Buckdog

Calgary MP, Jason Kenney, has become one of the most prominent Conservatives in Question Period, where he fills in for the Prime Minister on Fridays and anytime Mr. Harper is out of town. Mr. Kenney also plays a large role in QP planning.

He also brings experience, because he was Question Period coordinator under Mr. Harper as the official opposition leader.

Kenney was born in Ontario and raised in Saskatchewan. He graduated from the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, a Catholic residential college located in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. He did undergraduate studies in philosophy at the St. Ignatius Institute of the University of San Francisco, a private Roman Catholic university founded by the Society of Jesus.

Politically, he has been all over the map. In 1988 Kenney served as an executive assistant to the leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party. Kenney's prior experience also includes a term as Executive Director of the Alberta Taxpayers Association, and President and CEO of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, an extreme right wing business advocacy organization.

He was originally a Member of Parliament for the Reform Party of Canada (1997-2000), and then he sat as an MP with the Canadian Alliance (2000-2003). He co-chaired the United Alternative Task Force, and served as the national co-chairman of Stockwell Day's campaign for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance. He also served as National Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance 2000 election campaign. Kenney has also served as the official opposition deputy house leader and has formerly been the critic for Canada-United States relations, national revenue, and finance.

He has also served as a volunteer director for several non-profit organizations. These include the Catholic Civil Rights League and the National Foundation for Family Research.

Kenney was one of the leading supporters in the Canadian House of Commons of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The Hill Times has a feature story on him this week.

Hill Times