Stephen Joseph Harper is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015. Harper is the first and only prime minister to come from the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada, serving as the party's first leader from 2004 to 2015.
Harper studied economics, earning a bachelor's degree in 1985 and a master's degree in 1991. He was one of the founders of the Reform Party of Canada and was first elected in 1993 in Calgary West. He did not seek re-election in the 1997 federal election, instead joining and later leading the National Citizens Coalition, a conservative lobbyist group. In 2002, he succeeded Stockwell Day as leader of the Canadian Alliance, the successor to the Reform Party, and returned to parliament as leader of the Official Opposition. In 2003, Harper negotiated the merger of the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada to form the Conservative Party of Canada and was elected as the party's first leader in March 2004. In the 2004 federal election, the new party lost its first election to the Liberal Party led by Paul Martin. From 2002 to 2015 as party leader, leader of the Official Opposition, and then prime minister, Harper represented the riding of Calgary Southwest in Alberta. He represented Calgary Heritage from 2015 until 2016.
The 2006 federal election resulted in a minority government led by the Conservative Party with Harper becoming the 22nd prime minister of Canada. During his first term, Harper confronted the In and Out scandal, while major legislation passed under Harper's leadership included the Federal Accountability Act, the Québécois nation motion, and the Veterans' Bill of Rights. After the 2008 federal election, in which the Conservative Party won a larger minority, Harper passed the Economic Action Plan in response to the financial crisis of 2007–2008, prorogued Parliament to defeat a non-confidence motion by a potential coalition of opposition parties, and ordered military intervention during the First Libyan Civil War. The 40th Canadian Parliament was eventually dissolved in March 2011, after another no-confidence vote that found his government to be in contempt of Parliament. In the federal election, the Conservatives won a majority government. During his third term, Harper withdrew Canada from the Kyoto Protocol, launched Operation Impact in opposition to ISIL, repealed the long-gun registry, passed the Anti-terrorism Act, 2015, launched Canada's Global Markets Action Plan, and grappled with controversies surrounding the Canadian Senate expenses scandal and the Robocall scandal.
The longest-serving prime minister from a right-of-centre party since John A. Macdonald, Harper would hold office until the 2015 federal election, when the Conservative Party lost power to the Liberal Party led by Justin Trudeau. Harper officially stepped down as party leader on October 19, 2015, and Rona Ambrose was subsequently chosen as interim leader on November 5, 2015. After 2015, Harper slowly began to step away from Canadian politics and took on a number of international business and leadership roles, founding a global consulting firm, appearing on US and British media, and being elected leader of the International Democrat Union.
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Some of their strengths
Stephen Harper has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Strong, Perseverent, Artistic, Intellectual, Analytical, Innovative, and Optimistic.
Strong and Diligent
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Stephen Harper is someone who is a strong, diligent, and trustworthy person who approaches life with honesty and perseverance, but who is also physical, sensual, and artistic. A person who is ambitious and motivated.
Adventurous and Free
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Stephen Harper well know them as someone who can be talented, wayward and free, like a big river or the ocean.
Imaginative and Sentimental
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Stephen Harper as someone who is imaginative, sentimental, and in touch with emotions.
A person who has extremely good memory and analytical skills, likes to make sure that everyone gets along, enjoys all kinds of situations and people, has a talent for travel and languages, and who makes lifelong friends.
Emotionally Intelligent and Intuitive
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Stephen Harper is someone who tends to have strong emotional intelligence and intuition, and who can be a catalyst of change for others.
They are also someone who is confident and creative, and who has a love for starting new projects, inventing new things, and giving back to the community.
Patient and Compassionate
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Stephen Harper tends to be someone who approaches life with grace and compassion, and who has a powerful and commanding personality. Who can be analytical, patient, and deliberate, avoiding risks and seeking out stability instead.
Some of Stephen Harper's challenges
While Stephen Harper has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Stephen Harper can be Irritable, Stubborn, Idle, Rebellious, Emotionally Distant, Arrogant, and Status-seeking.
Stubborn and Idle
One of Stephen Harper's key challenges is that they are someone who can be seen as stubborn and, at times, lazy.
Stephen Harper must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs.
Irritable and Moody
Stephen Harper is someone who can be irritable and moody, have a tendency to experience self-doubt, be too secretive, can take too many risks, and who can have an extreme approach to managing personal finances.
Materialistic and Aggressive
Finally, Stephen Harper also can be materialistic, emotional, aggressive, stubborn, inconsistent, and be prone to big temper outbursts.
