Stephen Harper

The Right Honourable

Stephen Harper

PC CC
The Right Honourable; Stephen Harper; PC CC
	Harper in 2014
22nd Prime Minister of Canada
	In office; February 6, 2006 – November 4, 2015
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Governor; General	Michaëlle Jean; David Johnston;
Preceded by	Paul Martin
Succeeded by	Justin Trudeau
Chairman of the; International Democrat Union
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; February 21, 2018
Preceded by	John Key
Monarch	In office; March 20, 2004 – February 5, 2006
Additional offices held
Leader of the Opposition
	In office; March 20, 2004 – February 5, 2006
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Paul Martin
Preceded by	Grant Hill
Succeeded by	Bill Graham
	In office; May 21, 2002 – January 8, 2004
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Jean Chrétien; Paul Martin;
Preceded by	John Reynolds
Succeeded by	Grant Hill
Leader of the Conservative Party
	In office; March 20, 2004 – October 19, 2015
President	Don Plett; John Walsh
Deputy	Peter MacKay
Preceded by	John Lynch-Staunton (interim)
Succeeded by	Rona Ambrose (interim)
Leader of the Canadian Alliance
	In office; March 20, 2002 – December 7, 2003
Preceded by	John Reynolds (interim)
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of the Canadian Parliament; for Calgary Heritage; Calgary Southwest (2002–2015)
	In office; June 28, 2002 – August 26, 2016
Preceded by	Preston Manning
Succeeded by	Bob Benzen
Member of the Canadian Parliament; for Calgary West
	In office; October 25, 1993 – January 14, 1997
Preceded by	Jim Hawkes
Succeeded by	Rob Anders
Personal details
Born	Stephen Joseph Harper; April 30, 1959 (age 65); Toronto, ON, Canada
Political party	Conservative (2003–present)
Other political; affiliations	Liberal (before 1985); Progressive Conservative (1985–1987); Reform (1987–1997); Alliance (2002–2003);
Spouse(s)	Laureen Teskey (m. 1993)
Children	2
Residence	Calgary, AB, Canada
Alma mater	University of Toronto; (no degree); University of Calgary; (BA, 1985; MA, 1991);
Profession	Economist
Signature

Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian economist, entrepreneur, and retired politician. He was the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He is a member and the former leader of the Conservative Party, after being elected in 2004. He was elected in February 2006 and replaced Paul Martin as Prime Minister.

Harper was born in 1959 in Toronto, Ontario and lives in Calgary, Alberta. He is married to Laureen Teskey and has two children. He is the third Prime Minister, after Pierre Trudeau and John Turner, to send their children to Rockcliffe Park Public School, in Ottawa. Stephen Harper was Prime Minister for nine years, during which Canada hosted both the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games. Harper also hosted the G8 and G20 meetings.

Harper is a conservative and supports cutting government spending and taxes. As Prime Minister, he has cut the goods and services tax and approved a budget that would cut funding to several government programs. He has also shown support for the military and a bigger Canadian military presence in the northern part of Canada. Harper is an evangelical Christian.^[1]

Even though Harper did win the seat in the riding of Calgary Heritage during the October 19, 2015 federal election,^[2] the Conservative Party was defeated by the Liberal Party of Canada, which was led by Justin Trudeau and who succeeded Harper as Prime Minister.^[3]^[4] It was thereafter announced Harper would resign as party leader and had requested an interim leader be chosen to serve until a leadership election can be held.^[5]

Stephen Harper Media

Stephen Harper giving a victory speech to party members in Calgary after the Conservatives won the 2006 federal election.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper & Governor General Michaëlle Jean at 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games Heads of State Reception.
Harper appearing at a gala at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to celebrate the discovery of HMS Erebus, one of two ships wrecked during John Franklin's lost expedition.
Harper during the 'Special Address' at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum at the congress centre in Davos, Switzerland, January 26, 2012.
President of Argentina Cristina Kirchner and Harper in Toronto, 2010.
Harper at the 2015 G-7 summit with Shinzō Abe, Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, François Hollande, David Cameron, and Matteo Renzi in Bavaria, Germany.
A banner criticizing Harper's response to the 2006 Israel–Lebanon conflict, Toronto.
Harper meets with US President Barack Obama in Ottawa, February 19, 2009.
Harper and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the Haiti Ministerial Preparatory Conference addressing earthquake relief in Montreal, January 25, 2010.
Stephen Harper visiting Vancouver Island University's Deep Bay Marine Field Station in 2010.