Peter MacKay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Peter MacKay PC KC
MacKay in 2014
Minister of Justice Attorney General of Canada
In office July 15, 2013 – November 4, 2015
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Rob Nicholson
Succeeded by	Jody Wilson-Raybould
Minister of National Defence
In office August 14, 2007 – July 15, 2013
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Gordon O'Connor
Succeeded by	Rob Nicholson
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office February 6, 2006 – August 14, 2007
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Pierre Pettigrew
Succeeded by	Maxime Bernier
Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
In office February 6, 2006 – January 19, 2010
Prime Minister	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Joe McGuire
Succeeded by	Keith Ashfield
Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party
In office March 22, 2004 – November 5, 2015
Leader	Stephen Harper
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Denis Lebel
Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party
In office May 31, 2003 – December 7, 2003
Preceded by	Joe Clark
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Member of Parliament for Central Nova (Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough; 1997–2004)
In office June 2, 1997 – October 19, 2015
Preceded by	Roseanne Skoke
Succeeded by	Sean Fraser
Personal details
Born	Peter Gordon MacKay (1965-09-27) September 27, 1965 (age 59) New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada
Political party	Conservative (since 2003)
Other political affiliations	Progressive Conservative (1997–2003)
Spouse	Nazanin Afshin-Jam ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	3
Parents	Elmer MacKay (father) Macha MacKay (mother)
Residences	Pictou County, Nova Scotia
Alma mater	Acadia University (transferred) Carleton University (BA) Dalhousie University (LLB)
Occupation	Politician Crown attorney lawyer diplomat

Peter Gordon MacKay (born September 27, 1965) is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1997 to 2015. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons.

MacKay held important jobs in the Canadian government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was the Minister of Justice and Attorney General from 2013 to 2015. Before that, he was the Minister of National Defence (2007–2013) and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2006–2007). A minister is a senior member of the government who leads a specific department.

He was the last leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. In 2003, he helped merge this party with another, the Canadian Alliance. This created the Conservative Party of Canada, which is one of the main political parties in Canada today.

Peter MacKay's father, Elmer MacKay, was also a Canadian politician. Peter studied at Acadia University and Dalhousie University to become a lawyer. He represented areas in Nova Scotia, first Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough (1997–2004) and then Central Nova (2004–2015). He decided not to run in the 2015 election. After leaving politics, he worked as a lawyer. In 2020, he ran to become the leader of the Conservative Party but was not chosen.

Early Life and Education

Peter MacKay was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. His father, Elmer MacKay, was a lawyer and a former government minister. His mother, Eirene Macha MacKay, was a psychologist. Peter grew up in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, with his three brothers and sisters.

He went to Horton High School. Then, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Acadia University and Carleton University in 1987. After that, he studied law at Dalhousie University. He became a lawyer in Nova Scotia in 1991.

Before becoming a politician, MacKay worked for a steel company in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in Germany. In 1993, he became a Crown Attorney in Nova Scotia. This meant he worked as a lawyer for the government, prosecuting cases in court. MacKay has said that he entered politics because he wanted to improve the justice system. He felt that the courts did not always focus enough on how crimes affected victims.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

MacKay was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada in the 1997 federal election. He represented the area of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough in Nova Scotia. He was one of several younger politicians elected at that time. People saw them as future leaders who could help their party.

In his first term, MacKay worked as the Justice Critic for his party. This meant he spoke for his party on issues related to justice. He was also the House Leader for the Progressive Conservative group in Parliament. He helped manage the party's work in the House of Commons.

MacKay was re-elected in the 2000 federal election. Many people thought he might become the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Leading the Progressive Conservative Party

In 2003, the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, Joe Clark, announced he would step down. Peter MacKay decided to run for the leadership. He wanted to bring together different conservative groups in Canada.

During the leadership contest, MacKay was a strong candidate. He focused on his leadership skills and building a national team. He won the final vote with about 65% of the support from party members.

Forming the Conservative Party

After becoming leader, MacKay worked to unite the conservative movement in Canada. The Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance were two separate parties. Many people believed that if they joined, they would be stronger.

On October 15, 2003, MacKay and the leader of the Canadian Alliance, Stephen Harper, agreed to create a new party. This new party was called the Conservative Party of Canada. Most members of both parties supported this idea.

Some politicians from the Progressive Conservative Party did not agree with the merger. They chose to remain independent or join other parties. In January 2004, MacKay announced he would not run to be the leader of the new Conservative Party. Instead, he became the Deputy Leader under Stephen Harper. He was re-elected as an MP in the 2004 federal election for the area of Central Nova.

MacKay arrives at Rideau Hall for the swearing in of the new government after the 2006 Canadian election

In 2006, the Conservative Party won the federal election and formed a minority government. Peter MacKay kept his seat in Parliament.

Government Roles

Minister of Foreign Affairs

After the 2006 election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Peter MacKay as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This meant he was in charge of Canada's relationships with other countries. He also became the Minister for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, which helps with economic development in Atlantic Canada.

MacKay as Minister of Foreign Affairs, speaking with his Brazilian counterpart, Celso Amorim, February 2007

One of his biggest challenges was the conflict between Lebanon, Israel, and Hezbollah in July 2006. The Canadian government worked to help thousands of Canadians leave Lebanon and return home safely. MacKay supported Israel during this conflict. He also called Hezbollah a "cancer" in Lebanon. The Canadian government officially considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Minister of National Defence

On August 14, 2007, MacKay became the Minister of National Defence. This role put him in charge of Canada's military.

MacKay inspects a new Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone with members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, May 2011.

In 2007, while visiting a military base in Afghanistan, two rockets hit the base. MacKay was not hurt. In 2008, he announced a plan to spend a lot of money to improve the Canadian military's equipment over 25 years.

MacKay with his American counterpart, Leon Panetta, during a meeting with defence ministers from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, March 2012

In 2010, MacKay was criticized for using a military helicopter to travel from a fishing camp to an airport. He said he used it to also take part in a search and rescue demonstration.

Minister of Justice and Attorney General

On July 15, 2013, MacKay became the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada. This job involves overseeing the country's legal system.

After Parliament

Life After 2015

On May 29, 2015, Peter MacKay announced that he would not run in the 2015 federal election. After leaving politics, he joined a law firm called Baker McKenzie as a partner. His family lives in Toronto.

In 2016, there was talk that MacKay might try to become the leader of the Conservative Party again. However, on September 12, 2016, he announced he would not seek the leadership.

2020 Conservative Leadership Race

MacKay (centre-left foreground) with Andrew Scheer during the 2019 Canadian federal election campaign

In January 2020, Peter MacKay announced he would run for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada. He officially started his campaign on January 25, 2020, in Stellarton, Nova Scotia.

He was a strong candidate in the race. However, he was defeated by Erin O'Toole in the final round of voting. After the leadership race, MacKay moved back to Nova Scotia. He now works as a senior counsel at a law firm and as an advisor for a consulting company.

Personal Life

Peter MacKay married Nazanin Afshin-Jam on January 4, 2012, in Mexico. Nazanin was born in Iran and is a former beauty queen. She has degrees in international relations and political science. She also co-founded a human rights group called Stop Child Executions.

Peter and Nazanin have three children: two sons, Kian Alexander MacKay (born April 1, 2013) and Caledon Cyrus MacKay (born July 28, 2018), and one daughter, Valentia Makaja MacKay (born September 30, 2015).

In his free time, MacKay has volunteered for many groups, including Big Brothers Big Sisters and the YMCA. He enjoys sports and played rugby, baseball, football, and hockey in his community.

Electoral Record

2020 Conservative Party of Canada leadership results by ballot

Candidate		1st ballot				2nd ballot				3rd ballot
		Votes cast	%	Points allocated	%	Votes cast	%	Points allocated	%	Votes cast	%	Points allocated	%
	Erin O'Toole	51,258	29.39%	10,681.40	31.60%	56,907	33.20%	11,903.69	35.22%	90,635	58.86%	19,271.74	57.02%
	Peter MacKay	52,851	30.30%	11,328.55	33.52%	54,165	31.60%	11,756.01	34.78%	63,356	41.14%	14,528.26	42.98%
	Leslyn Lewis	43,017	24.67%	6,925.38	20.49%	60,316	35.20%	10,140.30	30.00%	Eliminated
	Derek Sloan	27,278	15.64%	4,864.67	14.39%	Eliminated
Total		174,404	100%	33,800	100%	171,388	100%	33,800	100%	153,991	100%	33,800	100%

2003 Progressive Conservative leadership election – delegate support by ballot

Candidate		1st ballot		2nd ballot		3rd ballot		4th ballot
		Votes cast	%	Votes cast	%	Votes cast	%	Votes cast	%
	MACKAY, Peter Gordon	1,080	41.1%	1,018	39.7%	1,128	45.0%	1,538	64.8%
	PRENTICE, James (Jim)	478	18.2%	466	18.2%	761	30.4%	836	35.2%
	ORCHARD, David	640	24.3%	619	24.1%	617	24.6%	Endorsed MacKay
	BRISON, Scott A.	431	16.4%	463	18.0%	Endorsed Prentice
	CHANDLER, Craig B.	0	—	Withdrew before 1st ballot began; Endorsed Prentice
Total		2,629	100.0%	2,566	100.0%	2,506	100.0%	2,374	100.0%

See also

In Spanish: Peter MacKay para niños