Stephen Harper Short biography
Stephen Harper is a Canadian retired politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He was born in Toronto, Ontario, on April 30, 1959. He earned a bachelor's degree in economics in 1985 and a master's degree in economics in 1991 at the University of Calgary.
Harper began his political career in 1993 when he was elected to the House of Commons as a member of the Reform Party of Canada. He served as leader of the Reform Party from 2002 to 2003 and led the party into a merger with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to form the Conservative Party of Canada in 2003.
Harper became the first leader of the Conservative Party of Canada in 2004 and led the party to victory in the 2006 federal election. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2011. Harper's government implemented a number of policies, including tax cuts, spending reductions, and the withdrawal of Canada from the Kyoto Protocol. He also oversaw the passage of the Federal Accountability Act, the Québécois nation motion, and the Veterans' Bill of Rights.
In 2015, Harper led the Conservative Party to defeat in the federal election. He resigned as leader of the party on October 19, 2015, and resigned his seat in the House of Commons on August 26, 2016.
Since leaving politics, Harper has taken on a number of international business and leadership roles, including founding a global consulting firm, appearing in US and British media, and being elected leader of the International Democracy Union.
