Canada - Head of Government

The Rt Hon Stephen Harper was re-elected to a second term in office as Prime Minister of Canada following victory at the 14 October 2008 general election. He first took office in February 2006.

Mr Harper is Leader of the Conservative Party which he co-founded in 2003. Before that, he was Leader of the Opposition in 2002 after winning the leadership of the Canadian Alliance.

In 1997 Mr Harper was Vice-President (and later President) of the National Citizens’ Coalition. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 as a Reform Party candidate for Calgary West, Alberta.

Mr Harper has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in economics from the University of Calgary.

He was born on 30 April 1959, in Toronto, Ontario.