took office on November 4, 2015, following the 2015 federal election , wherein his Liberal Party won a majority of seats. Trudeau's Liberals subsequently won a plurality of seats in the 2019 and 2021 elections , leaving Trudeau with minority governments . The position of prime minister is not outlined in any Canadian constitutional document and is mentioned only in
3450-474: Is usually chosen; while the Liberal and Conservative parties generally observed a practice of not running a candidate against another party's new leader in the by-election, the New Democratic Party and smaller political parties typically do not follow the same practice. However, if the governing party selects a new leader shortly before an election is due, and that new leader is not a member of
3565-559: Is vested in the monarch (who is the head of state ), but, in practice, the powers of the monarch and governor general are nearly always exercised on the advice of the Cabinet, which is collectively responsible to the House of Commons. Canadian prime ministers are appointed to the Privy Council and styled as the Right Honourable (French: le très honorable ), a privilege maintained for life. The prime minister
Stephen Harper - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-410: The 1925 federal election and again in the 1945 Canadian federal election (despite his party being elected government both times), briefly governed without a seat in the House of Commons on both occasions before winning a by-election a few weeks later. Similarly, John Turner replaced Pierre Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party in 1984 and subsequently was appointed prime minister while not holding
3795-484: The 1993 federal election and defeated Jim Hawkes amid a significant Reform breakthrough in Western Canada. The National Citizens Coalition (NCC) ran a $ 50,000 print and television campaign against Hawkes but did not endorse Harper directly. Harper emerged a prominent member of the Reform Party caucus. He was active on constitutional issues and played a prominent role in drafting the Reform Party's strategy for
3910-620: The 1995 Quebec referendum . A long-standing opponent of centralized federalism , he stood with Preston Manning in Montreal to introduce a twenty-point plan to "decentralize and modernize" Canada in the event of a "no" victory. Harper later argued that the "no" side's narrow plurality was a worst-case scenario, in that no-one had won a mandate for change. Harper has expressed some socially conservative views on certain issues. In 1994, he opposed plans by federal Justice Minister Allan Rock to introduce spousal benefits for same-sex couples. Citing
4025-554: The 2001 Alberta provincial election , Harper led the NCC in a "Vote Anything but Liberal" campaign. Some articles from this period described him as a possible successor to Klein. Harper and the NCC endorsed a private school tax credit proposed by Ontario's Progressive Conservative government in 2001, arguing that it would "save about $ 7,000 for each student who does not attend a union -run public school". Education Minister Janet Ecker criticized this, saying that her government's intent
4140-592: The Canadian Armed Forces . Pierre Trudeau is often credited with, throughout his tenure as prime minister (1968–79, 1980–84), consolidating power in the PMO, which is itself filled by political and administrative staff selected at the prime minister's discretion and unaccountable to Parliament. At the end of the 20th century and into the 21st, analysts—such as Jeffrey Simpson , Donald Savoie , Andrew Coyne , and John Gomery —argued that both Parliament and
4255-625: The Canadian Firearms Registry at second reading in 1995, although he later voted against it at third reading stage. He said at the time that he initially voted for the registry because of a poll showing that most of his constituents supported it, and added that he changed his vote when a second poll showed the opposite result. It was reported in April 1995, that some Progressive Conservatives opposed to Jean Charest 's leadership wanted to remove both Charest and Manning, and unite
4370-644: The Canadian Senate expenses scandal and the Robocall scandal . In the 2015 federal election , the Conservative Party lost power to the Liberal Party led by Justin Trudeau . Harper officially stepped down as party leader on October 19, 2015, and resigned his seat on August 26, 2016. Since then, Harper has taken on a number of international business and leadership roles, founding a global consulting firm, appearing in US and British media, and being elected leader of
4485-473: The Charlottetown Accord . Harper opposed the accord on principle for ideological reasons, while Manning was initially more open to compromise. Harper also criticized Manning's decision to hire Rick Anderson as an adviser, believing that Anderson was not sufficiently committed to the Reform Party's principles. Harper resigned as the policy chief in October 1992. Harper stood for office again in
4600-548: The Criminal Code had been violated. The RCMP concluded their investigation stating that there was no evidence for pressing charges. Prime minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada (French: premier ministre du Canada ) is the head of government of Canada . Under the Westminster system , the prime minister governs with the confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons ; as such,
4715-557: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) came before the Senate, and given Canada's federal nature , the jurisdiction of the federal government is limited to areas prescribed by the constitution. Further, as executive power is constitutionally vested in the monarch, meaning the royal prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of its ministers, the sovereign's supremacy over the prime minister in
Stephen Harper - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-651: The International Democracy Union . Harper was born and raised in Leaside , a neighbourhood of Toronto , Ontario, the first of three sons of Margaret (née Johnston) and Joseph Harris Harper, an accountant at Imperial Oil . The Harper family traces its ancestral roots back to Sledmere , a village in Yorkshire , England , with Harper's 4th great-grandfather Christopher having emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1774, where he later served as justice of
4945-1023: The International Democrat Union until September 2023) is an international alliance of center-right to right wing political parties . Headquartered in Munich , Germany, the IDU consists of 84 full and associate members from 65 countries. It is chaired by Stephen Harper , former prime minister of Canada . It has two affiliated international organizations ( International Young Democrat Union and International Women's Democracy Union ) and six affiliated regional organizations ( Union of Latin American Parties , Asia Pacific Democrat Union , Caribbean Democrat Union , Democrat Union of Africa , European People's Party and European Conservatives and Reformists Party ). The IDU allows "centre-right" conservative political parties around
5060-486: The King–Byng Affair was the only time since Confederation that the governor general refused the prime minister's request for a general vote. Following parliamentary dissolution, should the prime minister's party subsequently win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, it is unnecessary to re-appoint the prime minister or for the prime minister to retake the oath of office. If, however, an opposition party wins
5175-643: The Southam newspaper chain, arguing that his stewardship would provide for a "pluralistic" editorial view to counter the "monolithically liberal and feminist " approach of the previous management. Harper remained active in constitutional issues. He was a prominent opponent of the Calgary Declaration on national unity in late 1997, describing it as an "appeasement strategy" against Quebec nationalism. He called for federalist politicians to reject this strategy, and approach future constitutional talks from
5290-777: The University of Calgary . He was one of the founders of the Reform Party of Canada and was first elected in 1993 in Calgary West . He did not seek re-election in the 1997 federal election , instead joining and later leading the National Citizens Coalition , a conservative lobbyist group. In 2002 , he succeeded Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance , the successor to the Reform Party, and returned to parliament as leader of
5405-466: The advice given by the prime minister is ordinarily binding, meaning the prime minister effectively carries out those duties ascribed to the sovereign or governor general, leaving the latter to act in predominantly ceremonial fashions. As such, the prime minister, supported by the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO), controls the appointments of many key figures in Canada's system of governance, including
5520-511: The peerage of the United Kingdom by King George VI as Viscount Bennett, of Mickleham in the County of Surrey and of Calgary and Hopewell in Canada. No prime minister has since been titled. The Canadian Heraldic Authority (CHA) grants former prime ministers an augmentation of honour on the coat of arms of those who apply for them. The heraldic badge, referred to by the CHA as the mark of
5635-455: The "best of Canada's heritage—a combination of American enterprise and individualism with the British traditions of order and co-operation" while Canada "appears content to become a second-tier socialistic country ... led by a second-world strongman appropriately suited for the task". He also called for a "stronger and much more autonomous Alberta", while rejecting calls for separatism . In
5750-459: The "moral authority to govern". Shortly thereafter, the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois united to defeat the government on a vote that some considered to be either a confidence motion or else a motion requiring an immediate test of the confidence of the House. The Martin government did not accept this interpretation and argued that vote had been on a procedural motion, although they also indicated that they would bring forward their revised budget for
5865-475: The 1890s while members of the Senate . Both, in their roles as government leader in the Senate , succeeded prime ministers who had died in office— John A. Macdonald in 1891 and John Sparrow David Thompson in 1894. Prime ministers who are not MPs upon their appointment (or who lose their seats while in office) have since been expected to seek election to the House of Commons as soon as possible. For example, William Lyon Mackenzie King , after losing his seat in
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#17327806478645980-587: The Cabinet had become eclipsed by prime ministerial power; Savoie wrote: "The Canadian prime minister has little in the way of institutional check, at least inside government, to inhibit his ability to have his way." Indeed, the position has been described as undergoing a "presidentialization", to the point that its incumbents publicly outshine the actual head of state (and prime minister's spouses are sometimes referred to as First Lady of Canada ). Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson alluded to what she saw as "an unspoken rivalry" that had developed between
6095-676: The Canadian Alliance was shifting "more towards being a party of the religious right ". After the death of Pierre Trudeau in 2000, Harper wrote an editorial criticizing Trudeau's policies as they affected Western Canada. He wrote that Trudeau "embraced the fashionable causes of his time, with variable enthusiasm and differing results", but "took a pass" on the issues that "truly defined his century". Harper subsequently accused Trudeau of promoting "unabashed socialism", and argued that Canadian governments between 1972 and 2002 had restricted economic growth through "state corporatism". After
6210-586: The Canadian Alliance's poor showing in the 2000 election , Harper joined with other Western conservatives in co-authoring a document called the " Alberta Agenda ". The letter called on Alberta to reform publicly funded health care, replace the Canada Pension Plan with a provincial plan and replace the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with a provincial police force. It became known as the "firewall letter", because it called on
6325-456: The Conservatives into a lead for a time. However, comments by Conservative MPs, leaked press releases accusing the then prime minister of supporting child pornography , as well as attack ads suggesting that the Conservatives had a secret agenda, caused Harper's party to lose some momentum. The Liberals were re-elected to power with a minority government, with the Conservatives coming in second place. The Conservatives managed to make inroads into
6440-540: The Crown in right of the United Kingdom, which has periodically bestowed such Imperial honours on such citizens) has since adopted this policy generally, such that the last prime minister to be knighted near appointment was Robert Borden , who was the prime minister at the time the Nickle Resolution was debated in the House of Commons (and was knighted before the resolution). Still, Bennett was, in 1941, six years after he stepped down as prime minister, elevated to
6555-646: The House of Commons during Question Period , other members of parliament may address the prime minister as the Right Honourable Member for [prime minister's riding ] or simply the Right Honourable Prime Minister . Former prime ministers retain the prefix the Right Honourable for the remainder of their lives; should they remain sitting MPs, they may be referred as the Right Honourable Member for [member's riding] , by their portfolio title (if appointed to one), as in
6670-413: The Liberals in the scandal, opinion polls placed the Conservatives ahead of Liberals. The Conservatives had earlier abstained from the vote on the 2005 budget to avoid forcing an election. With the collapse in Liberal support and a controversial NDP amendment to the budget, the party exerted significant pressure on Harper to bring down the government. In May, Harper announced that Martin's Liberals had lost
6785-461: The Liberals' Ontario stronghold, primarily in the province's socially conservative central region. However, they were shut out of Quebec, marking the first time that a centre-right party did not win any seats in that province. Harper, after some personal deliberation, decided to stay on as the party leader. Two months after the federal election, Harper privately met Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton in
6900-467: The NCC in several campaigns against the Canadian Wheat Board , and supported Finance Minister Paul Martin 's 2000 tax cuts as a positive first step toward tax reform. In 1997, Harper delivered a controversial speech on Canadian identity to the Council for National Policy , a conservative American think tank . He made comments such as "Canada is a Northern European welfare state in the worst sense of
7015-568: The NCC presidency in August 2001, to prepare a campaign. Stockwell Day called a new Canadian Alliance leadership race for 2002, and soon declared himself a candidate. Harper emerged as Day's main rival, and declared his own candidacy on December 3, 2001. He eventually won the support of at least 28 Alliance MPs, including Scott Reid , James Rajotte and Keith Martin . During the campaign, Harper reprised his earlier warnings against an alliance with Quebec nationalists, and called for his party to become
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#17327806478647130-596: The Official Opposition . In 2003, Harper negotiated the merger of the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to form the Conservative Party of Canada and was elected as the party's first leader in March 2004 . In the 2004 federal election , the new party lost its first election to the Liberal Party led by Paul Martin . The 2006 federal election resulted in
7245-483: The Prime Ministership of Canada , consists of four red maple leaves joined at the stem on a white field ( Argent four maple leaves conjoined in cross at the stem Gules ); the augmentation is usually a canton or centred in the chief . Joe Clark , Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Brian Mulroney, Kim Campbell , Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin were granted arms with the augmentation. Canada continues
7360-432: The Reform Party's national organization in his role as policy chief, encouraging the party to expand beyond its Western base and arguing that strictly regional parties were at risk of being taken over by radical elements. He delivered a speech at the Reform Party's 1991 national convention, in which he condemned extremist views. Harper's relationship with Manning became strained in 1992, because of conflicting strategies over
7475-410: The Reform and Progressive Conservative parties under Harper's leadership. Despite his prominent position in the party, Harper's relationship with the Reform Party leadership was frequently strained. In early 1994, he criticized a party decision to establish a personal expense account for Manning at a time when other Reform MPs had been asked to forego parliamentary perquisites. He was formally rebuked by
7590-581: The Reform executive council despite winning support from some MPs. His relationship with Manning grew increasingly fractious in the mid-1990s, and he pointedly declined to express any opinion on Manning's leadership during a 1996 interview. This friction was indicative of a fundamental divide between the two men: Harper was strongly committed to conservative principles and opposed Manning's inclinations toward populism , which Harper saw as leading to compromise on core ideological matters. These tensions culminated in late 1996 when Harper announced that he would not be
7705-465: The Right Honourable Minister of National Defence , or should they become opposition leader, as the Right Honourable Leader of the Opposition . In the decades following Confederation, it was common practice to refer to the prime minister as Premier of Canada , a custom that continued during the First World War , around the time of Robert Borden's premiership. While contemporary sources will still speak of early prime ministers of Canada as premier ,
7820-587: The University of Calgary. Trained as an economist, Harper was the first prime minister with an economics degree since Pierre Trudeau and the first prime minister without a law degree since Joe Clark . Harper became involved in politics as a member of his high school's Young Liberals club . He later changed his political allegiance because he disagreed with the National Energy Program (NEP) of Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government. He became executive assistant to Progressive Conservative (PC) Member of Parliament (MP) Jim Hawkes in 1985 but later became disillusioned with
7935-451: The University of Toronto and then moved to Edmonton , Alberta, where he found work in the mail room at Imperial Oil. Later, he advanced to work on the company's computer systems. He took up post-secondary studies again at the University of Calgary , where he completed a bachelor's degree in economics in 1985. He later returned there to earn a master's degree in economics, completed in 1991. Throughout his career, Harper has kept strong links to
8050-444: The Westminster tradition of using the title Prime Minister when one is speaking to the federal head of government directly; the Department of Canadian Heritage advises that the term Mr. Prime Minister should not be used in official contexts. The written form of address for the prime minister should use their full parliamentary title: The Right Honourable [name], [ post-nominal letters ], Prime Minister of Canada . However, while in
8165-494: The age of sexual consent. He described his potential support base as "similar to what George Bush tapped". The tone of the leadership contest turned hostile in February 2002. Harper described Day's governance of the party as "amateurish", while his campaign team argued that Day was attempting to win re-election by building a narrow support base among different groups in the religious right. The Day campaign accused Harper of "attacking ethnic and religious minorities". In early March,
8280-519: The book. Harper is credited with creating Reform's campaign slogan, "The West wants in!" Harper ran for the House of Commons in the 1988 federal election in Calgary West and losing by a wide margin to Hawkes, his former employer. After Reform candidate Deborah Grey was elected as the party's first MP in a 1989 by-election , Harper became Grey's executive assistant, serving as her chief adviser and speechwriter until 1993. He remained prominent in
8395-464: The centre. Any opposition to abortion or bilingualism was dropped from the Conservative platform. Harper received an 84% endorsement from delegates in the leadership review . Despite the party abandoning debate over the two controversial issues, they began a concerted drive against same-sex marriage. Harper was criticized by a group of law professors for arguing that the government could override
8510-486: The constitutional order is thus seen as a "rebuff to the pretensions of the elected: As it has been said, when the prime minister bows before the queen, he bows before us [the Canadian people]." Either the sovereign or the governor general may therefore oppose the prime minister's will in extreme, crisis situations. Near the end of her time as governor general, Adrienne Clarkson stated: "My constitutional role has lain in what are called 'reserve powers': making sure that there
8625-470: The country and Bowell the only whose funeral was not attended by politicians. John Thompson also died outside Canada, at Windsor Castle , where Queen Victoria permitted his lying-in-state before his body was returned to Canada for a state funeral in Halifax . Prior to 1919, it was traditional for the monarch to bestow a knighthood on newly appointed Canadian prime ministers. Accordingly, several carried
8740-649: The federalist option in Quebec. He argued that "the French language is not imperilled in Quebec", and opposed "special status" for the province in the Canadian constitution accordingly. He also endorsed greater provincial autonomy on Medicare , and said that he would not co-operate with the Progressive Conservatives as long as they were led by Joe Clark. On social issues, Harper argued for "parental rights" to use corporal punishment against their children and supported raising
8855-607: The financial sector; Lester B. Pearson , who was Chancellor of Carleton University ; Joe Clark and Kim Campbell, who were university lecturers, Clark also consultant and Campbell working in international diplomacy and as the director of private companies and chairperson of interest groups; while Pierre Trudeau and Jean Chrétien returned to legal practice. Former prime ministers also commonly penned autobiographies—Tupper, for example—or published their memoirs—such as Diefenbaker and Paul Martin . International Democracy Union The International Democracy Union ( IDU ; known as
8970-400: The future prime minister by the governor general , after either the individual's political party won a general election or proposed to form either a confidence-and-supply government or coalition government. The term does not apply to incumbent prime ministers. After exiting office, former prime ministers of Canada have engaged in various pursuits. Some remained in politics: Bowell continued as
9085-469: The governor general on whom to appoint as the next prime minister. However, if the prime minister is resigning because he has lost the confidence of the House of Commons, the viceroy is not obligated to follow that advice. Ivor Jennings wrote, "where the government is defeated and there is a leader of the opposition , the King must send for him." If the leader of the opposition is unable or unwilling to form
9200-518: The governor general, the Cabinet, justices of the Supreme Court , senators, heads of Crown corporations , ambassadors and high commissioners , the provincial lieutenant governors , and approximately 3,100 other positions. Further, the prime minister plays a prominent role in the legislative process—with the majority of bills put before Parliament originating in the Cabinet—and the leadership of
9315-414: The governor general. The prime minister is, instead, the head of government and is responsible for advising the Crown on how to exercise much of the royal prerogative and its executive powers, which are governed by the written constitution and constitutional conventions. However, the function of the prime minister has evolved with increasing power. Today, per the doctrines of constitutional monarchy ,
9430-482: The leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. Harper was elected the first leader of the Conservative Party, with a first ballot majority against Belinda Stronach and Tony Clement on March 20, 2004. Harper's victory included strong showings outside of Western Canada. Harper led the Conservatives into the 2004 federal election. Initially, new prime minister Paul Martin held a large lead in polls, but this eroded because of infighting, Adscam (a scandal that came as
9545-427: The legislature, they will normally await the upcoming election before running for a seat in Parliament. The prime minister serves at His Majesty's pleasure , meaning the post does not have a fixed term, and once appointed and sworn in by the governor general, the prime minister remains in office until they resign, are dismissed, or die. While the lifespan of a parliament is constitutionally limited to five years,
9660-411: The modern practice is such that the federal head of government is known almost exclusively as the prime minister , while the provincial and territorial heads of government are termed premiers (in French, premiers are addressed as premier ministre du [province] , literally translated as prime minister of [province] ). The prime minister–designate of Canada is the person who has been designated as
9775-491: The new party's leadership. He expressed reservations about Day's abilities, however, and accused Day of "[making] adherence to his social views a litmus test to determine whether you're in the party or not". Harper endorsed Tom Long for the leadership, arguing that Long was best suited to take support from the Progressive Conservative Party. When Day placed first on the first ballot, Harper said that
9890-420: The opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority." On the same day the letter was written, the three party leaders held a joint press conference at which they expressed their intent to co-operate on changing parliamentary rules, and to request that the governor general consult with them before deciding to call an election. At the news conference, Harper said, "It
10005-406: The other ministers in Cabinet, is appointed by the governor general on behalf of the monarch. By the conventions of responsible government , the foundation of parliamentary democracy, the governor general will call to form a government the individual most likely to receive the support, or confidence, of a majority of the directly elected members of the House of Commons ; as a practical matter, this
10120-538: The party and the government of Brian Mulroney , citing the administration's economic policy. He left the PC Party the next year. Harper was then recommended by the University of Calgary's economist Bob Mansell to Preston Manning , the founder and leader of the right-wing populist Reform Party of Canada . At that time, Harper "didn't see himself as a politician", Mansell told CBC News in 2002, adding, "Politics
10235-650: The peace in the area that is now New Brunswick . Harper attended Northlea Public School and, later, John G. Althouse Middle School and Richview Collegiate Institute , both in Etobicoke , Toronto. He graduated from high school in 1978, and was a member of Richview Collegiate's team on Reach for the Top , a televised academic quiz show for high school students. Harper studied at the University of Toronto's Trinity College before moving to Alberta. In an attempt to establish independence from his parents, Harper dropped out of
10350-571: The position that "Quebec separatists are the problem and they need to be fixed". In late 1999, Harper called for the federal government to establish clear rules for any future Quebec referendum on sovereignty. Some have identified Harper's views as an influence on the Chrétien government's Clarity Act . As president of the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) from 1998 to 2002, Harper launched an ultimately unsuccessful legal battle against federal election laws restricting third-party advertising. He led
10465-447: The post; and Charles Tupper , Louis St. Laurent , and John Turner, each before they returned to private business. Meighen was also appointed to the Senate following his second period as prime minister, but resigned his seat to seek re-election and moved to private enterprise after failing to win a riding. Also returning to civilian life were: Robert Borden, who was Chancellor of Queen's and McGill Universities , as well as working in
10580-641: The prefix Sir before their name; of the first eight prime ministers of Canada, only Alexander Mackenzie refused the honour of a knighthood from Queen Victoria. Following the 1919 Nickle Resolution , however, the House of Commons declared that it should be against the policy of the Canadian Sovereign (and the Canadian government advising the Monarch when such honours are not within the Monarch's personal gift) to bestow aristocratic or chivalric titles to Canadians. The Crown in right of Canada (but not
10695-431: The prime minister and the Crown. It has been theorized that such is the case in Canada as its Parliament is less influential on the executive than in other countries with Westminster parliamentary systems ; particularly, Canada has fewer MPs, a higher turnover rate of MPs after each election, and a US-style system for selecting political party leaders, leaving them accountable to the party membership rather than caucus (as
10810-431: The prime minister is afforded an armoured car (a car allowance of $ 2,000 per year) and shared use of two official aircraft —a CC-150 Polaris for international flights and a Challenger 601 for domestic trips. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also furnish constant personal security for the prime minister and their family. All of the aforementioned is provided through budgets approved by Parliament. As of April 2024,
10925-491: The prime minister typically sits as a member of Parliament (MP) and leads the largest party or a coalition of parties. As first minister , the prime minister selects ministers to form the Cabinet . Not outlined in any constitutional document, the prime minister is appointed by the monarch 's representative, the governor general and the office exists per long-established convention . Constitutionally, executive authority
11040-576: The prime minister's annual salary is $ 406,200 (consisting of an MP's salary of $ 203,100 and the prime minister's additional salary of $ 203,100). Serving or former prime ministers are accorded a state funeral , wherein their casket lies in state in the Centre Block of Parliament Hill. Only Bowell and the Viscount Bennett were given private funerals, Bennett also being the only former prime minister of Canada to die and be buried outside
11155-414: The principles of economic conservatism . The Liberal Party lost seats but managed to retain a narrow majority government in the 1997 federal election, while Reform made only modest gains. Soon after leaving Parliament, Harper and Tom Flanagan co-authored an opinion piece entitled "Our Benign Dictatorship ", which argued that the Liberal Party only retained power through a dysfunctional political system and
11270-605: The provincial court rulings on same-sex marriage without using the " notwithstanding clause ", a provision of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms . He also argued, in general, for lower taxes, an elected Senate , a tougher stance on crime, and closer relations with the United States. Following the April 2005 release of Jean Brault 's damaging testimony at the Gomery Commission , implicating
11385-494: The provincial government to "build firewalls around Alberta" to stop the federal government from redistributing its wealth to less affluent regions. Alberta Premier Ralph Klein agreed with some of the letter's recommendations, but distanced himself from the "firewall" comments. Harper also wrote an editorial in late 2000 arguing that Alberta and the rest of Canada were "embark[ing] on divergent and potentially hostile paths to defining their country". He said that Alberta had chosen
11500-516: The recent failure of a similar initiative in Ontario, he was quoted as saying, "What I hope they learn is not to get into it. There are more important social and economic issues, not to mention the unity question." Harper also spoke against the possibility of the Canadian Human Rights Commission or the Supreme Court changing federal policy in these and other matters. At the Reform Party's 1994 policy convention, Harper
11615-482: The remark as patronizing and insensitive. The Legislature of Nova Scotia unanimously approved a motion condemning Harper's comments, which were also criticized by New Brunswick premier , Bernard Lord , federal Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark and others. Harper refused to apologize, and said that much of Canada was trapped by the same "can't-do" attitude. In March 2003, their speeches in favour gaining no traction in Parliament, Harper and Stockwell Day co-wrote
11730-409: The riding's Alliance candidate and declared that he would not stand aside for Harper; he later reconsidered. The Liberals did not field a candidate, following a parliamentary tradition of allowing opposition leaders to enter the House of Commons unopposed. The Progressive Conservative candidate, Jim Prentice , also chose to withdraw. Harper was elected without difficulty over |New Democrat Bill Phipps ,
11845-530: The speech was intended as humour, and not as serious analysis. Harper considered campaigning for the Progressive Conservative Party leadership in 1998, after Jean Charest left federal politics. Among those encouraging his candidacy were senior aides to Ontario Premier Mike Harris , including Tony Clement and Tom Long . He eventually decided against running, arguing that it would "burn bridges to those Reformers with whom I worked for many years" and prevent an alliance of right-wing parties from taking shape. Harper
11960-511: The term, and very proud of it", "if you're like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians", and "the NDP [New Democratic Party] is kind of proof that the Devil lives and interferes in the affairs of men." These statements were made public and criticized during the 2006 election . Harper argued that
12075-509: The two candidates had an especially fractious debate on CBC Newsworld . The leadership vote was held on March 20, 2002. Harper was elected on the first ballot with 55% support, against 37% for Day. Two other candidates split the remainder. After winning the party leadership, Harper announced his intention to run for parliament in a by-election in Calgary Southwest, recently vacated by Preston Manning. Ezra Levant had been chosen as
12190-519: The two parties to form the Conservative Party of Canada . After 95 percent of Alliance members voted in favour of merging with the PCs and 90 percent of 2,486 PC delegates voted in favour of merging with the Alliance, the Conservative Party of Canada was founded on December 7, 2003. On January 12, 2004, Harper announced his resignation as the leader of the Official Opposition in order to run for
12305-792: The umbrella organisation for the European Democrat Union (EDU), Caribbean Democrat Union (CDU), and the Asia Pacific Democrat Union (APDU). Created at the instigation of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and U.S. Vice President George H. W. Bush , the organisation was founded at a joint meeting of the EDU and APDU in London , United Kingdom. The IDU was founded in London on 24 June 1983. According to Richard V. Allen , to be admitted as
12420-548: The world to establish contacts and discuss different views on public policy and related matters. Their stated goal is the promotion of "democracy and [of] center-right policies around the globe". The IDU has some overlap of member parties with the Centrist Democrat International (CDI), but the CDI is more centrist , Christian democrat and communitarian than the IDU. The group was founded in 1983 as
12535-494: Was also criticized for supporting his caucus colleague MP Gurmant Grewal . Grewal had produced tapes of conversations with Tim Murphy , Paul Martin's chief of staff, in which Grewal claimed he had been offered a cabinet position in exchange for his defection. The Liberals' support dropped sharply after the first report from the Gomery Commission was issued, but rebounded soon after. Later that month, Harper introduced
12650-407: Was last entertained in 1925 or by entering into a confidence-and-supply agreement , or by winning support of other parties on a vote-by-vote basis. Because the prime minister is in practice the most politically powerful member of the Canadian government , they are sometimes erroneously referred to as Canada's head of state , when, in fact, that role belongs to the Canadian monarch, represented by
12765-552: Was not his first love." Manning invited him to participate in the party, and Harper gave a speech at Reform's 1987 founding convention in Winnipeg . He became the Reform Party's chief policy officer, and he played a major role in drafting the 1988 election platform, otherwise known as the Blue Book, which helped form the principles and policies of the party. Harper was influenced by his political mentor, Tom Flanagan , when writing
12880-465: Was not to save money at the expense of public education. Day's leadership of the Canadian Alliance became increasingly troubled throughout the summer of 2001, as several party MPs called for his resignation. In June, the National Post newspaper reported that former Reform MP Ian McClelland was organizing a possible leadership challenge on Harper's behalf. Harper announced his resignation from
12995-401: Was part of a small minority of delegates who voted against restricting the definition of marriage to "the union of one man and one woman". He opposed both same-sex marriage and mandated benefits for same-sex couples, but argued that political parties should refrain from taking official positions on these and other "issues of conscience". Harper was the only Reform MP to support the creation of
13110-529: Was sceptical about the Reform Party's United Alternative initiative in 1999, arguing that it would serve to consolidate Manning's hold on the party leadership. He also expressed concern that the UA would dilute Reform's ideological focus. When the United Alternative created the Canadian Alliance in 2000 as a successor party to Reform, Harper predicted that Stockwell Day would defeat Preston Manning for
13225-512: Was that it was only to replace financial considerations he might lose due to an election". Harper also stated that he had told the Conservative Party representatives that they were unlikely to succeed. "I told them they were wasting their time. I said Chuck had made up his mind." In February 2008, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) investigated the allegations that Section 119's provisions on bribery and corruption in
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