Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
September 11, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Civic Brief • Provincial Politics

Jason Kenney

Jason Kenney is a Canadian politician who served as a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2016, as leader of Alberta’s United Conservative Party from 2017 to 2022, and as premier of Alberta from 2019 to 2022.

Updated September 11, 20261 min readCited sources

Jason Kenney is a Canadian politician who served as a federal cabinet minister and later as premier of Alberta. He led the United Conservative Party to a majority government in 2019.

Federal career

Kenney was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997, representing Calgary Southeast for nearly 20 years. In Stephen Harper’s government, he held several cabinet portfolios, including citizenship and immigration, employment and social development, and national defence. He stepped down from Parliament in 2016.

Alberta premier

After Alberta’s conservative parties merged, Kenney won the United Conservative Party leadership in 2017. He led the UCP to a majority in the 2019 provincial election and served as premier until 2022, when he resigned following a leadership review.

Early life and career

Born in Oakville, Ontario, in 1968, Kenney studied philosophy at the University of San Francisco. Before entering politics, he was president and CEO of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. After leaving office, he took on advisory roles with Bennett Jones and the C.D. Howe Institute.

In short

  • First elected to the House of Commons in 1997
  • Served as federal cabinet minister under Stephen Harper
  • Led UCP to majority government in 2019
  • Resigned as premier in 2022 after leadership review
Canadian angle

Kenney is a major figure in recent Canadian conservative politics, with a career spanning federal cabinet government and Alberta provincial leadership. For Canadian readers, he is especially notable for his role in immigration policy under Stephen Harper and in shaping Alberta’s United Conservative Party.[1][7]

Quick questions

Who is Jason Kenney?
Jason Kenney is a Canadian politician who was an MP, a federal cabinet minister, leader of Alberta’s UCP, and premier of Alberta.
When did Jason Kenney become premier of Alberta?
He was sworn in as Alberta’s premier in April 2019 after the UCP won the provincial election.
When did Jason Kenney stop being premier?
He stepped down as premier and UCP leader in May 2022 following a leadership review.

Sources

  1. The Canadian Encyclopedia — https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jason-kenney
    Supports: Birth, MP career, federal cabinet roles, UCP leadership, premiership, resignation in 2022.
  2. Parliament of Canada — https://www.ourcommons.ca/members/en/jason-kenney(1302)
    Supports: He is no longer an MP; constituency and political affiliation.
  3. Wilson Center — https://www.wilsoncenter.org/person/hon-jason-kenney
    Supports: Premiership, leadership, federal ministerial career, 2019 election victory.
  4. CORIM — https://www.corim.qc.ca/fr/biographie/16/Jason_Kenney
    Supports: Birthplace, education, federal political career, prior role at Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
  5. C.D. Howe Institute — https://www.cdhowe.org/our-people/the-honourable-jason-kenney-pc-eca/
    Supports: Premier term, federal cabinet roles, MP history, post-political affiliation.