The Right Honourable Stephen Harper affiliates with Dentons

Dentons is pleased to announce the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada, has affiliated with Dentons.

Mr. Harper and his firm, Harper & Associates Consulting, will work out of Dentons’ Calgary office and be engaged as a consultant with the Firm’s worldwide team and clients. Building on his international experience and network as a G-7 leader, Mr. Harper will provide advice to clients on market access, managing global geopolitical and economic risk, and how to maximize value in global markets.

“This is outstanding news for Dentons and for our clients,” said Elliott Portnoy, Dentons’ Global Chief Executive Officer. “Mr. Harper’s experience as a G-7 leader will provide invaluable perspective for our clients and our team.”

Mr. Harper served as the Prime Minister of Canada for nearly ten years, from February 6, 2006, to November 4, 2015. As Prime Minister, Mr. Harper lowered taxes, balanced the federal budget, and made critical investments in infrastructure and health care. His government’s legacy also includes expanding Canada’s free trade access and effectively steering the nation—maintaining its strong G-7 economy—through the worst global recession since the Great Depression. He is a respected statesman and an accomplished executive.

Mr. Harper’s consultancy with Dentons is an excellent fit—the world’s largest law firm is proud to offer clients the strategic, diplomatic business counsel of a deep bench of experienced leaders, including the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, former Prime Minister of Canada; Gordon Giffin, former US Ambassador to Canada; Gary Doer, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States; Sir Dominic Asquith, who held a number of high-level diplomatic posts in the Middle East, including UK Ambassador to Egypt and Libya; Jeff Bleich, former US Ambassador to Australia and special counsel to President Obama; Joe Andrew, former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee; the Honourable James Moore, former Minister of Industry for Canada; and many other team members who have served in influential roles.

“Dentons’ clients will benefit immeasurably from Mr. Harper’s exceptional skills and experience with getting deals done at the critical intersection of business, government and cross-border relations,” said Joe Andrew, Dentons’ Global Chairman. “We greatly look forward to working with him.”

“Dentons is a dynamic, global firm that is uniquely able to help clients create value through its expansive reach and capacity across a range of legal and business services. I am excited to announce my strategic affiliation with Dentons, and look forward to helping clients from around the world enter new markets,” said the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Chairman and CEO of Harper & Associates Consulting.

“We are excited about the global experience and vision Mr. Harper brings to Dentons and to our clients,” said Chris Pinnington, Dentons’ Canada Chief Executive Officer. “His consultancy adds even greater depth and perspective to our exceptional team of international business advisors, further strengthening the unmatched talent and services we offer clients in Canada and around the world.”

Mr. Harper holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from the University of Calgary and was first elected as a Member of Canada’s House of Commons in 1993. In 2006, Time magazine named him “Canada’s Newsmaker of the Year” and, in 2008, he was the first Canadian to be awarded the Presidential Gold Medallion for Humanitarianism by B'nai B'rith International. In 2011, Mr. Harper was honored by Alberta's Blood tribe; he was made honorary chief of the Kainai Nation. During his career, Mr. Harper has been recognized with the Woodrow Wilson Award for his public service (2006); the World Statesman of the Year award (2012); the Order of Liberty, Ukraine’s highest award for foreigners (2016); and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond and Golden Jubilee Medals for Canada (2012 and 2002).

James Moore

James Moore is a Senior Business Advisor at Dentons. Based in Vancouver, James provides strategic advice to clients in British Columbia, across Canada and around the world. With an extensive background as a senior cabinet minister in the Government of Canada, extensive knowledge of Canada’s business community, and his public policy background, he is a valued member of the Dentons team.

Previously, James served as Canada’s Minister of Industry, Minister of Canadian Heritage & Official Languages, Secretary of State for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Minister for the 2010 Olympics. He served as the Senior Regional Minister for the province of British Columbia, he was also Chair of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Prosperity and Vice Chair of the Operations and Social Affairs Cabinet Committees.

James has earned an outstanding reputation over his years spent in government, most notably as Minister of Industry from 2013 to 2015, where he oversaw a wide range of Canada’s public policy decisions and led a team responsible for the Canada Space Agency, the Canada Tourism Commission, the Business Development Bank of Canada, Statistics Canada, the National Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), the Canada Foundation for Innovation and more.

A Member of Parliament for 15 years, James is the youngest Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister in British Columbia’s history, the youngest Regional Minister in Canadian history and the third youngest Cabinet Minister in Canadian history. He has been named "One of the 50 Most Important People in Canada" by Macleans magazine, “One of Vancouver’s 50 Most Powerful” by Vancouver Magazine, and “One of the Top 25 People in the Capital” by the HillTimes newspaper.

He is a member of the Trilateral Commission and was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Fluently bilingual in French & English, James holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Northern British Columbia and a Master’s Degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Political Science. In May 2016, James received the honour of becoming the sixth Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia.

Recognition

• "Founder of Canada's Digital Economy" award by DIACC (Digital ID & Authentication Council of Canada)
• "One of the 50 Most Important People in Canada" by Macleans magazine
• "Top Cabinet Minister in Question Period" by the HillTimes
• "One of the Top 25 People in the Capital" by Ottawa Life Magazine
• "One of Vancouver's 50 Most Powerful" by Vancouver Magazine
• One of Douglas College's "Top 40 for 40" - one the top 40 graduates of Douglas College in the school's 40 year history.
• Awarded the 'National Leadership Award' by the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers' Association.
• "Alumni of the Year" - University of Northern BC
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Recipient
• Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal Recipient

Industry Minister James Moore leaving federal politics

Stephen Harper’s Conservatives have lost another high-profile minister months before October’s federal election.

By BRUCE CAMPION-SMITHOttawa Bureau

Fri., June 19, 2015

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/06/19/reports-says-industry-minister-james-moore-wont-run-again-for-conservatives.html

OTTAWA—Stephen Harper’s Conservative government is grappling with another looming high-profile departure as Industry Minister James Moore, a well-liked politician and moderate voice in the party, announced Friday he won’t be running in the October election.

Moore, the MP for Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam, caught Conservative insiders and fellow MPs off guard with his announcement that he would be leaving politics, citing family and the health of his young son as the reason.

“Balancing family responsibilities while in public life is always a challenge,” Moore said in a statement.

“This is particularly true when you have a child with special needs. Recently my wife and I received some difficult news about the health of our beautiful son Spencer,” said Moore, who did not go into specifics.

In his statement, Moore said he would finish out his term and return to B.C. to “pursue new opportunities and be closer to my young family.”

He is the latest in a string of cabinet ministers who have either quit or signalled they won’t be running again this fall — Justice Minister Peter MacKay, John Baird, who left as foreign affairs minister, Heritage Minister Shelly Glover and International Development Minister Christian Paradis, in addition to the more than two dozen backbench Tories who won’t return to Ottawa.

Four key Tory MPs who won't return to politics

In making the announcement, Moore, who also serves as the political minister for B.C., said that he had “every confidence” the Conservatives would be re-elected in the upcoming fall vote.

But after five terms and 15 years in office — and with family health challenges at home — Moore added, “I have concluded it is impossible for me to seek another term in office.”

Conservative commentator Tim Powers said the announcement was a surprise but understandable given Moore’s worries about his son and the bruising travel schedule that keeps cabinet ministers away from home.

“I think anyone would understand you put that priority first,” said Powers, vice-chairman of Summa Strategies. “It sounds like his son and wife . . . need support and help now.”

Moore had been eyed as a potential leadership successor to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. But Powers wasn’t ruling that out, despite Friday’s announcement. At age 39, Moore has time to return to politics down the road, as do others such as MacKay and Baird, Powers said.

“He could go off and do many other things in B.C., be closer to home and perhaps when the health and well-being of his son improves, he could certainly come back into politics,” he said.

“He’s a policy wonk, he’s a political keener. That doesn’t just disappear,” Powers said in an interview.

Moore was respected on both sides of the aisle in the Commons. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May took to Twitter to convey her best wishes to Moore and his family. “Sending best wishes to you, Courtney and Spencer. Love and thanks for being a friend, Elizabeth,” May said.

A spokesperson for Harper praised Moore’s years of public service.

“As the minister’s statement makes clear, he has a special needs son who is facing health issues,” Stephen Lecce said in an email.

“We fully understand his need to spend more time with his family and wish the Minister, his wife Courtney and his son Spencer well,” he said.

Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, who himself is leaving politics, said the departure of Moore and others will hurt the Tories as they ready for an election.

“These are not only senior ministers, but they played important roles in political campaigns. They’re respected people. And so I think this will have negative fallout for the Conservative party,” Cotler told reporters Friday.

First elected in 2000 as a Canadian Alliance MP, Moore has served seven years in cabinet, holding the portfolios of industry and Canadian heritage.

“I want to thank the prime minister for his friendship and support when I have needed it most,” Moore said.

“To my amazing and loving family, thank you for your support, patience and understanding over all these years. I simply could not have survived in public life without your love and I am so lucky for the gift of you in my life,” Moore said.

Read more about: 

Stephen Harper