Stockwell Day

Stockwell Day was born in Barrie, Ontario on August 16, 1950. He spent his early years in the Maritimes and his high school years in Ottawa and Montreal, where he graduated. Stockwell has lived in most other regions of our nation including the Northwest Territories, the Arctic, Alberta, and British Columbia. He attended the University of Victoria. He met and married his wife Valorie in Victoria. They raised their family in Alberta.

Stockwell has a strong background in business, community service and government. He has also worked in a leadership role with young people as a counselor and administrator at an independent school.

From 1986 to 2000, Stockwell represented Red Deer North – one of Canada's fastest growing cities – in the Alberta Legislature, where he served the Progressive Conservative government in a variety of senior roles including Chief Whip, Government House Leader, Minister of Labour, Minister of Social Services, and, from 1997 to 2000, as Provincial Treasurer (Minister of Finance) and acting Premier. Working with Premier Ralph Klein and others, he has an impressive record of achievement in common-sense reforms to government, including:

• As Chairman of the Premier's Council on the Family, he developed Canada's first Family Policy Grid, which measures the impact on families of all government programs and legislation.

• Reforming the Workers Compensation Board by moving it out of government and eliminating its $600 million unfunded liability, while increasing worker benefits and cutting employer premiums.

• Reducing the Labour Ministry's budget by 40% and privatizing many of its operations.

• Continuing the implementation of Alberta's dramatic welfare reforms, moving tens of thousands of able-bodied welfare recipients into the job market.

• Introducing the Fiscal Responsibility Act, after which Alberta became the first province in Canada to eliminate its net debt.

• Introducing Canada's only Single Rate Tax, which cut taxes to a single rate of 10% for all Albertans, removed low-income earners from the tax rolls altogether, equalized tax treatment for single-income families, and ended bracket creep.

On July 8, 2000, Stockwell Day made political history by being elected as the first Leader of the Canadian Alliance. In September 2000, he won over 70% of the vote in a by-election held in the federal constituency of Okanagan-Coquihalla. On September 19th, 2000, Mr. Day became Leader of her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in the House of Commons. In the 2000 national election campaign, Mr. Day's team increased his party's results in every region of the country. The Canadian Alliance also increased its seat count from 58 to 66 members, saw its popular vote rise by over 1 million votes, elected two new MPs in Ontario, placed second in over 80 Ontario ridings and drastically increased its support in Quebec.

In March 2002, Stephen Harper won the Canadian Alliance Leadership race and appointed Stockwell the Foreign Affairs Critic for the Official Opposition.

Following the leadership race Mr. Day and his supporters set a brand new precedent in the Canadian Alliance, by accepting the democratic choice of party members and loyally supporting the new leader.

He continued to serve as Foreign Affairs Critic after running as a candidate for the newly formed Conservative Party of Canada and being re-elected in the June 28th, 2004 Federal Election.

On January 23, 2006, the citizens of Okanagan-Coquihalla renewed his mandate with overwhelming support that exceeded the total number of votes for all other candidates.

On February 6th, 2006 Stockwell Day was sworn in as Federal Minister for Public Safety.

Under his leadership the Department has responsibilities in the following areas:

Emergency Management and National Security Branch
Emergency analysis, warning and response, including the Government Operations Centre and the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre
Emergency management policy
Emergency preparedness and recovery including the Canadian Emergency Management College
National security policy

Policing, Law Enforcement and Interoperability Branch
Law enforcement and border strategies
Policing policy
Public safety interoperability (the ability to share information in real time between public safety agencies)

Community Safety and Partnerships Branch
Aboriginal policing
Conditional release program development
Corrections policy and research
Crime prevention

Corporate Management Branch
Chief Information Officer Directorate
Comptrollership (finance)
Human resources
Management assurance (internal audits)
SafeCanada.ca

Strategic Policy
Intergovernmental affairs
Ministerial services
Strategic policy
Cross-Cultural Roundtable on Security Secretariat
Inspector General of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service

Monitors CSIS compliance with its operational policies
Reviews CSIS operational activities
Conducts reviews of specific CSIS activities

Stockwell Day is identified as one of Canada's leading voices in advocating democratic reform, and presently serves as Vice Chair of the International Democrat Union.

He believes in long-term economic opportunity for all Canadians, and constitutional respect for federal-provincial relations as a unifying force in our nation.

Stockwell is a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and the Rotary Club. He and his wife, Valorie have 3 sons and 12 grandchildren.