Stephen Joseph Harper served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015, making him one of the most consequential leaders in modern Canadian political history. As the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Harper reshaped Canadian politics by uniting the right, implementing a fiscally conservative agenda, asserting Canadian sovereignty on the global stage, and overseeing the country through the 2008 global financial crisis.
Stephen Harper was born on April 30, 1959, in Toronto, Ontario, to Margaret Johnston and Joseph Harris Harper, an accountant with Imperial Oil. He grew up in the suburb of Leaside before moving to Etobicoke, where he attended Richview Collegiate Institute.
After graduating high school, Harper moved to Edmonton, Alberta, to work in the oil and gas sector. This move to Alberta would profoundly shape his political ideology and identity. He later returned to school, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Calgary, followed by a Master’s degree in Economics in 1991. Harper’s academic background in economics heavily influenced his approach to governance.
Harper’s political career began in the late 1980s. He became an advisor to Preston Manning, founder of the Reform Party of Canada, a Western populist party created to address frustrations with federal neglect of Western interests.
In 1988, Harper ran unsuccessfully in Calgary West but returned in 1993 and won the seat as a Reform Party Member of Parliament. Disillusioned with internal party politics, Harper left Parliament in 1997 and became vice-president of the National Citizens Coalition, a conservative advocacy group focused on limited government and taxpayer rights.
By the early 2000s, the political right in Canada was fractured between the Canadian Alliance (successor to the Reform Party) and the Progressive Conservative Party. Harper returned to elected politics in 2002, winning the leadership of the Canadian Alliance following Stockwell Day’s resignation.
Harper worked closely with Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay to merge the two parties. This union formed the modern Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. Harper was elected the party’s first leader in 2004.
After a minority Liberal government under Prime Minister Paul Martin fell to a non-confidence vote, Harper led the Conservative Party to victory in the 2006 federal election. He was sworn in as Prime Minister on February 6, 2006, by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. Harper became the first Conservative Prime Minister since Kim Campbell and Brian Mulroney.
Harper’s first term focused on restoring public trust in government after the Liberal Party’s sponsorship scandal. His government passed the Federal Accountability Act, introduced child care tax credits, and reduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 7% to 5%.
Harper emphasized law-and-order policies, with new legislation increasing penalties for violent crimes and targeting repeat offenders. In foreign policy, he strengthened Canada’s alliance with the United States and supported Canadian troops deployed in Afghanistan, especially in Kandahar Province.
In the 2008 federal election, Harper led the Conservatives to another minority government. During his second term, Canada faced the global financial crisis. Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty implemented a fiscal stimulus plan that included infrastructure projects, support for the automotive sector, and tax relief measures.
Canada emerged from the crisis with one of the strongest economies among G7 nations. The International Monetary Fund and the OECD praised Canada’s banking system and fiscal prudence. In 2010, Harper hosted the G8 and G20 summits in Huntsville and Toronto, respectively, promoting global fiscal restraint.
Harper’s foreign policy was marked by moral clarity. He supported Israel unconditionally, opposed anti-Semitic rhetoric at international forums, and condemned Iran’s nuclear ambitions under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Harper also made a bold decision not to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka due to human rights abuses.
Harper achieved a majority government in the 2011 federal election, defeating Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, who became Leader of the Official Opposition.
Freed from the constraints of a minority, Harper advanced a bold legislative agenda. His government passed the Safe Streets and Communities Act, and eliminated the long-gun registry.
In energy, Harper promoted Canada’s oil sands, pipeline expansion, and energy exports, including backing the Keystone XL and Northern Gateway projects. His support for the resource sector made him a strong advocate for Alberta’s economy.
In the 2015 federal election, the Conservatives were defeated by Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party.
Harper resigned as Conservative leader on election night and stepped away from public life in 2016. He was succeeded first by interim leader Rona Ambrose and later by Andrew Scheer.
After politics, Harper launched Harper & Associates, a global consulting firm. He also became Chairman of the International Democrat Union, an alliance of center-right political parties around the world.
In 2018, he published the book Right Here, Right Now: Politics and Leadership in the Age of Disruption, warning conservatives against populist overreach and advocating for principled, market-based policies.
Harper has served on corporate boards, including Colliers International, and occasionally advises conservative leaders in Canada and abroad. He has kept a relatively low public profile but remains influential in conservative political circles.
Even after his departure, Harper remains a towering figure in Canadian politics. His decade-long prime ministership left a clear imprint on Canadian institutions, foreign policy, and party dynamics, influencing both his successors and political opponents.
Well, I found the Google advertisement attacking Belinda Stronach on her wealth. The above advertisement “Even the playing field” links to Stephen Harper’s oneconservativevoice.ca and the bottom advertisement is the standard Belinda Stronach google ad. It should be noted that both of these ads were displayed when “Belinda Stronach” was googled.
Today I noticed a couple interesting things as I was meandering around the Internet. As I was googling on Google, I noticed some rather savvy/sneaky techniques used by Belinda Stronach, Stephen Harper and Tony Clement. It seems that if one searches for Tony Clement on Google, a Belinda Stronach ad is displayed as a Google advertisement off to the side. Similarly, if one searches Stephen Harper the very same thing happens; plainly and emphatically “Belinda Stronach campaign. Join. Recruit. Vote.” I found this little strategy to be a little amusing and to her campaign team’s credit, very clever. Out of the three, Belinda Stronach has the most polished website, with its very own blog and sophisticated recruitment program. Stephen Harper has a website which is decent in comparison while Tony Clement’s website is so very very basic. More interestingly is the backlash by the campaign team of Stephen Harper in response to the Google campaign of Belinda Stronach. When one googles Stephen Harper there’s the Belinda Stronach ad but under it is a much more interesting ad. It’s an ad that seems to point to the fake internet address “Shesabillionairedamnit.ca” with the tagline which says something like “She’s a billionaire damnit. Click. her. ads. waste. her. money”. When you click on the advertisement it redirects you to the campaign website of Stephen Harper.
Interesting indeed.
I wish that I had gotten a screen shot because when I reloaded the Google search in disbelief, the Shesabillionairedamnit ad had disappeared. Maybe my clickthrough on the google ad had capped-off the ad’s daily spending limit? Anyways, is this a sign that Stephen Harper’s team is feeling a little heat from Belinda Stronach? I wish that I had gotten a screen shot because when I reloaded the Google search in disbelief, the Shesabillionairedamnit ad had disappeared. Maybe my clickthrough on the google ad had capped-off the ad’s daily spending limit? So, a google war between Stephen Harper and Belinda Stronach. We’ll just see how much of an effect these internet campaigns will have on the leadership race.
Oh, and Tony: Really! Please do something about your website!
Former Ontario health minister Tony Clement announced yesterday that he will seek the leadership of the new Conservative Party of Canada and will soon mount a campaign to compete for the post against Stephen Harper.
As the former health minister of the nation’s most populous province and as former Ontario Progressive Conservative party president, Tony Clement will bring his knowledge and experience to the leadership race. His experience and leadership, during one of the most trying health crises in Canadian history, further attests to his qualities as a leadership contender. Particularly encouraging is that regardless of the outcome of the Conservative leadership race, he has explained that he will run for the party in the next federal election.
So, great news! Tony Clement’s announcement today is particularly encouraging due to his high profile in Ontario and thus he brings another degree of national marketability of the Conservative Party. He is no stranger to the alliance caucus either as he was a founding member of that former party. Yet, he may be a stranger to voters outside of Ontario, thus he has a considerable campaign to mount in the next couple of months.
Developing…
