Mr. Stephen Harper is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Canada's main party of the right. Mr. Harper was first elected to Parliament in 1993 as a Reform Party candidate and served until 1997. He did not seek re-election in 1997 because he was apparently disgusted with the
Canadian Parliament. Instead he became
head of the National Citizen's Coalition which is a right leaning advocacy group.
Mr. Harper contributed greatly to the unification of the
Canadian Alliance Party and the former Progressive Conservative Party of Canada.
Mr. Harper favours smaller
government, tax relief, some types of privitization, respect for traditional institutions, like the military for example, a closer working relationship with the United States, respecting provincial rights (decentralization), and other typical right leaning views. Mr. Harper is a social
conservative more than a libertarian.
Mr. Harper has a masters degree in economics from the University of Calgary. Mr. Harper has cited former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney as one of his mentors.