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Stephen Harper

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Political People

   The Rt. Hon. Stephen Joseph Harper,
   PC, MP, MA
   Stephen Harper
     __________________________________________________________________

   22nd Prime Minister of Canada
   Incumbent
   In office since
   February 6, 2006
   Preceded by Paul Martin
     __________________________________________________________________

   Born April 30, 1959
   Toronto, Ontario
   Political party Conservative
   Spouse Laureen Harper
   Religion Christian and Missionary Alliance

   Stephen Joseph Harper (born April 30, 1959) is the 22nd and current
   Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party of
   Canada. He became Prime Minister after leading the Conservatives to a
   minority government win in the January 2006 federal election, which
   ended more than twelve years of Liberal government.

   Harper has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the riding of Calgary
   Southwest in Alberta since 2002, having previously served as the MP for
   Calgary West from 1993 to 1997. According to Canadian protocol, as
   Prime Minister, he is styled " The Right Honourable" for life.

   As one of the founding members of the Reform Party, he ended his first
   stint as an MP to head the National Citizens Coalition. In 2002,
   Stephen Harper succeeded Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian
   Alliance and returned to Parliament as Leader of the Opposition. In
   2003, he successfully reached 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 as the party's first non-interim leader in March
   2004.

Background

   Stephen Harper was born in Toronto, Ontario. He is the eldest of three
   sons of Margaret Johnston and Joseph Harper (1927–2003), an accountant
   who worked with Imperial Oil. Harper attended John G. Althouse Middle
   School, and Richview Collegiate Institute, a high school, both in
   Central Etobicoke, while living at 57 Princess Anne Crescent. He
   graduated in 1978 as the top student of his graduating year with a
   95.7% average, and represented his high school on the TV quiz and
   trivia show Reach for the Top. Harper briefly studied at the University
   of Toronto before travelling to Edmonton, where he found employment in
   the oil and gas industry as a computer programmer in his early
   twenties. He later attended the University of Calgary, receiving a
   Master's degree in economics. Harper is the first prime minister since
   Lester B. Pearson not to have attended law school. His links to the
   University remain strong, and he has been a frequent lecturer there.

   Harper married Laureen Teskey in 1993. They have two children:
   Benjamin, born in 1996, and Rachel, born in 1999. Harper is the third
   Prime Minister, after Pierre Trudeau and John Turner, to send their
   children to Rockcliffe Park Public School, a public school in Ottawa.
   Stephen Harper occasionally attends church at the East Gate Alliance
   Church in Ottawa, a member of the evangelical Christian and Missionary
   Alliance.

   Harper has several hobbies and has participated in many artistic
   endeavours. He is an avid fan of ice hockey and of the Calgary Flames,
   although in a recent Toronto Maple Leafs game, cameras had caught him
   raising his arms after a Toronto goal which raised questions by hockey
   fans. His son Ben was wearing a Maple Leaf jersey at the game.

   He is also currently writing a history book about the sport. His father
   had also been a published author. Harper recently taped a cameo
   appearance in an upcoming episode of the television show Corner Gas to
   be aired in spring 2007. Harper reportedly owns a large vinyl record
   collection and is an avid fan of The Beatles and AC/DC.

Political beginnings

   Stephen Harper, pictured right, here with young Progressive
   Conservatives, in 1985.
   Enlarge
   Stephen Harper, pictured right, here with young Progressive
   Conservatives, in 1985.

   Harper became involved in politics as a member of his high school's
   Young Liberals Club. He later changed his political allegiance because
   of the Trudeau Liberal government's National Energy Program (NEP),
   which he thought was harmful to Alberta's energy industry. He became
   chief aide to Progressive Conservative MP Jim Hawkes in 1985, but later
   became disillusioned with both the party and the government of Brian
   Mulroney. Harper was especially critical of the Mulroney government's
   fiscal policy, and its inability to fully revoke the NEP until 1986. He
   left the PC Party that same year.

   He was then recommended by Western economist Bob Mansell to Preston
   Manning, the founder and leader of the Reform Party of Canada. Harper
   impressed Manning, who invited him to participate in the party. Harper
   gave an important 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. He is
   credited with creating Reform's campaign slogan, "The West wants in!"

   Harper ran for the Canadian House of Commons in the 1988 federal
   election, appearing on the ballot as Steve Harper in Calgary West. He
   lost by a wide margin to Hawkes, his former employer. The Reform Party
   did not win any seats in this election, although party candidate
   Deborah Grey was elected as the party's first MP in a by-election
   shortly thereafter. Harper became Grey's executive assistant, and was
   her chief adviser and speechwriter until 1993. He remained prominent in
   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, due to
   conflicting strategies over 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. He
   resigned as policy chief in October 1992.

   Harper stood for office again in the 1993 federal election, and
   defeated Jim Hawkes amid a significant Reform breakthrough in Western
   Canada. His campaign likely benefited from a $50,000 print and
   television campaign organized by the National Citizens Coalition
   against Hawkes, although the NCC did not endorse Harper directly.

Reform MP

   Harper emerged a prominent member of the Reform Party caucus, and
   earned respect even from political opponents for his intellect and
   ideological commitment. Author Mordecai Richler once described him as
   the "one MP of substance" in the party.

   Harper was active on constitutional issues during his first term in
   parliament, and played a prominent role in drafting the Reform Party's
   strategy for 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.

   Although not associated with the Reform Party's radical wing, Harper
   expressed socially conservative views on some issues. In 1994, he
   opposed plans by federal Justice Minister Allan Rock to introduce
   spousal benefits for same-sex couples. Citing 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 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
   actually 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 vote for a bill establishing the
   Canadian gun registry at second reading stage in 1995, although he
   voted against it at third reading. He made his initial decision after
   concluding that a majority of his constituents supported the measure,
   but changed his mind after deciding there was substantial opposition.
   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 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
   Preston Manning at a time when other Reform MPs had been asked to
   forego parliamentary perquisites. His criticism proved divisive in the
   party, and he was formally rebuked by 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 indictative of a fundamental divide between the two
   men: Harper was strongly committed to conservative principles and
   opposed Manning's inclinations toward populism, which he saw as leading
   to compromise on core ideological matters.

   These tensions culminated in late 1996 when Harper announced that he
   would not be 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 the principles of economic
   conservatism. The Liberal Party won a second majority government in the
   1997 federal election, while Reform made only modest gains.

Out of parliament

   Harper was out of parliament between 1997 and 2001, though he remained
   active in political circles, authoring or co-authoring a number of
   essays and articles, one of the most notable being the piece written
   with Tom Flanagan, entitled Our Benign Dictatorship, which argued that
   the Liberal Party only retained power through a dysfunctional political
   system and a divided opposition. After Pierre Elliot Trudeau's death in
   2000, Harper also wrote an editorial criticizing Trudeau's policies as
   they affected Western Canada and accused Trudeau of promoting
   "unabashed socialism."

   Encouraged by senior aides to Ontario Premier Mike Harris, including
   Tony Clement and Tom Long, Harper considered campaigning for the
   Progressive Conservative Party leadership in 1998.

   When the United Alternative created the Canadian Alliance in 2000 as a
   successor party to Reform, Harper endorsed Tom Long for the leadership,
   believing him to be better suited than the contender Stockwell Day.
   When Day placed first on the first ballot, Harper said that the
   Canadian Alliance was shifting "more towards being a party of the
   religious right".

   As several party MPs called for his resignation, Stockwell Day's
   leadership of the Canadian Alliance became increasingly troubled
   throughout the summer of 2001. 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 the NCC presidency in August 2001, to prepare a
   campaign.

Canadian Alliance leadership

   Day bowed to pressure, and called a new Canadian Alliance leadership
   race for 2002. He later announced that he would be a candidate to
   succeed himself. Harper emerged as Day's main rival, and declared his
   own candidacy on December 3, 2001. He eventually won the support of at
   least twenty-eight 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 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 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, 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 already been chosen as the
   riding's Alliance candidate and initially declared that he would not
   stand aside for Harper; he subsequently 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, a former United Church moderator. Harper told a reporter during
   the campaign that he "despise[d]" Phipps, and declined to debate him.

   Harper officially became Leader of the 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 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.

   His first 18 months as opposition leader were largely devoted towards
   consolidating the fractured elements of the Canadian Alliance and
   encouraging a union of the Canadian Alliance and the federal
   Progressive Conservatives. The aim of this union was to present only
   one right-of-centre national party in the next federal election, thus
   preventing the vote-splitting of the past. In undertaking the merger
   talks, PC leader Peter MacKay reversed his previous agreement with
   leadership opponent David Orchard not to merge with the Alliance. After
   reaching an agreement with MacKay in October 2003, the Canadian
   Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada officially
   merged in December, with the new party being named the " Conservative
   Party of Canada".

   Harper is reported to have attended the 2003 meeting of the Bilderberg
   Group.

Conservative Party of Canada leadership

   On January 12, 2004, Harper announced his resignation as Leader of the
   Opposition, in order to run for the leadership of the Conservative
   Party of Canada. Harper won the Conservative leadership election
   easily, with a first ballot majority against Belinda Stronach and Tony
   Clement on March 20, 2004. Harper's victory included strong showings in
   Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.

2004 federal election

   Harper led the Conservatives during the 2004 federal election, where it
   was widely believed that due to scandals surrounding the incumbent
   Liberals under Paul Martin, the party had a chance of victory. However,
   comments by Conservative MPs, leaked press releases slandering the then
   Prime Minister, as well as controversial TV attack ads suggesting that
   the Conservatives would make Canada more like the United States, caused
   Harper's party to lose some momentum.

   Despite gaining seats in Ontario, the Liberals were re-elected to power
   with a minority government, with the Conservatives coming in second
   place. Harper, after some personal deliberation, decided to stay on as
   the party leader. Many credited him with bringing the Progressive
   Conservative Party and Canadian Alliance together in a short time to
   fight a close election.

Harper as Conservative leader and Leader of the Opposition

   The Conservative Party's first policy convention was held from March
   17-19, 2005, in Montreal. A more moderate party stance was
   demonstrated, in accordance with what many viewed as Harper's goal. Any
   opposition to abortion or bilingualism was dropped from the
   Conservative platform, though the party was still opposed to same-sex
   marriage. Harper received an 84% endorsement from delegates in the
   leadership review.

   The party soon began a fight against same-sex marriage. Harper was
   criticized by a group of law professors for arguing that the government
   could not override the provincial court rulings without using the "
   notwithstanding clause", a provision of Canada's Charter of Rights and
   Freedoms. Harper and constitutional lawyer/Conservative Justice Critic
   Vic Toews suggest that this clause does not have to be used to enshrine
   the traditional definition of marriage.

   Following the April 2005 release of Jean Brault's damaging testimony at
   the Gomery Inquiry, implicating 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 the
   government had lost the "moral authority to govern", with the support
   of the Bloc Québécois. The effort 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 debate, the Liberals stayed in
   power.

   Harper 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. Some
   experts analyzed the tapes and concluded that a digital copy of the
   tapes had been edited.
   Stephen Harper gives a victory speech to party faithful in Calgary
   after his Conservatives won the 2006 federal election.
   Enlarge
   Stephen Harper gives a victory speech to party faithful in Calgary
   after his Conservatives won the 2006 federal election.

   On November 24, 2005, Harper introduced a motion of no confidence on
   the Liberal 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 New Democratic Party 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. As a result, Parliament was dissolved and a general election
   was scheduled for January 23, 2006.

2006 federal election

   Because the Conservatives began the campaign period with a
   policy-per-day strategy, contrary to the Liberal plan of holding off
   major announcements until after the Christmas holidays, Harper
   dominated media coverage for the first weeks of the election. Though
   his party showed only modest movement in the polls, Harper's personal
   numbers, which had always trailed his party's significantly, began to
   rise.

   On December 27, 2005, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced it
   was investigating allegations that Liberal Finance Minister Ralph
   Goodale's office had engaged in insider trading before making an
   important announcement on the taxation of income trusts. The RCMP
   emphasized that they had no evidence of wrongdoing or criminal activity
   from any party associated with the investigation, including Goodale.
   However, the story dominated news coverage for the following week and
   prevented the Liberals from making their key policy announcements,
   allowing Harper to refocus his previous attacks against the Liberal
   party. The Conservatives were soon leading in the polls, and were
   poised to make a breakthrough in Quebec.

   In response, the Liberals launched negative ads targeting Harper,
   similar to their attacks in the 2004 election. However, their tactics
   had little effect this time since the Conservatives had much more
   momentum and had opened up a ten point advantage. Harper's personal
   numbers had risen considerably and polls found he was now considered
   not only more trustworthy, but he would also make a better Prime
   Minister than Martin.

   The Conservative party was elected to a minority government on January
   23, and at 6:45 p.m. Governor General Michaëlle Jean asked Harper to
   form a government. He was sworn in as Canada's 22nd Prime Minister on
   February 6, 2006.

Prime Minister

Domestic

   Unlike his recent predecessors, Harper did not name one of his
   colleagues to the largely honorific post of Deputy Prime Minister.
   Various observers had expected him to name MacKay, the former leader of
   the Progressive Conservative Party and his deputy party leader, or
   Lawrence Cannon, as a Quebec lieutenant, to the post. Harper did,
   however, name an order of succession to act on his behalf in certain
   circumstances, starting with Cannon, then Jim Prentice, then the
   balance of his cabinet in order of precedence.

   Harper indicated a desire to turn the Canadian Senate into an elected
   rather than an appointed body, an objective previously proposed by the
   former Reform Party of Canada. His desire includes fixed election dates
   with earlier elections possible in the case of minority governments. On
   September 7, 2006, Harper became the first Canadian Prime Minister to
   appear before a Senate committee and was present to make his
   government's case for Senate reform.

   Quebec sovereignty: After sidestepping the political landmine for most
   of the first year of his government, much as all the post-
   Charlottetown Accord Prime Ministers had done, Harper reopened the
   debate on November 22, 2006, by introducing a motion in the House of
   Commons to recognize Quebec as a "nation within Canada." His hand was
   forced after the opposition Bloc Quebecois were to introduce a motion
   that called for recognition of Quebec as a "nation."

   The Liberal interim leader, Bill Graham suggested that Liberal MPs
   would vote with the government in support of the motion.

   Harper has insisted on his right to choose who asks questions at press
   conferences, which has created some conflict with national media. It
   has been reported that the Prime Minister's Office also "often informs
   the media about Harper's trips at such short notice that it's
   impossible for Ottawa journalists to attend the events". Since at least
   March 2006, the Gallery and media managers lodged protests over how the
   PMO has been handling everything from press conferences to notice of
   Harper's public events.

Foreign

Relations with the United States leaders

   U.S. President George W. Bush, Mexico's President Vicente Fox and
   Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, stand in front of the
   Chichen-Itza archaeological ruins, Thursday, March 30, 2006.
   Enlarge
   U.S. President George W. Bush, Mexico's President Vicente Fox and
   Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper, right, stand in front of the
   Chichen-Itza archaeological ruins, Thursday, March 30, 2006.

   Shortly after being congratulated by George W. Bush for his victory,
   Harper rebuked U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins for criticizing
   the Conservatives' plans to assert Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic
   Ocean waters with armed forces. Harper's first meeting with the U.S.
   President occurred at the end of March, 2006; and while little was
   achieved in the way of solid agreements, the trip was described in the
   media as signalling a trend of closer relations between the two
   nations.

   On March 11 and March 12, 2006, Harper made a surprise trip to
   Afghanistan, where Canadian Forces personnel were deployed since late
   2001, to visit troops in theatre as a show of support for their
   efforts, and as a demonstration of the government's commitment to
   reconstruction and stability in the region. Harper's choice of a first
   foreign visit was closely guarded from the press until his arrival in
   Afghanistan (citing security concerns), and is seen as marking a
   significant change in relationship between the government and the
   military. While other foreign leaders have visited Afghanistan,
   Harper's trip was touted as unprecedented in its length and scope.

   At the outset of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, Harper defended
   Israel's "right to defend itself" and described its military campaign
   in Lebanon as a "measured" response, arguing that Hezbollah's release
   of kidnapped IDF soldiers would be the key to ending the conflict. Some
   Canadians, including many Arabs, criticized Harper's description of the
   Israeli response as "measured". On July 17, 2006, Harper noted that the
   situation had deteriorated since his initial comments, but that it was
   difficult for Israel to fight "non-governmental forces" embedded in the
   civilian population. Harper reiterated his earlier support for Israel
   and called on both sides to show restraint and minimize civilian
   casualties.
   Harper at the 32nd G8 summit, held July 15-17, 2006, which focused much
   of its attention on the Israel-Lebanon conflict.
   Enlarge
   Harper at the 32^nd G8 summit, held July 15-17, 2006, which focused
   much of its attention on the Israel-Lebanon conflict.

   Speaking of the situation in both Lebanon and Gaza on July 18, Harper
   told reporters, "We all want to encourage not just a ceasefire, but a
   resolution. And a resolution will only be achieved when everyone gets
   to the table and everyone admits...recognition of each other,"
   referring to the refusal of Hezbollah and Hamas to recognize Israel's
   right to exist. Harper laid the blame for the civilian deaths on both
   sides at the feet of Hezbollah. "Hezbollah's objective is violence,"
   Harper asserted, "Hezbollah believes that through violence it can
   create, it can bring about the destruction of Israel. Violence will not
   bring about the destruction of Israel... and inevitably the result of
   the violence will be the deaths primarily of innocent people.".

Supreme Court

   Aside from his legislative agenda, Harper put forward Marshall
   Rothstein to Governor General Michaëlle Jean for appointment as the new
   Puisne Justice to the Supreme Court of Canada, on February 23, 2006.
   Rothstein had been 'short listed' with two other potential judges by a
   committee convened by the previous Liberal government. In keeping with
   election promises of a new appointment process, Harper announced
   Rothstein had to appear before an ' ad hoc' non-partisan committee of
   12 Members of Parliament. However, the committee did not have the power
   to veto the appointment, which was what some members of his own party
   had called for.

Honours

   Harper also received the Woodrow Wilson Award on October 6, 2006 for
   his public service in Calgary. It was held at the Telus Convention
   Centre in Calgary, the same place where he made his victory speech.

Electoral record

   2006 federal election : Calgary Southwest
   Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
        Conservative (x)Stephen Harper 41,549 72.36
        Liberal Mike Swanson 6,553 11.41
        New Democratic Party Holly Heffernan 4,628 8.06
        Green Kim Warnke 4,407 7.68
        Christian Heritage Larry R. Heather 279 0.49
   Total valid votes 57,416 100.00
   Total rejected ballots 120
   Turnout 57,536
   2004 federal election : Calgary Southwest
   Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
        Conservative (x)Stephen Harper 35,297 68.36 $62,952.76
        Liberal Avalon Roberts 9,501 18.40 $43,846.23
        Green Darcy Kraus 3,210 6.22 534.96
        New Democratic Party Daria Fox 2,884 5.59 3,648.70
        Marijuana Mark de Pelham 516 1.00 $0.00
        Christian Heritage Larry R. Heather 229 0.44 $985.59
   Total valid votes 51,637 100.00
   Total rejected ballots 149
   Turnout 51,786 64.49
   Electors on the lists 80,296
   Canadian federal by-election, May 13, 2002 : Calgary Southwest
   Party Candidate Votes % Expenditures
        Canadian Alliance Stephen Harper 13,200 71.66 $58,959.16
        New Democratic Party Bill Phipps 3,813 20.70 $34,789.77
        Green James S. Kohut 660 3.58 $2,750.80
        Independent Gordon Barrett 428 2.32 $3,329.34
        Christian Heritage Ron Gray 320 1.74 $27,772.78
   Total valid votes 18,421 100.00
   Total rejected ballots 98
   Turnout 18,519 23.05
   Electors on the lists 80,360
              1993 federal election : Calgary West
               Party                Candidate     Votes    %
        Reform                   Stephen Harper   30,209  52.25
        Liberal                  Karen Gainer     15,314  26.49
        Progressive Conservative (x) James Hawkes  9,090  15.72
        New Democratic Party     Rudy Rogers       1,194   2.06
        National                 Kathleen McNeil   1,068   1.85
        Natural Law              Frank Haika         483   0.84
        Green                    Don Francis         347   0.60
        Christian Heritage       Larry R. Heather    116   0.20
                                Total valid votes 57,821 100.00
                           Total rejected ballots    133
                                          Turnout 57,954  66.29
                            Electors on the lists 87,421
                1988 federal election : Calgary West
               Party                   Candidate       Votes    %
        Progressive Conservative (x) James Hawkes      32,025  58.52
        Reform                   Steve Harper           9,074  16.58
        Liberal                  John Phillips          6,880  12.57
        New Democratic Party     Richard D. Vanderberg  6,355  11.61
        Libertarian              David Faren              225   0.41
        Confederation of Regions Brent Morin              170   0.31
                                     Total valid votes 54,729 100.00
                                Total rejected ballots    117
                                               Turnout 54,846  78.75
                                 Electors on the lists 69,650

   All electoral information is taken from Elections Canada. Italicized
   expenditures refer to submitted totals, and are presented when the
   final reviewed totals are not available.

                     Persondata
   NAME              Harper, Stephen
   ALTERNATIVE NAMES
   SHORT DESCRIPTION 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
   DATE OF BIRTH     April 30, 1959
   PLACE OF BIRTH    Toronto
   DATE OF DEATH
   PLACE OF DEATH

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