Jason Kenney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Jason Kenney PC
Kenney in 2020
18th Premier of Alberta
In office April 30, 2019 – October 11, 2022
Monarch	Elizabeth II Charles III
Lieutenant Governor	Lois Mitchell Salma Lakhani
Preceded by	Rachel Notley
Succeeded by	Danielle Smith
Party leadership positions Leader of the Opposition in Alberta In office January 29, 2018 – April 30, 2019 Deputy Leela Aheer Preceded by Jason Nixon Succeeded by Rachel Notley Leader of the United Conservative Party In office October 30, 2017 – October 6, 2022 Deputy Leela Aheer Vacant (2021–2022) Preceded by Nathan Cooper (interim) Succeeded by Danielle Smith Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta In office March 18, 2017 – July 24, 2017 Preceded by Ric McIver (interim) Succeeded by Nathan Cooper (as interim leader of the United Conservative Party)
28th Canadian Ministry Minister of National Defence In office February 9, 2015 – November 4, 2015 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Rob Nicholson Succeeded by Harjit Sajjan Minister for Multiculturalism In office August 16, 2013 – November 4, 2015 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Himself (as minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism) Succeeded by Position abolished Minister of Employment and Social Development In office July 15, 2013 – February 9, 2015 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Diane Finley (Human Resources and Social Development) Succeeded by Pierre Poilievre Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism In office October 30, 2008 – July 15, 2013 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Preceded by Diane Finley Succeeded by Chris Alexander Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity In office January 4, 2007 – October 29, 2008 Prime Minister Stephen Harper Minister Bev Oda Josée Verner Preceded by Position established Succeeded by Position abolished
Parliamentary constituencies Member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Lougheed In office December 14, 2017 – November 29, 2022 Preceded by Dave Rodney Succeeded by Eric Bouchard Member of Parliament for Calgary Midnapore (Calgary Southeast; 1997–2015) In office June 2, 1997 – September 23, 2016 Preceded by Jan Brown Succeeded by Stephanie Kusie (2017)
Personal details
Born	Jason Thomas Kenney (1968-05-30) May 30, 1968 (age 57) Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Political party	United Conservative (since 2017)
Other political affiliations	Federal: Reform (1997–2000) Alliance (2000–2003) Conservative (since 2003) Provincial: Liberal (Saskatchewan, before 1997) Progressive Conservative (2016–2017)
Residences	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Alma mater	University of San Francisco (no degree)
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Jason Thomas Kenney (born May 30, 1968) is a former Canadian politician. He served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 to 2022. He was also the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) during that time. Before leading Alberta, Kenney was a Member of Parliament (MP) in the Canadian government. He held several important jobs under Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006 to 2015.

Early Life and First Steps in Politics

Jason Thomas Kenney was born on May 30, 1968, in Oakville, Ontario. His father was a teacher. Kenney went to a private Catholic high school in Saskatchewan. He later studied philosophy at the University of San Francisco. However, he returned to Canada before finishing his degree.

In 1989, Kenney started working for the Alberta Taxpayers Association. This group supported careful spending of public money. Later, he became the head of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. This group also watched how governments spent money.

Serving in the Canadian Parliament

Kenney at a community event in Calgary, 2006

Kenney was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1997. He was 29 years old. He was a member of the Reform Party of Canada. This party later became the Canadian Alliance. He was re-elected several times as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.

While in Parliament, Kenney held important roles. He was a critic for different government areas. He also helped lead election campaigns for his party.

Working for the Prime Minister

Kenney with Cardinal Marc Ouellet and David Lloyd Johnston in Rome

In 2006, Jason Kenney became a special assistant to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He helped the Prime Minister with parliamentary duties. In 2007, he became the Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity. This meant he worked with different cultural groups across Canada.

He helped create a program called the Community Historical Recognition Program. This program gave money to projects that remembered past unfair policies. It helped communities that had faced discrimination.

Minister of Immigration and Citizenship

Jason Kenney in the 2010 Calgary Stampede Parade

In 2008, Kenney became the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. He was also still responsible for multiculturalism. In this role, he made many changes to Canada's immigration system.

He launched South Asian Heritage Month to celebrate Asian Canadian culture. He also worked to make the immigration process more efficient. This included changes to how skilled workers could apply to come to Canada. His goal was to help people who could best contribute to Canada's economy.

Kenney also worked to prevent citizenship fraud. This meant making sure people followed the rules to become Canadian citizens. He wanted to protect the fairness of Canada's immigration system.

He also introduced a new citizenship guide called Discover Canada. This guide helped new immigrants learn about Canada's history and values.

Helping Refugees

Jason Kenney and Senator Thanh Hai Ngo with Members of Committee To Support Victims of Communism

Kenney also worked on reforming Canada's refugee system. He aimed to resettle more refugees from UN camps. He also introduced new laws to protect Canada's immigration system. These changes were meant to make the process faster and fairer.

Office of Religious Freedom

Kenney with Stephen Harper and Narendra Modi at a gurdwara in Vancouver

Kenney helped create the Office of Religious Freedom. This office worked to protect religious freedom around the world. It also monitored religious oppression. This was an important step for Canada on the global stage.

Minister of Employment and Defence

In 2013, Kenney became the Minister of Employment and Social Development. He worked on improving programs like the Canada Pension Plan. He also helped create the Canada Job Grant. This program aimed to train unemployed workers.

Canadian Minister of National Defense Jason Kenney meets U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

In 2015, Kenney was promoted to Minister of National Defence. In this role, he focused on national security. He believed it was important for Canada to fight against groups like the Islamic State.

Leading Alberta's United Conservative Party

After leaving federal politics, Kenney decided to run for leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. His main goal was to unite Alberta's two main centre-right parties. He wanted to bring together the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party.

He won the leadership election in March 2017. Later, the two parties merged to form the United Conservative Party (UCP). Kenney was then elected as the first full-time leader of the UCP in October 2017. He became the Leader of the Opposition in Alberta's government.

Premier of Alberta

Kenney with Andrew Scheer in 2019.

In April 2019, Jason Kenney led the United Conservative Party to victory in the Alberta election. They won a majority of seats. On April 30, 2019, Kenney became the 18th Premier of Alberta.

As Premier, his government passed several new laws. These included changes to taxes and public sector wages. He also created a "war room" to support Alberta's oil and gas industry.

Kenney faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. He received criticism for his government's handling of the situation. In May 2022, he announced he would step down as UCP leader. He remained Premier until October 2022. Danielle Smith was chosen to take his place.

After Being Premier

On November 29, 2022, Jason Kenney resigned as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). He then started a new job as a senior advisor for a law firm. In March 2023, he was nominated to the board of ATCO, a large company.

Political Views

Kenney has been known for his efforts to connect with different ethnic communities in Canada. He believed that many new Canadians shared conservative values. He worked to build bridges between these communities and the Conservative Party.

Personal Life

Jason Kenney is able to speak both French and English. He has never been married and does not have any children.

Awards and Recognition

Kenney has received several awards for his public service. These include the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. In 2022, he received the Alberta version of the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.

In 2004, Maclean's magazine named him one of Canada's "100 Leaders of the Future." He was also called one of Canada's "leading conservative activists" by The Globe and Mail. In 2009, Maclean's gave him the award for "Best Overall MP." They also named him the "hardest working" MP in 2011.

In 2014, Kenney received the UN Watch Moral Courage Award. This was for speaking out against international tyranny. He also received the Benjamin Disraeli Prize for his work with ethnic communities. In 2016, the President of Ukraine awarded him an Order of Merit.

Images for kids

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  Jason Kenney's signature