20 years after his first election win, Stephen Harper steps back into the spotlight

After a decade at the top of Canadian politics, former prime minister Stephen Harper has re-emerged into the public discourse, delivering forceful statements on current issues and urging greater cooperation amid global challenges.

Harper’s Recent Remarks

Harper, who largely retreated from public life after his election loss in 2015, has spent much of his post-parliamentary career quietly building a consulting business. However, on the 20th anniversary of his first election victory, he has made waves with a series of events playfully dubbed “Harperpalooza” by supporters.

“I’ve largely stayed silent on what’s transpired,” Harper said Thursday at a banquet in Ottawa, where parliamentarians, staffers, and foreign dignitaries lauded his time in office.

Now, Harper is urging the two main parties to better co-operate amid American aggression and other potentially existential threats and warning of the dangers of a “hostile” U.S. to try and shake corporate Canada out of what he described as its complacency. He also chastised his successor, Justin Trudeau, for making the country, in his words, “weaker,” and offered advice to Prime Minister Mark Carney on how to renegotiate the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement — including endorsing reciprocal tariffs on American goods.

Harper also pitched an oil pipeline to the Pacific he said can solve two crises: western alienation and an economy entirely too dependent on the U.S. “Our national conversation must be mature enough to acknowledge that many of the difficulties we now face as a country cannot be blamed on Donald Trump,” Harper said. “In too many cases, they stem from bad decisions by our own government.”

Focus on History and National Unity

At an event launching his collection at Library and Archives Canada, Harper practically begged Canadians to learn more about the country’s history to avoid repeating mistakes of the past. He twice this week drew attention to 1866, when the Americans last tried to annex Canada and destroy its economy by ending a trade deal.

Harper’s tenure as prime minister was marked by some controversy, including debates over the long-form census, the Fair Elections Act, and disagreements with government scientists, as well as the Senate expenses scandal and a dispute over orange juice costs. However, confidants describe him as a prime minister who focused on incremental change and delivering results.

“Mr. Harper has a legacy of strong, steady leadership and genuine passion for our country — and it has really withstood the test of time,” said Ray Novak, a longtime Harper aide who ended his government service as the prime minister’s chief of staff. “It wasn’t a flashy administration but a very policy-heavy government that focused on what was tangible and pragmatic. And that enduring legacy is still relevant today.”

Some of Harper’s structural changes have proven resilient, including the GST cut, the abolition of the long-gun registry (though new firearms laws have since been added), and the Federal Accountability Act. The universal child-care benefit he introduced has been reworked and expanded, and more than 17 million Canadians now have a tax-free savings account (TFSA).

Observers note that Harper’s emphasis on trade deals, defence spending, and Arctic sovereignty are themes that current Prime Minister Carney is also pursuing. Carney has continued parts of Harper’s agenda, with some adjustments, and has sought Harper’s counsel as the country faces a range of challenges.

Harper joked that Carney may not have been prime minister if he hadn’t spotted the resumé of a promising young man looking for work at a “nearby bank.” He appointed Carney as governor of the Bank of Canada in 2007.

Novak said that sort of bipartisanship is “healthy for our democracy” and a potent force in the face of external threats. He also believes there are lessons in Harper’s success for current Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

“I think if Pierre takes one lesson from Stephen Harper in 2004-05 it’s keep your head down, focus on talking to the people who share your beliefs. Focus on your plan and don’t worry too much about what the fancy people say,” said Chad Rogers, a longtime Conservative supporter.

“Minutes before Stephen Harper became prime minister there were a lot of very smart people who said it could never happen and then said it wouldn’t last and he would be gone. It was a blip on the map. In the end, it was a durable 10 years in power that made Canada better.”