Stephen Joseph Harper, PC, MP, MA (born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 30 April 1959; age 53 years) was the Prime Minister of Canada to-22 and the chairman of the Conservative Party of Canada. He was sworn in as Prime Minister by the Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean on February 6, 2006 at Rideau Hall. As a member of parliament for the selection of sub-district of Calgary Southwest in Alberta since 2002. Previously he had been a member of Parliament for Calgary West in the period 1993-1997. Harper to replace Prime Minister Paul Martin and became the first Canadian leader of the non-Quebec since 1979. According to the Canadian rules of protocol, as Prime Minister, he is addressed as The Right Honourable for life.
As one of the founding members of the Reform Party, he ended his first tenure as a member of Parliament to lead the National Citizens Coalition. After the overthrow of the party's leader, Stockwell Day in 2002, Harper became leader of the Canadian Alliance and returned to Parliament. In 2003, he made an agreement with Progressive Conservative leader Peter MacKay to merge the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservative Party to form the Conservative Party of Canada. He was elected the first leader seagai the new party in March 2004. He led the Conservative Party to form a minority government in a federal election in January 2006.
Background
Stephen Harper is the eldest of three sons of a middle class family. His parents are Margaret and the late Joseph Harper (1927-2003), an accountant with Imperial Oil. He was born and raised in Toronto in a community in Leaside. He studied at Richview Collegiate Institute, a school in the West End, Metro Toronto. Harper is a student 'A +' with a constant value close to 100%. He graduated in 1978 as the best student in class, school and earned a gold medal for the highest average. Harper studied briefly at the University of Toronto before going to Edmonton; where he found work in the oil and gas industry in Alberta as a computer programmer at the early age of 20. Later he studied at the University of Calgary, and earn a master's degree in economics. The university's ties to remain strong: he is often invited as a lecturer and the most prominent policy adviser, Tom Flanagan, is a professor there. Laureen Teskey Harper married (which from a successful campaign in 2006 using the name "Laureen Harper") in 1993. They have two children: Benjamin, born in 1996, and Rachel, born 1999. Harper suffered from asthma but had a couple of years have never experienced an asthma attack. He was a big fan of ice hockey and the Calgary Flames.
He first became involved in politics as a teenager in high school. He became a member of the Young Liberal club at her school. However, political affiliation Harper then turned against the Trudeau Liberal government policies deemed detrimental to its National Energy Program Alberta energy industry. He became assistant principal Tory MP (Conservative) James Hawkes in 1985 and served with Hawkes in a number of Parliamentary Committees, but he was soon disillusioned with the government of Brian Mulroney and the Progressive Conservative Party. Harper was especially critical of the government's fiscal policy and the inability to completely cancel the National Energy Program to 1986. He left the Progressive Conservative Party in 1986.
Then he was recommended to Preston Manning, founder and leader of the Reform Party, by one of his professors, leading western economists, Bob Mansell. This young man makes Manning impressed, so he was invited to join the party. At the age of 28 years, he gave an important speech at the founding Reform Party convention in 1987 in Winnipeg. He became the Reform Party's main policy officer, and plays an important role in preparing the 1988 election agenda. Harper is credited with creating a campaign slogan, "The West wants in!" ("The West wants to play!")
In the 1988 federal election, Harper fighting for lower house seats in Calgary West as Steve Harper. Although he gained the second place, he was badly beaten by Hawkes, the former employer. In 1989, Harper was appointed assistant to the executive of the new Reform Parliament Deborah Grey was elected and worked as a primary adviser and speech writer until 1993.
Harper remains a leading figure in the Reform Party's national organization. He encouraged his party to reach out from its regional base in the west in 1990. Argument, the regional parties are facing the risk taken over by radical elements.
In 1991, he delivered a speech at the Reform Party national convention condemning radical extremism. Kadnag he sometimes described as "Preston Manning's right-hand man during this period, but he did not agree with Manning in the Reform Party's strategy in 1992 Charlottetown referendum approval. While Harper was standing on the side of Manning in opposing the treaty, he opposed what he described as a campaign strategy" Mulroney offers ".
Harper good luck in the elections for the better in the 1993 election. At that time he beat Hawkes and calm sub-district of Calgary West for the Reform Party. His campaign likely to benefit from the newspaper and television campaign valued at $ 50,000 which was organized by the National Citizens Coalition against Hawkes, although not directly support KWN Harper.Setelah election, Harper quickly became a core member of the Reform caucus.
Reform Party Member of Parliament
Harper initially known as a fiscal conservative in the matter of his first term in parliament, although he also holds a conservative in a number of issues. In 1994, Harper opposed the plans of the Minister of Justice Allan Rock to describe a type of special allowances for couples. While citing the recent failure to draft similar legislation in Ontario, he said, "What I learned is do not expect them to get into this issue. There are many social and economic issues are more important, not to mention the unity of the country." [5] Harper also opposed the possibility of the Canadian Human Rights Commission or the Supreme Court changing federal policy regarding this and other matters.
In 1995, Harper was the only member of Parliament who support the reform bill requiring the registration of firearms in the discussion of Canada's second level, but on the third discussion he refused. The first decision taken after he concluded that the majority of their constituents support the move, but he changed after the idea was much opposed.
He was active in constitutional issues and play an important pernan party's strategy for 1995 Quebec referendum. As one who long opposed a centralized federalism, he stood with Preston Manning at a party event in Montreal to introduce a 20 point plan to "decentralize and modernize" Canada after winning vote "no." Harper later argued that the narrow victory party "no" a scenario for the worst case, in a sense no one won the mandate to act.
Conjunction with the Reform Party leaders are sometimes strained. Early 1994, he criticized the party's decision to open a spending account # 31 000 to Manning.
This criticism was to determine in the party. Harper officially condemned by the executive board even though he gained support from some members of Parliament. A number of journalists, including conservative columnist Kenneth Whyte, said the incident was an indication of a more fundamental difference between Harper and Manning. Whyte argues that ideological conservatism Harper made a bad partner with Manning, who illustrated more open to compromise on important issues.
On April 1995, it was reported that several members of the Progressive Conservatives are upset and want to unite the Reform Party under the leadership of the Progressive Conservative Harper.
Its provisions as a leader Preston Manning and political position to make it out of the Social Conservative Party to menggabbungkan with specific reforms. Harper is elected through the 1997 election for vice president, then led the NCC (National Citizens Coalition) for his political vehicle.
In the 2004 elections failed to defeat the Harper-led Liberal Party Paul Martin. With the acquisition of 99 seats, the father of Benjamin and Rachel decided to be the opposition. Political analysts assess, because the time Harper defeat radical views on abortion and gay marriage. Harper seems to learn a lot from this defeat.
General Elections 2006
Conservatives victory in parliamentary elections on January 23, 2006 truly brings the winds of change. Liberal stronghold that has been in power for 12 years was forced to leave the arena of power. It was the second election in 18 months and was held after the November 2005 while dropping a vote of no confidence in the leadership of Paul Martin's government. A total of 22.7 million 60 thousand voters went to polling stations that lie within the six areas, ranging from the Atlantic Ocean to Ocean. Even so, the level of Canadian participation in elections is believed to be no more than 60 percent, making it the lowest turnout since 1868.
Pro-Washington
According to The New York Times, Harper is a pro-free market economist who strongly supports the policy of Washington when the United States invaded Iraq. He also has a similar skepticism with President George W Bush on the Kyoto Protocol (Canada has ratified). Harper's Conservative Party was formed in 2003 which is a coalition of two conservative parties that already exist.
Harper is very different attitude to Paul Martin who refused to cooperate with the United States in missile defense program and criticized Washington's trade policy and the attitude of the United States that do not support the Kyoto Protocol. The inability of the Conservatives won the majority seats in parliament to force Harper to compromise in parliament.
