Jonathan Denis facts for kids

Jonathan Brian Denis, KC (born September 22, 1975) is a Canadian politician and lawyer. On May 9, 2012, he was named Solicitor General, Attorney General, and Minister of Justice for the province of Alberta. He represented the constituency of Calgary-Acadia (formerly Calgary-Egmont) as a Progressive Conservative in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2008 until 2015.

Denis was first elected in the 2008 provincial election and was appointed to cabinet in January 2010, making him the second youngest person to be named to cabinet in Alberta history. He was re-elected to the newly named constituency of Calgary-Acadia on April 23, 2012.

Early life and education

Jonathan Denis is the son of a soldier in the Canadian forces. He graduated in 1993 from Luther College, a private school in Regina, SK. He received a commerce degree from the University of Regina in 1997 and a law degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 2000. While in law school, Denis was invited as a speaker at an international law conference in Montreal, Quebec. In 2018, Denis completed his ICD.D designation with the Institute of Corporate Directors, a program from Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.

Career pre-politics (2000-2008)

For approximately two months in 1996, Denis was a staffer for Lynda Haverstock when she was an Independent MLA in the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. Haverstock had previously been leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party.

Prior to becoming an MLA, Denis was a senior associate, specializing in government relations, at Miller Thomson LLP, a major Canadian law firm. He was also the co-founder and President of 3D Contact Inc., the other founder being Nepean-Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre Listed contacts of 3D Contact Inc. are Stephen Harper, Stockwell Day, and Ted Morton. He was also the founder of a successful real estate investment firm named Liberty West Properties Inc. Denis resigned from both positions after being elected.

Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta

Backbench MLA (2008-2010)

Denis sought public office for the Alberta Progressive Conservatives in the 2008 provincial election in the constituency of Calgary-Egmont and received 43.6% of the vote

Denis served as a member of the Standing Committee on the Alberta Heritage Savings Trust Fund, the Public Accounts Committee, the Standing Committee on Health, and the Cabinet Policy Committee on Health. In 2008, Deputy Premier Ron Stevens appointed Denis to the Alberta/Alaska Bilateral Council.

In 2008, Health and Wellness Minister Ron Liepert appointed Denis to conduct a widely based consultation for the Alberta Pharmaceutical Strategy.

In 2008, Sustainable Resources Minister Ted Morton appointed Denis to the Land Use Framework Committee

Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs (2010-2011)

Denis was sworn in as Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs as well as Deputy Government House Leader on January 15, 2010,.

On April 6, 2011, Denis provided $638,000.00 in provincial housing money to support tenants of the YWCA's Ophelia House in Calgary. Ophelia House supports women experiencing homelessness.

In 2011, the Canadian Taxpayers Federation wrote an article praising Denis for reducing spending in his department by 39% while still achieving targets.

Solicitor General & Minister of Public Security (2011-2012), 2012 Election

On October 12, 2011, Denis was sworn in as Solicitor General and Minister of Public Security. He was re-elected in the newly named riding of Calgary-Acadia on April 23, 2012.

Minister of Justice, Attorney General, & Solicitor General (2012-2015), 2015 Election

Denis was named Minister of Justice, Solicitor General, Attorney General, and Provincial Secretary Alberta on May 9, 2012.

Denis has pursued a "law and order" policy on crime, increasing the amount of RCMP in rural areas and a provincial grant for 300 new police officers in the cities.

On June 13, 2014, Denis provided a grant from the Civil Forfeiture Fund to the Edmonton Pride Centre. The grant was used to support programs for LGBTQ youth.

On July 21, 2014, Denis doubled the limit in Alberta small claims court to $50,000.00, which allows "self-represented litigants to avoid more complicated civil proceedings in Court of Queen’s Bench." This move was lauded by many Alberta lawyers as a positive step for access to justice.

Denis was re-appointed to his previous positions by new Premier Jim Prentice on September 15, 2014. Prentice subsequently appointed Denis Government House Leader.

On September 24, 2014, Denis attended the YWCA's 9th annual "Walk a Mile in her Shoes" to raise funds and awareness toward ending domestic abuse.

Deniswas was defeated in the 2015 election campaign, finishing third in a close three-way race.

Accolades

In 2009, Denis was appointed Queen's Counsel of Alberta.

Im 2010, Denis was named named to Avenue Magazine's "Top 40 under Under 40” list.

In 2011, the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation lauded Denis for expense reduction department by 39%. They also gave Denis "nice” recommendations for prudent expense management on two occasions.

Post-politics

Founded Guardian Law Group

In June 2021, Denis represented Edmonton city councillor and mayoral candidate Mike Nickel.

In April 2022, Denis was accused of conflict of interest with ex-law partner, allegedly making one client “the scapegoat” for another.

In June 2024, Denis won what may be the biggest case of libel in Canadian history, $6.6M in damages.

Election results