Stephen Harper

**Stephen Joseph Harper**  (born 30 April 1959) is a Canadian economist, entrepreneur, and retired politician who is the 4th and current Chairman of the International Democracy Union since 2018. Harper was previously the twenty-seventhPrime Minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. He is a member and the former leader of the Conservative Party, after being elected in 2004. He was elected in February 2006 and replaced Paul Martin as Prime Minister.

Harper was born in 1959 in Toronto, Ontario and lives in Calgary, Alberta. He is married to Laureen Teskey and has two children. He is the third Prime Minister, after Pierre Trudeau and John Turner, to send their children to Rockcliffe Park Public School, in Ottawa. Stephen Harper was Prime Minister for nine years, during which Canada hosted both the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games. Harper also hosted the G8 and G20 meetings.

Harper is a conservative and supports cutting government spending and taxes. As Prime Minister, he has cut the goods and services tax and approved a budget that would cut funding to several government programs. He has also shown support for the military and a bigger Canadian military presence in the northern part of Canada. Harper is an evangelical Christian.

Even though Harper did win the seat in the riding of Calgary Heritage during the 2015 federal election, the Conservative Party was defeated by the Liberal Party of Canada, which was led by Justin Trudeau and who succeeded Harper as Prime Minister. It was thereafter announced Harper would resign as party leader and had requested an interim leader be chosen to serve until a leadership election can be held.

In July 2025, according to Harper, the trade war with the United States is a "wake-up call" that should encourage Canada to diversify its trading partners.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: Stephen Harper
- **image**: Stephen-Harper-Cropped-2014-02-18.jpg
- **alt**: Photograph of Harper in 2014 during an official visit to Mexico to meet President Enrique Peña Nieto
- **caption**: Harper in 2014
- **office**: 4th International Democracy Union#Chairmen, Chairman of the International Democracy Union
- **term start**: 21 February 2018
- **predecessor**: John Key
- **office1**: 27th Prime Minister of Canada
- **monarch1**: Elizabeth II
- **deputy1**: _Vacant_
- **term start1**: 6 February 2006
- **term end1**: 4 November 2015
- **predecessor1**: Paul Martin
- **successor1**: Justin Trudeau
- **office2**: 37th Leader of the Official Opposition (Canada), Leader of the Opposition
- **monarch2**: Elizabeth II
- **primeminister2**: Paul Martin
- **term start2**: 20 March 2004
- **term end2**: 6 February 2006
- **predecessor2**: Grant Hill (politician), Grant Hill
- **successor2**: Bill Graham (Canadian politician), Bill Graham
- **monarch3**: Elizabeth II
- **term start3**: 21 May 2002
- **term end3**: 8 January 2004
- **predecessor3**: John Reynolds (Canadian politician), John Reynolds
- **successor3**: Grant Hill
- **office4**: 1st Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Leader of the Conservative Party
- **deputy4**: Peter MacKay
- **term start4**: 2004 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election, 20 March 2004
- **term end4**: 4 November 2015
- **predecessor4**: John Lynch-Staunton (Interim)
- **successor4**: Rona Ambrose (Interim)
- **office5**: 4th Canadian Alliance#Party leaders, Leader of the Canadian Alliance
- **term start5**: Canadian Alliance leadership elections#2002 leadership election, 20 March 2002
- **term end5**: 7 December 2003
- **predecessor5**: John Reynolds (Canadian politician), John Reynolds (Interim)
- **successor5**: _Party abolished_
- **parliament6**: Canadian
- **riding6**: Calgary Heritage

- **term start6**: 13 May 2002
- **term end6**: 26 August 2016
- **predecessor6**: Preston Manning
- **successor6**: Bob Benzen
- **parliament7**: Canadian
- **riding7**: Calgary West
- **term start7**: 1993 Canadian federal election, 25 October 1993
- **term end7**: 14 January 1997
- **predecessor7**: Jim Hawkes
- **successor7**: Rob Anders
- **birth place**: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- **party**: Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative (since 2003)
- **children**: 2
- **residence**: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- **occupation**: Politician
- **profession**: Economist, Entrepreneur
- **signature**: Stephen Harper Signature-rt.svg
- **signature alt**: Vectorised signature of Stephen Harper.