Harper is an evangelical Christian wi a pouer base in Alberta, home o Canadae's ile boom. Kent as an ally o Canadian fossil fuels, he haes promotit thair export tae the U.S. an Cheenae. He haes helped the federal govrenment tae dismantle some environmental restrictions on economic growth. Harper increased federal defense spendin bi nearly $1 billion annually in his first fower years in affice, wi mair projectit. Canadae haes amassed a federal debt ower $600 billion bi mid-2013.[2]
Harper haes been theMember o Parliament (MP) for theridin oCalgary Soothwast inAlberta syne 2002. Earlier, frae 1993 tae 1997, he wis the MP forCalgary Wast. He wis ane o the foondin members o theReform Pairty, but did nae seek re-election, an instead joined, an shortly thareefter led, theNaitional Citizens Coalition.[3] In 2002, he succeeditStockwell Day as leader o theCanadian Alliance (the successor tae the Reform Pairty) an returned tae parliament as Leader o the Opposeetion. In 2003, he reached an agreement wiProgressive Conservative leaderPeter MacKay for the merger o their twa pairties tae fairm the Conservative Pairty o Canadae. He wis electit as the pairty's first non-interim leader in Mairch 2004.
In theMey 2011 federal election, Harper's Conservative Pairty wan a majority govrenment, the first syne the2000 federal election. His pairty wan 166 seats, an increase o 23 seats frae the October 2008 election.
