View source for Jason Kenney

{{Short description|Premier of Alberta from 2019 to 2022}}
{{For|the English cyclist|Jason Kenny}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix    = [[The Honourable]]
| name                = Jason Kenney
| honorific_suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|ECA|size=100%}}
| image               = Jason Kenney at USTR.jpg
| caption             = Kenney in 2020
| order               = 18th
| office              = Premier of Alberta
| monarch             = {{plainlist|
* [[Elizabeth II]]
* [[Charles III]]
}}
| lieutenant_governor = {{plainlist|
* [[Lois Mitchell]]
* [[Salma Lakhani]]
}}
| term_start          = April 30, 2019
| term_end            = October 11, 2022
| predecessor         = [[Rachel Notley]]
| successor           = [[Danielle Smith]]
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Party leadership positions
 |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office2              = [[Leader of the Opposition (Alberta)|Leader of the Opposition in Alberta]]
| deputy2              = [[Leela Aheer]]
| term_start2          = January 29, 2018
| term_end2            = April 30, 2019
| predecessor2         = [[Jason Nixon]]
| successor2           = Rachel Notley
| office3              = [[United Conservative Party#Leaders|Leader of the United Conservative Party]]
| deputy3              = [[Leela Aheer]]<br />''Vacant'' (2021–2022)
| term_start3          = October 30, 2017
| term_end3            = October 6, 2022
| predecessor3         = [[Nathan Cooper (Canadian politician)|Nathan Cooper]] (interim)
| successor3           = [[Danielle Smith]]
| office4              = [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta#Party leaders|Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta]]
| term_start4          = March 18, 2017
| term_end4            = July 24, 2017
| predecessor4         = [[Ric McIver]] (interim)
| successor4           = [[Nathan Cooper (Canadian politician)|Nathan Cooper]] (as [[United Conservative Party#Leaders|interim leader]] of the [[United Conservative Party]]){{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |[[28th Canadian Ministry]]
 |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| office5             = [[Minister of National Defence (Canada)|Minister of National Defence]]
| primeminister5      = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start5         = February 9, 2015
| term_end5           = November 4, 2015
| predecessor5        = [[Rob Nicholson]]
| successor5          = [[Harjit Sajjan]]
| office6             = [[Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship (Canada)|Minister for Multiculturalism]]
| primeminister6      = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start6         = August 16, 2013
| term_end6           = November 4, 2015
| predecessor6        = ''Himself'' (as [[Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship|minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism]])
| successor6          = ''Position abolished''
| office7             = [[Minister of Employment and Social Development]]
| primeminister7      = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start7         = July 15, 2013
| term_end7           = February 9, 2015
| predecessor7        = [[Diane Finley]] (Human Resources and Social Development)
| successor7          = [[Pierre Poilievre]]
| office8             = [[Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship|Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism]]
| primeminister8      = [[Stephen Harper]]
| term_start8         = October 30, 2008
| term_end8           = July 15, 2013
| predecessor8        = [[Diane Finley]]
| successor8          = [[Chris Alexander (politician)|Chris Alexander]]
| office9              = [[Secretary of state (Canada)#Heritage|Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity]]
| primeminister9       = [[Stephen Harper]]
| minister9            = [[Bev Oda]]<br />[[Josée Verner]]
| term_start9          = January 4, 2007
| term_end9            = October 29, 2008
| predecessor9         = ''Position established''
| successor9           = ''Position abolished''{{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
{{Collapsed infobox section begin |last=yes |Parliamentary constituencies
 |titlestyle=border:1px dashed lightgrey;}}{{Infobox officeholder |embed=yes
| assembly11           = Alberta Legislative
| constituency_AM11    = [[Calgary-Lougheed]]
| term_start11         = December 14, 2017
| term_end11           = November 29, 2022
| predecessor11        = [[Dave Rodney]]
| successor11          = [[Eric Bouchard]]
| parliament12         = Canadian
| riding12             = [[Calgary Midnapore]]<br />([[Calgary Southeast]]; 1997–2015)
| term_start12         = June 2, 1997
| term_end12           = September 23, 2016
| predecessor12        = [[Jan Brown]]
| successor12          = [[Stephanie Kusie]] (2017){{Collapsed infobox section end}}}}
| birth_name          = Jason Thomas Kenney
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|1968|5|30}}
| birth_place         = [[Oakville, Ontario]], Canada
| death_date          = 
| death_place         = 
| party               = [[United Conservative Party|United Conservative]] (since 2017)
| otherparty          = Federal:<br />[[Reform Party of Canada|Reform]] (1997–2000)<br />[[Canadian Alliance|Alliance]] (2000–2003)<br />[[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative]] (since 2003)<br />Provincial:<br />[[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative]] (2016–2017)
| residence           = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
| alma_mater          = [[University of San Francisco]] (no degree)
| signature           = Signature Jason Kenney.gif
}}

'''Jason Thomas Kenney''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|ECA}} (born May 30, 1968) is a former Canadian politician who served as the 18th [[premier of Alberta]] from 2019 until 2022, and the leader of the [[United Conservative Party]] (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta|Legislative Assembly]] (MLA) for [[Calgary-Lougheed]] from 2017 until 2022. Kenney was the last leader of the [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Alberta Progressive Conservative Party]] (PC Party) before the party merged with the [[Wildrose Party]] to form the UCP. Prior to entering Alberta provincial politics, he served in various cabinet posts under [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Stephen Harper]] from 2006 to 2015.

Kenney studied [[philosophy]] at the [[University of San Francisco]], but returned to Canada without completing his degree. In 1989, he was hired as the first executive director of the Alberta Taxpayers Association before becoming the president and chief executive officer of the [[Canadian Taxpayers Federation]]. Kenney was elected to the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] in the [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997 federal election]] for the [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform Party]]. In [[2000 Canadian federal election|2000]], he was re-elected as a [[Canadian Alliance]] candidate and then was re-elected five times as a candidate for the [[Conservative Party of Canada]].

Following the Conservative victory in the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 federal election]], Kenney was appointed [[Parliamentary Secretary|parliamentary secretary]] to Prime Minister Harper. In January 2007, he was sworn into the [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada|Privy Council]] as the secretary of state for multiculturalism and Canadian identity. Kenney held the post of [[Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism|minister for citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism]] from October 2008 to July 2013, when he became [[Minister of Families, Children and Social Development|minister of employment and social development]] and minister for multiculturalism. In February 2015, he was named [[Minister of National Defence (Canada)|minister of national defence]]. Kenney was considered a [[2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election|potential party leader]] following the defeat of the Conservative government in [[2015 Canadian federal election|October 2015]] and resignation of Harper as leader.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-election-2015-chris-hall-harper-succession-1.3278943|title=Stephen Harper is out, here's who might replace him: Chris Hall}}</ref>

In July 2016, Kenney announced his intention to run for the leadership of the Alberta PCs in that party's [[2017 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election|2017 leadership election]]. Kenney resigned his seat in Parliament on September 23, after sitting in the House of Commons for over 19 years. He was elected party leader on March 18, 2017, on a platform of merging with the Wildrose Party. He was leader until the merger was effected on July 24. Kenney was then elected United Conservative Party leader on [[2017 United Conservative Party leadership election|October 28]].

On April 16, 2019, Kenney led the United Conservative Party to a [[majority government]] in the [[2019 Alberta general election]], defeating incumbent Premier [[Rachel Notley]] of the [[Alberta New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]]. Kenney came under criticism for his handling of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta|COVID-19 pandemic]] from members within the UCP and the general public, triggering a [[leadership review]] in May 2022. On May 18, 2022, Kenney narrowly won the leadership review 51.4% to 48.6%, but announced that this support was insufficient and that he would step down as UCP leader. Kenney remained premier until October 11, 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bellefontaine |first=Michelle |date=May 18, 2022 |title=Alberta Premier Jason Kenney resigns as UCP leader |work=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-premier-jason-kenney-resigns-as-ucp-leader-1.6457221 |access-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> [[Danielle Smith]] was chosen to succeed him by the United Conservative Party on October 6, 2022.

==Early life and career==
Jason Thomas Kenney<ref>{{cite news|title='Enfant terrible' sounds the alarm|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/102235117/calgary-herald/|last=Climenhaga|first=David|newspaper=Calgary Herald|page=A1|date=May 9, 1993|accessdate=May 20, 2022}}</ref> was born on May 30, 1968, in [[Oakville, Ontario]], the son of Lynne (Tunbridge) and Robert Martin Kenney.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=April 2010|title=Martin Kenney Obituary (2010) – Leader-Post|url=https://www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/leaderpost/141783748|access-date=September 28, 2021|website=[[legacy.com]]|language=en}}</ref> His father was a teacher at [[Appleby College]] and was of Irish heritage.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/leaderpost/obituary.aspx?n=martin-kenney&pid=141783748|title=Martin Kenney's Obituary on Leader-Post|website=[[Legacy.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/h/u/n/Laurie-Jean-Hunt-BC/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0086.html|title=Laurie-Jean-Hunt-BC - User Trees - Genealogy.com}}</ref> Kenney's grandfather was jazz musician and big band leader [[Mart Kenney]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2332780&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=36&Ses=1#LINK87|title=MART KENNEY |date=March 17, 1998|author=((Hansard, House of Commons, Canada, 36th Parliament, 1st Session))}}</ref>

Kenney attended the [[Athol Murray College of Notre Dame]] in [[Wilcox, Saskatchewan]], a private Catholic high school of which his father was president. Kenney may have been inspired to enter politics following a brief discussion with former prime minister [[John Diefenbaker]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/fought-to-unite-alberta-conservatives-jason-kenney-voted-alberta-s-new-premier-1.4383420 |title=Fought to unite Alberta conservatives: Jason Kenney voted Alberta's new premier |work=[[CTV News]] |date=April 17, 2019 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |first=Dean |last=Bennett}}</ref>

Kenney studied [[philosophy]] at the [[University of San Francisco]], a [[Jesuit]] university in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], but failed to complete his coursework. It was there that he discovered conservatism.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Marshall |first1=Tabitha |title=Jason Kenney |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jason-kenney |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=February 17, 2022 |date=March 12, 2020}}</ref> During his time in California, Kenney was interviewed by [[CNN]] for a segment exploring religious values. In the segment, where he was credited as "Jason Kenny – Anti-abortion Activist," he argued against Jesuit professors who declared free speech as essential to a university.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhlC-ZrguhA |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/yhlC-ZrguhA| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Jason Kenney interviewed by CNN, undated, between 1986–1988|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Allowing pro-choice activists on campus, Kenney argued, was "destroying the mission and the purpose of this university." In the student newspaper, the ''[[San Francisco Foghorn]]'', he suggested that giving a platform to pro-choice groups would mean the school had no basis to refuse a similar platform to pedophiles or to the [[Church of Satan]].<ref>{{Cite news|author=Hélène Buzzetti |url=https://www.ledevoir.com/politique/canada/320583/des-fous-de-dieu-chez-les-conservateurs |title=Des fous de Dieu chez les conservateurs |newspaper=Le Devoir |date=April 7, 2011 |access-date=May 30, 2018}}</ref>

The [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco|Archbishop]] rejected Kenney's petition that summer, and he never returned to complete his undergraduate degree.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Markusoff |first=Jason |url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/jason-kenney-everything-lose/ |title=Jason Kenney has everything to lose |magazine=Maclean's |date=March 6, 2018 |access-date=May 30, 2018}}</ref> Instead, Kenney returned to Canada to begin work for the [[Saskatchewan Liberal Party]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Douglas|last=Todd|url=http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2010/12/31/jason-kenney-versus-his-own-catholic-church/|title=Jason Kenney versus his own Catholic church|work=The Vancouver Sun|date=December 31, 2010|access-date=May 26, 2015|archive-date=May 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526095225/http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2010/12/31/jason-kenney-versus-his-own-catholic-church/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was "very involved in the young Liberals" as a young man, and in 1988 was executive assistant to [[Ralph Goodale]], the leader of the provincial party at the time.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Keung|first1=Nicholas|last2=Black|first2=Debra|title=Q & A: Jason Kenney on his role as Canada's immigration minister|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2013/02/22/q_a_jason_kenney_on_his_role_as_canadas_immigration_minister.html|access-date=July 20, 2016|work=[[The Toronto Star]]|date=February 22, 2013}}</ref> Not long after, in 1989, Kenney was hired as the first executive director of the Alberta Taxpayers Association, which advocated for fiscal responsibility. In 1990, Kenney was named president and chief executive officer of the [[Canadian Taxpayers Federation]], a self-described taxpayer's advocacy group that scrutinizes governmental expenditure from a conservative perspective.

==In opposition (1997–2006)==
[[File:Jason Kenney (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|Kenney at the All Candidates Forum at McKenzie Lake Community Centre in Calgary's Southeast, January 14, 2006]]
Kenney was first elected to the Canadian [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] in 1997, at the age of 29. He was elected as a member of the [[Reform Party of Canada]], which later became the [[Canadian Alliance]]. While a member of the House of Commons, Kenney was co-chair of the [[Unite the Right (Canada)|United Alternative]] Task Force, national co-chairman of [[Stockwell Day]]'s campaign for leadership of the Alliance, and national co-chair of the Canadian Alliance's [[2000 Canadian federal election|2000 election campaign]]. While on the Opposition benches between 1997 and 2006, Kenney served in several prominent [[shadow cabinet]] roles, including deputy [[Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons (Canada)|House leader for the Official Opposition]], critic for [[Canada–United States relations]], critic for [[Minister of National Revenue|national revenue]], and critic for [[Minister of Finance (Canada)|finance]].

He was a member of a group of Reform Party MPs that were known as the Snack Pack due to their habit of eating greasy food and ridiculing the ruling Liberals.<ref>{{Cite web|title=From 'Snack Pack' to leader of the Progressive Conservatives: How Jason Kenney got to where he is now|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/profile-of-jason-kenney|access-date=August 25, 2021|work=[[Calgary Herald]]|language=en-CA}}</ref>

Kenney supported the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]] and suggested that the [[Jean Chrétien|Chrétien]] government's refusal to support the war would damage Canada's relationship with the [[United States]].<ref>Maria Babbage, "Liberal stance will make it tougher to avoid new border measures, says Alliance", ''Canadian Press NewsWire'', March 27, 2003.</ref>

Kenney was a member of the Canada Tibet Committee and hosted the [[Dalai Lama XIV|Dalai Lama]] in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.jasonkenney.ca/EN/4961/62732bn=1 |title = The Honourable Jason Kenney meets with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. |publisher = Jason Kenney |access-date = February 4, 2010 }} {{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister (2006–2007)==
[[File:KennyOullet&Johnson.jpg|thumb|Kenney, Cardinal [[Marc Ouellet]], and [[David Lloyd Johnston]] at the [[Pontifical Canadian College]] in [[Rome]] in preparation for the inauguration of [[Pope Francis]]]]
On February 6, 2006, Kenney and [[Sylvie Boucher]] were appointed as [[List of Parliamentary Secretaries of Canada|parliamentary secretaries to the prime minister]], [[Stephen Harper]]. That August, when two opposition MPs suggested removing [[Hezbollah]] from Canada's list of terrorist organizations, Kenney came under fire for comparing the organization to the [[Nazi Party]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/tory-mp-compares-hezbollah-to-nazi-party-1.627252|title=Tory MP compares Hezbollah to Nazi party|date=August 22, 2006|work=[[CBC News]]|access-date=July 9, 2016}}</ref> Later, he rebuked [[Prime Minister of Lebanon]] [[Fuad Saniora]] for his criticisms of Canada, invoking the $25 million [[Canadian dollar|CAD]] that the country received from Canada in reconstructive assistance during the [[2006 Lebanon War]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.embassymag.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2006/august/23/lebanon/ |title=Re 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict |publisher=Embassymag.ca |access-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329004031/http://www.embassymag.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=%2F2006%2Faugust%2F23%2Flebanon%2F |archive-date=March 29, 2009 }}</ref>

==Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity (2007–2008)==
On January 4, 2007, Kenney was sworn in as the secretary of state for [[multiculturalism]] and Canadian identity and as a [[Privy councillor (Canada)|Privy Councillor]]. In this capacity, Kenney was the Harper government's representative to ethnic communities in Canada, and made frequent appearances at ethnic community events across the country.<ref>{{Cite news |url = https://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/306284bn=1|title = Travelling Tory woos ethnic voters.| newspaper = Toronto Star | access-date = December 4, 2009|date=February 23, 2008}}</ref>

In early 2008, Kenney posted an announcement on his website, declaring that the Canadian government recognized the [[Flag of South Vietnam|flag of the Republic of Vietnam]] as the symbol of the [[Vietnamese-Canadian]] community. Further, he declared that "attempts to disparage [the flag] are a deeply troubling attack on one of Canada's ethnic communities and on the principles of multiculturalism."<ref>{{Cite web |author=Conservative Party Of Canada |url=http://www.jasonkenney.com/EN/4961/70870 |title=Announcement on Jason Kenney's website re the Republic of Vietnam |publisher=Jasonkenney.com |access-date=June 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328174023/http://www.jasonkenney.com/EN/4961/70870 |archive-date=March 28, 2009 }}</ref> In May 2008, he made a speech at an [[Army of the Republic of Vietnam]] rally, lending support to the program.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_PB6BmTHkQ  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/J_PB6BmTHkQ| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Speech at ARVN rally |publisher=YouTube |access-date=June 5, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

That same month, Kenney launched the Community Historical Recognition Program (CHRP), which established $13.5 million CAD in funding over five years for commemorative projects by ethno-cultural communities that had been subject to discriminatory Canadian immigration and wartime policies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/programs/community.asp|title=Community Projects|date=June 14, 2016|publisher=[[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada]]|access-date=July 9, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160713061928/http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/multiculturalism/programs/community.asp|archive-date=July 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/welcome-to-my-world/|title=The inside story of Jason Kenney's campaign to win over ethnic votes|last=Castonguay|first=Alec|date=February 2, 2013|magazine=[[Maclean's]]|language=en-US|access-date=July 9, 2016}}</ref> By the project's conclusion in 2013, all of the funds had been utilized, save for $500,000 that was earmarked for education about the [[Chinese head tax in Canada|Chinese head tax]], and was left unspent when one Chinese community group failed to file the required paperwork.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/chinese-head-tax-redress-funds-clawed-back/article9101632/|title=Chinese head-tax redress funds clawed back|last=Friesen|first=Joe|date=February 27, 2013|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|access-date=July 7, 2016}}</ref> Because more than thirty other projects involving the Chinese-Canadian community had been funded through the CHRP, Kenney considered the project a success and declined to release the funding, citing the conclusion of the program.<ref name=":1" /> In 2013, Kenney said in his remarks on the end of the CHRP program that the government was "committed to recognizing and educating Canadians about the experiences of those pioneers who overcame such heavy burdens. Their experiences mark an unfortunate period in our nation's history. We must ensure that they are never forgotten."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=721119 |title=Archived – Minister Kenney marks achievements of the Canadian Historical Recognition Program (CHRP) |date=February 18, 2013 |publisher=[[Government of Canada]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915034349/http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=721119 |archive-date=September 15, 2016 }}</ref>

==Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism (2008–2013)==
[[File:Jason KENNEY ride in the 2010 Calgary, Alberta Stampede Parade.jpg|thumb|Jason Kenney in the 2010 [[Calgary Stampede]] Parade]]
In 2008, Kenney became [[Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship|Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]] in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet shuffle of October 30, while retaining responsibility for multiculturalism, which he had been given in 2007.

In April 2009, Kenney officially launched [[South Asian Heritage Month|Asian Heritage Month]] to "better understand the rich diversity the Asian Canadian community brings to Canada".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jasonkenney.ca/EN/4961/87677bn=1|title=Minister Jason Kenney launches Asian Heritage Month|date=February 4, 2010}} {{Dead link|date=October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release|title=News Release – Minister Kenney launches Asian Heritage Month (Ottawa)|date=April 29, 2009|publisher=Citizenship and Immigration Canada|url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2009/2009-04-29.asp|access-date=October 23, 2012}}</ref>

While speaking in [[Jerusalem]] in December 2009 about Canadian government funding of [[Human rights#Non-governmental Organizations|human rights organizations]], Kenney said, "We have de-funded organizations, most recently, like [[Kairos Canada|KAIROS]] who are taking a leadership role in the [[Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions|boycott]] [of Israel]. We're receiving a lot of criticism for these decisions ... but we believe we have done these things for the right reasons, and we stand by these decisions." He later added in a letter to the ''Toronto Star'' that, "While I disagree with the nature of KAIROS's militant stance toward the [[Israel|Jewish homeland]], that is not the reason their request for taxpayer funding was denied."<ref>[https://ottawacitizen.com/news/Will+real+Jason+Kenney+please+stand/4805363/story.html#ixzz1ONzG6sl4 Will the real Jason Kenney please stand up?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526224401/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Will+real+Jason+Kenney+please+stand/4805363/story.html |date=May 26, 2011 }}</ref>

On June 26, 2010, Kenney announced changes to the Skilled Worker Immigration Program. For their applications to be processed, skilled worker applicants were thereafter required to either have an offer of arranged employment or be qualified in one of 29 eligible occupations out of the 520 described in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). A cap of 20,000 applications per year for the skilled workers class was also introduced. As of July 1, 2011, a maximum of 10,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing in the subsequent 12 months. Within the 10,000 cap, a maximum of 500 federal skilled worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing each year.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Kenney said that his reform of the immigration point system fixed problems with the previous immigration system. He also said the new system was more efficient in accepting migrants who could make the best contributions to the Canadian economy. The Canadian Experience Class Program was created to attract more international students who qualify as a graduate in the program, with an increased focus on youth, job skills, and a fluency in English or French.<ref name="Ellliot article">{{Cite news|last=Elliot|first=Louise|title=Kenney's economic immigration changes praised, scorned|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/kenney-s-economic-immigration-changes-praised-scorned-1.1138067|work=[[CBC News]]|date=October 29, 2015|access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref> And at the same time, the immigration department imposed a new language requirement for the Federal Skilled Workers (FSW) program.<ref>{{Cite web|last=CIC|title=Qualify as a graduate|url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/graduates.asp|publisher=Citizenship and Immigration Canada|access-date=October 30, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103173716/http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/cec/graduates.asp|archive-date=November 3, 2012}}</ref> Many of these changes were made to reduce the processing times for immigration applications. Vancouver immigration lawyer Richard Kurland said that these changes would guarantee "no more backlogs."<ref name="Ellliot article"/> Kenney, however, decided to delete the backlog of 280,000 skilled worker applications, and a lawsuit by the deleted applicants failed to preserve the applications.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Immigrant lawsuit fails to preserve backlogged applications|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/immigrant-lawsuit-fails-to-preserve-backlogged-applications-1.1205232|agency=The Canadian Press |work=[[CBC News]]|access-date=October 29, 2012|date=May 24, 2012}}</ref>

There was significant criticism of the institution of a Designated Country of Origin (DCO) list, which attributes countries as being unlikely to persecute. Therefore, refugee claimants coming from these countries—including [[Hungary]], [[Mexico]], and [[Israel]]—will undergo a different refugee claimant process than those from non-DCO countries.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Designated Country of Origin List|date=March 30, 2010|url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/reform-safe.asp|publisher=Canadian Government|access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref> Furthermore, refugee claimants from countries on the DCO no longer receive emergency healthcare coverage.

In 2011, Kenney imposed a ban on [[niqab]] face veils for those taking the oath of citizenship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailysabah.com/americas/2015/09/16/woman-wins-niqab-ban-appeal-in-court-against-canadian-state|title=Woman wins niqab-ban appeal in court against Canadian state|website=[[Daily Sabah]]|date=September 16, 2015}}</ref> In his appeal on behalf of the [[Minister of Citizenship and Immigration|Department of Citizenship and Immigration]] in ''Citizenship and Immigration v Ishaq'', 2015 FCA 194, the three justices ruled in favour of [[Zunera Ishaq]] and her right to wear the niqab, confirming that the federal requirement was unlawful.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://decisions.fca-caf.gc.ca/fca-caf/decisions/en/120099/1/document.do |title=Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v Ishaq, 2015 FCA 194| publisher=Federal Court of Appeal | date=October 5, 2015 | access-date=October 9, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/the-one-sentence-that-sums-up-the-niqab-debate/ | title=The one sentence that sums up the niqab 'debate:' Nestled in Justice Johanne Trudel's 24-paragraph Federal Court of Appeal decision is a phrase that explains this whole sorry mess| work=[[Maclean's]] | date=October 7, 2015 | access-date=October 9, 2015 | last=Wherry |first=Aaron}}</ref>

===Investigations into citizenship fraud===
On July 19, 2011, Kenney announced that the government intended to revoke the citizenship of 1,800 people it believes obtained their status through fraudulent means. The decision to revoke Canadian citizenship was rare, and a large-scale proposed crackdown had no precedent. At the time of his announcement, fewer than 70 citizenships had been revoked since the [[Canadian Citizenship Act, 1946|''Citizenship Act, 1946'']].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ottawa-targets-1-800-in-citizenship-crackdown-1.1062140|title=Ottawa targets 1,800 in citizenship crackdown|work=[[CBC News]]|date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>

An investigation into residence fraud continued to grow, and almost 11,000 cases were being reviewed in September 2012. [[Citizenship and Immigration Canada]] (CIC) revoked up to 3,100 citizens' citizenship, citing cheating or lies. Kenney said of the matter, "Canadian citizenship is not for sale and we are taking action to strip citizenship and permanent residence status from people who do not play by rules."<ref name="Citizenship and Immigration Canada">{{Cite web|title=Canadian citizenship not for sale: Minister Kenney provides update on residence fraud investigations|date=September 10, 2012|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2012/09/canadian-citizenship-not-sale-minister-kenney-provides-update-residence-fraud-investigations.html|publisher=Citizenship and Immigration Canada|access-date=November 24, 2020}}</ref> CIC worked in tandem with the [[Canada Border Services Agency]] (CBSA), the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] (RCMP), and various overseas Canadian offices to prevent citizenship fraud. [[Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]] [[Vic Toews]] said that "These efforts reinforce our government's commitment to protecting the integrity of our immigration system."{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} The CIC estimates that about 5,000 people with Canadian permanent resident status are outside of Canada, and implicated in residence fraud.<ref name="Citizenship and Immigration Canada"/>

In January 2009, Kenney made public statements critical of [[Iraq War resisters in Canada|U.S. soldiers seeking asylum in Canada]] who were facing punishment for their refusal to participate in the Iraq War. Unlike in the Vietnam era, Kenney said, the current asylum seekers were neither "[[draft dodger]]s" nor "[[List of Iraq War resisters|resisters]]", but rather "people who volunteer to serve in the armed forces of a democratic country and simply change their mind to desert. And that's fine, that's the decision they have made, but they are not refugees." He also referred to the asylum seekers as "bogus refugee claimants".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kenney-s-comments-prejudice-hearings-for-war-resisters-critics-say-1.781908 |title=Kenney's comments prejudice hearings for war resisters, critics say |work= [[CBC News]] |date=January 9, 2009 |access-date=May 26, 2015 }}</ref> These remarks were seen by some supporters of the asylum seekers as a form of interference in the asylum process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://wmtc.blogspot.com/2008/12/jason-kenney-admits-interfering-in-war.html |title=''We move to Canada blog'' |publisher=Wmtc.blogspot.com |date=December 30, 2008 |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/January2009/09/c6310.html |title=''Canadian News Wire'' "Open Letter to Minister Jason Kenney from Canadian Council for Refugees re: War Resisters" |publisher=Newswire.ca |access-date=June 5, 2010}}</ref> Kenney believed that [[Kimberly Rivera]], an American soldier seeking refuge, was not a legitimate refugee. "Military deserters from the United States are not genuine refugees under the internationally accepted meaning of the term," said Alexis Pavlich, the minister's press secretary.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Siu|first=Michelle|title=The Canadian Press&nbsp;— American war resister considering deportation appeal|url=http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/american-war-resister-considering-deportation-appeal-1.937746|work=[[CTV News]]|date=August 31, 2012|agency=The Canadian Press|access-date=September 3, 2012}}</ref>

In 2012, Kenney took steps in 2012 to find and combat [[Sham marriage|marriage fraud]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jason Kenney announces tougher immigration restrictions for newlyweds to combat marriage fraud |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/jason-kenney-announces-tougher-immigration-restrictions-for-newlyweds-to-combat-marriage-fraud |access-date=August 20, 2015}}</ref> His efforts were primarily focused on marriages in which one party was a Canadian citizen and the other, an immigrant, was using marriage to facilitate their entry into Canada, at which point they would leave their sponsor's home and declare the marriage to be a lie. In response, Kenney instituted a five-year prohibition on spousal sponsorship for those who had already been sponsored by a spouse into Canada. He also implemented a "conditional" permanent residency status, to ensure that a spouse or partner had to live as husband and wife for a minimum of two years with their Canadian sponsor, or else they would have their status revoked.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Curry|first1=Bill|title=Ottawa moves to curb marriages of convenience|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-moves-to-curb-marriages-of-convenience/article4182749/|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref>

===Admissibility decisions===
As part of Kenney's ''Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act'', introduced in June 2012, the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism would have the ability to deny entry to Canada based on "public policy considerations." Kenney was quoted in ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' as saying that present immigration laws do not allow someone to be kept out if they are seeking to promote violence. The previous year, both the official opposition [[New Democratic Party of Canada|New Democratic Party]] (NDP) and Quebec's National Assembly had asked Kenney to exercise negative discretion, but no such ability existed under Canadian law.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Kenney seeks power to bar people from entering Canada for 'public-policy considerations' |author=Cambell Clark |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/kenney-seeks-power-to-bar-people-from-entering-canada-for-public-policy-considerations/article4617304// |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=January 24, 2013 |location=Toronto}}</ref> During debate in the House of Commons, the NDP criticized this component of the bill, arguing it gives too much power to the minister.<ref>{{cite news |title=Immigration minister to give criteria for denying entry to Canada' |author=Laura Payton |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/immigration-minister-to-give-criteria-for-denying-entry-to-canada-1.1239681 |newspaper=[[CBC News]] |date=October 16, 2012 |access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>

Earlier, in March 2009, the CBSA prevented British politician [[George Galloway]] from entering Canada, where he had planned to give a series of speeches against the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–present)|War in Afghanistan]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=How George Galloway was barred from Canada in less than 2 hours |author=Cambell Clark |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/how-george-galloway-was-barred-from-canada-in-less-than-2-hours/article4096622/ |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=April 25, 2010 |access-date=October 10, 2012 |location=Toronto}}</ref> The Office of the Immigration Minister stated that the Canada Border Services Agency deemed Galloway as inadmissible to Canada due to national security concerns. Galloway had openly given what he called "financial support" to [[Hamas]], classified as a terrorist group in Canada.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/605682 |title=Canada blocks outspoken British MP |work=thestar.com |date= March 20, 2009|access-date=June 5, 2010 | location=Toronto | first1=Richard J. | last1=Brennan | first2=Allan | last2=Woods}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|author=Deborah Summers and agencies |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/mar/20/george-galloway-banned-canada |title=''The Guardian UK'':"George Galloway banned from Canada" |newspaper=The Guardian |date= March 20, 2009|access-date=June 5, 2010 | location=London}}</ref>

Galloway pursued the matter in the Canadian court system, where it was revealed that Kenney's office had emailed the CBSA on the matter. The [[Federal Court (Canada)|Federal Court]] found that Kenney's office had used "a flawed and overreaching interpretation of the standards under Canadian law for labeling someone as engaging in terrorism or being a member of a terrorist organization." The presiding judge also determined that the CBSA had produced its assessment of Galloway on scant evidence after receiving instructions from Kenney's staff,<ref>{{Cite news|author=Alison Crawford |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/galloway-s-canada-ban-won-t-be-reviewed-1.930330 |title=Galloway's Canada ban won't be reviewed |work=[[CBC News]] |date= September 27, 2010|access-date=October 12, 2010 | location=Toronto}}</ref> who attempted to bar Galloway because "they disagreed with his political views".<ref>{{Cite news|author=Alison Crawford |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/galloway-allowed-into-canada-1.953956 |title=Galloway allowed into Canada |work=[[CBC News]] |date= October 2, 2010|access-date=October 10, 2012 | location=Toronto}}</ref>

''The Globe and Mail'' later pointed out that, while Kenney was quick to refuse Galloway entry into Canada, his department gave entry to controversial politician [[Geert Wilders]], who compared [[Islam]] to [[fascism]] and campaigned to ban the [[Quran]] from the [[Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/why-is-national-arts-centre-hosting-dutch-mp-accused-of-being-anti-islam/article2016836/?service=mobile |title=Why is National Arts Centre hosting Dutch MP accused of being anti-Islam? |work=The Globe and Mail |date=May 10, 2011 |first=Gloria |last=Galloway |access-date=July 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313073215/http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/why-is-national-arts-centre-hosting-dutch-mp-accused-of-being-anti-islam/article2016836/?service=mobile |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Wilders spoke in Toronto and Ottawa, generating further controversy.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05/05/anti-islamic-political-leader-geert-wilders-comes-to-canada/ |title=Anti-Islamic political leader Geert Wilders comes to Canada |work=[[The National Post]] |date=May 5, 2011 |first=Jessica |last=Hume}}</ref>

===Citizenship policy changes===
[[File:Jason Kenney's speech at Black April demonstration, Apr-30-12.jpg|thumb|300px|Jason Kenney's speech at [[Fall of Saigon|Black April]] demonstration]]
A new law amending the ''[[Canadian Citizenship Act, 1946|Citizenship Act]]'' came into effect on April 17, 2009. One of the changes instituted by the Government of Canada is the "first generation limitation", considered a punitive measure by some against naturalized citizens who reside abroad for lengthy periods of time.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}} Minister Kenney said the following in the [[House of Commons of Canada]] on June 10, 2010: "That's why we must protect the values of Canadian citizenship and must take steps against those who would cheapen it … We will strengthen the new limitation on the ability to acquire citizenship for the second generation born abroad."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/speeches/2010/2010-06-10.asp |title=Speaking notes for The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P. Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism to announce legislation regarding citizenship |date=June 10, 2010 |access-date=January 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222213321/http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/speeches/2010/2010-06-10.asp |archive-date=December 22, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The new rules would not confer a Canadian citizenship on children born outside of Canada to parents who were also born outside of Canada. Thus, for children to obtain Canadian citizenship if born abroad, they would have to have one parent who was born in Canada. Another effect of this law was to abolish automatic citizenship by birth for the children of parents in Canada in the service of a foreign government. Children born to foreign diplomats in Canada would only become Canadian if at least one parent was either a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/rules.asp#understand |title=Changes to citizenship rules as of April 2009 |access-date=April 20, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420015439/http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/citizenship/rules.asp#understand |archive-date=April 20, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2010, Kenney introduced ''Discover Canada'', a new citizenship guide for prospective citizens. ''[[The Canadian Press]]'' reported that Kenney blocked information about [[same-sex marriage]] from the Citizenship and Immigration study guide for immigrants applying for citizenship,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/kenney-blocked-gay-rights-in-citizenship-guide-documents/article_aebf3c19-5d3d-5302-abe8-654dd9150be3.html |title=Kenney blocked gay rights in citizenship guide: documents |date=March 2, 2010 |work=[[Toronto Star]] |first=Dean |last=Beeby | access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref> although a sentence was included in a 2011 revision.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/citizenship-guide-gets-single-sentence-on-gay-rights-1.618396 |title=Citizenship guide gets single sentence on gay rights |date=March 14, 2011 |publisher=[[CTV News]]}}</ref> The revised edition also added information about arts and culture, the [[War of 1812]], and an admonition against importing "violent, extreme or hateful prejudices" to Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2011/2011-03-14a.asp |date=March 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217131225/http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2011/2011-03-14a.asp |archive-date=December 17, 2013 |title=News Release&nbsp;— Updated Discover Canada citizenship study guide now available |publisher=Citizenship and Immigration Canada}}</ref>

Kenney took steps to restore full citizenship status to the "[[Lost Canadians]]", Canadian nationals who had "fallen through the cracks".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.articlealley.com/article_530746_18.html |title= Immigration Dept rejoices as "Lost Canadians" citizenship bill is passed |date=May 7, 2008|author= Robert Palmer }}</ref> Bill C-37 corrected the citizenship issues for 95% of "Lost Canadians," and special grants were to be made to resolve the remaining 5%. Kenney says the Lost Canadians group should not be politicizing their plight, but they should be making a "solid application and a strong case".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smjrQPLeWkU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/smjrQPLeWkU| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|title=Still Lost Canadians Protest|date=October 22, 2009|author=Terry Milewski|website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>  Kenney's predecessor, [[Diane Finley]], had authorized a special grant of citizenship to Guy Valliere, although he died prior to receiving citizenship.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

===Refugee reform===
[[File:Jason Kenney and Ngo Thanh Hai with Members of Committee To Support Victims of Communism.jpg|thumb|300px|Jason Kenney and Senator [[Thanh Hai Ngo]] with Members of Committee To Support Victims of Communism]]
On March 29, 2010, Kenney announced an overhaul of the [[Canadian refugee system]]. The reform package committed to allowing the resettlement of 2,500 more refugees living in United Nations refugee camps and urban slums.<ref name="jasonkenney1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jasonkenney.com/EN/4961/109603|title=Expanding Canada's Refugee Resettlement Programs|date=April 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510073044/http://www.jasonkenney.com/EN/4961/109603|archive-date=May 10, 2010}}</ref> The plan also included expansion of the Government-Assisted Refugees Program to 500 places, while a further 2,000 resettlement places were added to the [[Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program]].<ref name="jasonkenney1"/>  In total, the new plan would lead to the resettlement of 14,500 UN-selected refugees from refugee camps and urban slums to Canada.<ref name="jasonkenney1"/>

The ''[[Protecting Canada's Immigration System Act]]'' was introduced on February 16, 2012, and received [[Royal Assent]] on June 28, 2012. It was broadly criticized as it "gives Ministers broad, unfettered and unprecedented powers" among other new powers. It was sponsored by Kenney.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}}

There was controversy around changes to Interim Federal Health, the social assistance program for refugee claimants.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Doctors plead for cuts to refugee health to be reversed |url= https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/doctors-plead-for-cuts-to-refugee-health-coverage-to-be-reversed/article12626378 |work= The Globe and Mail |access-date= July 17, 2013 |location=Toronto |date= June 17, 2013}}</ref> Physicians and allied health professionals opposed these cuts through national protests in all major cities in Canada.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Canadian Doctors for Refugee Health Care |url= http://www.doctorsforrefugeecare.ca/day-of-action-june-17-2013.html |work=Physicians |access-date=July 20, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018122152/http://www.doctorsforrefugeecare.ca/day-of-action-june-17-2013.html |archive-date= October 18, 2013}}</ref>  Physicians opposing the cuts to refugee health care include [[Vincent Lam]], who stated that Canada is a country known for its tolerance and diversity, but healthcare professionals are "dismayed and ashamed at the cuts for healthcare for refugees."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sheppard|first=Graham|title=Video of Day of Action against Refugee Health Care Cuts|website=[[YouTube]]|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXr1cL8yHdQ#at=50 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/JXr1cL8yHdQ| archive-date=December 12, 2021 |url-status=live|access-date=July 17, 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Afghan interpreters who served alongside Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan, and who applied for Canadian visas on the basis of facing threats from insurgents, were denied visas. Kenney backed this decision.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1088278--kenney-backs-bureaucrats-who-denied-visa-for-afghan-interpreter|title=Kenney backs bureaucrats who denied visa for Afghan interpreter|date=November 16, 2011 | work=The Star|location=Toronto}}</ref>

Kenney promised that Canada would resettle more refugees from 2011 to 2012 than in previous years. Instead, there was a 26% drop in refugee resettlement in Canada during that period, hitting a 30-year low. [[Loly Rico]], president of the [[Canadian Council for Refugees]], criticized Kenney for not following through on his promise.<ref>{{Cite news|work=[[International Business Times]]|title=Canada Witnesses Dramatic Drop In Resettled Refugees Despite Pledge to Grant More Asylum|date=March 8, 2013|url=http://ca.ibtimes.com/articles/443807/20130308/canada-refugee-council.htm|access-date=November 14, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420030024/http://ca.ibtimes.com/articles/443807/20130308/canada-refugee-council.htm|archive-date=April 20, 2013}}</ref>

===Office of Religious Freedom===
[[File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper at the Gurudwara Khalsa Diwan, at Ross Street, Vancouver, in Canada on April 16, 2015 (1).jpg|thumb|Kenney with [[Stephen Harper]] and [[Narendra Modi]] at a [[gurdwara]] in Vancouver]]
Following through on a Conservative campaign promise from the [[2011 Canadian federal election]], Kenney initiated the creation of the [[Office of Religious Freedom (Canada)|Office of Religious Freedom]], an agency of [[Foreign Affairs Canada]], to monitor [[religious oppression]] domestically and promote [[religious freedom]] internationally.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Berthiaume|first1=Lee|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/faith-groups-call-on-liberals-to-keep-office-of-religious-freedom |title=Faith groups call on Liberals to keep Office of Religious Freedom |date=January 22, 2016 |access-date=July 3, 2016}}</ref> Former British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] endorsed the office in a visit to Canada in 2013, saying, "I think it shows leadership from Canada. And Canada, by the way, in many ways is a perfect place from which to promote this ideal because of the complexion of the country."<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Blanchfield |first1=Mike |title=Tony Blair lauds feds' Office of Religious Freedom |url=https://ipolitics.ca/2013/10/23/blair-lauds-feds-office-of-religious-freedom/ |access-date=December 14, 2018 |work=iPolitics |date=October 23, 2013}}</ref> The Liberal government which formed after the [[2015 Canadian federal election]] closed the office in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Evan|first1=Solomon|title=In defense of the office of religious freedom|url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/in-defence-of-the-defunct-office-of-religious-freedom/|website=Maclean's|publisher=Maclean's Magazine|access-date=July 5, 2016}}</ref>

==Minister of Employment and Social Development (2013–2015)==
As part of the July 2013 cabinet reorganization, Kenney was named [[Minister of Employment and Social Development]]. While in this position, he focused on expanding the review process for the [[Canada Pension Plan]] and Old Age Security disability appeals, which had become backlogged under the previous tribunal process.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/11/27/large_social_security_backlog_unacceptable_kenney_says.html|title=Large social security backlog unacceptable, Kenney says |website=[[Toronto Star]]|date=November 27, 2014|access-date=July 6, 2016}}</ref>

In January 2014, Kenney reached an agreement with all provincial and territorial counterparts, except Quebec, to implement the [[Canada Job Grant]], which aimed to train unemployed workers who did not qualify for [[unemployment insurance]] over a period of four years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-job-grant-notably-different-from-take-it-or-leave-it-offer-1.2555173|title=Canada Job Grant notably different from take it or leave it offer|last=Mas|first=Susana|date=February 28, 2014|work=[[CBC News]]|access-date=July 8, 2016}}</ref> The final agreement provided more flexibility for the provinces and territories than the initial 2013 proposal, which had been rejected by Kenney's counterparts for its "take it or leave it" nature, which potentially forced the provinces and territories to forgo $300 million of the $500 million in federal funding provided to them by Labour Market Agreements if they did not accept the plan.<ref name=":0" /> $2.5 million were spent on advertising for the program during [[Stanley Cup playoffs]] spots in 2013 and 2014, even before the details of the federal-provincial agreements were finalized or approved, which prompted [[Advertising Standards Canada]] to label them as "misleading."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-job-grant-ads-cost-2-5m-for-non-existent-program-1.2495196|title=Canada Job Grant ads cost $2.5M for non-existent program|last=Harris|first=Sophia|date=January 13, 2014|work=[[CBC News]]|access-date=July 8, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ads-tout-job-grants-program-that-doesn-t-yet-exist-1.1319341|title=Ads tout job grants program that doesn't yet exist|date=May 19, 2013|work=[[CBC News]]|agency=[[The Canadian Press]]|access-date=July 8, 2016}}</ref>

==Minister of Defence (2015)==
[[File:U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter meets Canadian Minister of National Defense Jason Kenney at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.jpg|thumb|Canadian Minister of National Defense Jason Kenney meets U.S. Secretary of Defense [[Ash Carter]] at [[NATO]] Headquarters in [[Brussels, Belgium]]]]
After a February 2015 cabinet shuffle in which [[Minister of Foreign Affairs]] [[John Baird (Canadian politician)|John Baird]] left federal politics, with former Defence minister [[Rob Nicholson]] taking his place, Kenney was promoted to [[Minister of National Defence (Canada)|Minister of Defence]].<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/02/09/conservative-cabinet-shuffle-makes-jason-kenney-defence-minister.html | title=Jason Kenney new defence minister in Conservative cabinet shuffle | newspaper=[[Toronto Star]] | date=February 9, 2015 | access-date=September 17, 2015 | author=Boutilier, Alex}}</ref> While serving in this position, Kenney took a hard-line approach to national security, saying that it was necessary for Canada to fight against [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] militants to prevent them from becoming a threat to the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCAKCN0ST2LV20151104|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108011032/http://ca.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idCAKCN0ST2LV20151104|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 8, 2015|title=India-born former soldier sworn in as Canada's new defense minister|last=Schnurr|first=Leah|date=November 4, 2015|website=Reuters.ca|publisher=Reuters|access-date=July 7, 2016}}</ref>

In March 2015, Kenney claimed that Russian warships had confronted [[Royal Canadian Navy]] craft, and that Russian fighters had buzzed {{HMCS|Fredericton|FFH 337|6}} at low altitude while it participated in a [[NATO]] maritime task force off the coast of [[Ukraine]] as part of a mission against [[Russo-Ukrainian War|Russian intervention]] in the country.<ref name="NATO Kenney">{{Cite news | url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/dnd-russian-confrontation-claims | title=NATO officials contradict Jason Kenney's claim that Russian fighter jets flew over Canadian navy frigate | newspaper=[[National Post]] | date=March 14, 2015 | access-date=September 17, 2015 | author=Pugliese, David}}</ref> NATO officials later stated that Russian ships could be seen on the horizon, but never approached the fleet, and that all flyovers had been at high altitudes.<ref name="NATO Kenney" />

Later that month, Kenney defended the Canadian airstrike campaign against ISIS being extended into [[Syria]], claiming that, among the coalition air forces, only Canada and the United States had aircraft capable of using [[precision guided munitions]]. In fact, Arab allies such as [[Saudi Arabia]] and the [[United Arab Emirates]] had won praise from general [[Martin Dempsey]], the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, for their use of precision guided munitions.<ref>{{Cite news | url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/gen-tom-lawson-tries-to-dig-jason-kenney-out-of-a-bomb-crater-of-his-own-making | title=Gen. Tom Lawson tries to dig Jason Kenney out of a bomb crater of his own making | newspaper=[[Ottawa Citizen]] | date=March 30, 2015 | access-date=September 17, 2015 | author=Pugliese, David}}</ref> General [[Thomas J. Lawson|Tom Lawson]], then the Chief of Canada's Defence Staff, issued a statement defending Kenney, but later retracted his statement and apologized, saying that its contents were incorrect.<ref name="About face">{{Cite news | url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/about-face-as-canadas-top-general-admits-letter-backing-jason-kenney-on-smart-missiles-is-incorrect | title=About-face as Canada's top general admits letter backing Jason Kenney on smart missiles is incorrect | newspaper=[[National Post]] | date=April 1, 2015 | access-date=September 17, 2015 | author=Pugliese, David}}</ref> Sources within the Department of Defence say that Lawson had been pressured into releasing the inaccurate statement by Kenney's office.<ref name="About face" />

Also in March, Kenney faced criticism for tweeting photos purporting to be of ISIS enslaving young girls. One of the images was taken years before ISIS came into existence and appeared to be from an [[Day of Ashura|Ashura]] procession, while another turned out to be a picture staged by actors in London, England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/the-gargoyle-kenney-tweets-misleading-photos-of-muslim-women-in-chains|title=The Gargoyle – Kenney tweets misleading photos of Muslim women in chains|date=March 10, 2015}}</ref>

In April 2015, Kenney announced that troops from the [[Canadian Armed Forces]] would be sent to Ukraine as trainers for Ukrainian forces as part of [[Operation Unifier|Operation UNIFIER]]. The soldiers, who arrived in September 2015, were from [[2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group]] (2 CMBG) and were stationed in at the [[Armed Forces of Ukraine|Ukrainian Armed Forces]] [[:w:uk:Міжнародний центр миротворчості та безпеки|International Peacekeeping and Security Centre]] near the Polish–Ukrainian border at [[Yavoriv]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2015/09/01/canadian-soldiers-land-in-ukraine-for-training-mission|title=Canadian soldiers land in Ukraine for training mission|last=Warmington|first=Joe|date=September 1, 2015|newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]]|access-date=July 8, 2016}}</ref>

In May 2015, after a report was published on sexual misconduct in the Canadian Forces, Kenney promised that an independent centre at arm's length from the military would be formed to hear complaints of sexual misconduct in the military and provide support and resources for victims.<ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jason-kenney-guarantees-independent-centre-to-handle-military-sexual-misconduct-1.3072324 | title=Jason Kenney guarantees independent centre to handle military sexual misconduct | work=[[CBC News]] | date=May 13, 2015 | access-date=September 17, 2015}}</ref>

==Return to opposition and entry into provincial politics==
Although the Conservatives were defeated at the [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015 federal election]], Kenney was reelected in [[Calgary Midnapore]], essentially a reconfigured version of his old riding, where he was named to the [[Canadian House of Commons Special Committee on Electoral Reform|Special Committee on Electoral Reform]]. Kenney was long considered a likely candidate to succeed Stephen Harper as leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and had been mentioned as a prospective candidate and presumed frontrunner in the [[2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election|next leadership election]] to be held in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Election results promise repercussions for all party leaders|url=http://thechronicleherald.ca/opinion/1317345-howe-room-election-results-promise-repercussions-for-all-party-leaders|access-date=October 19, 2015|work=Chronicle-Herald|date=October 18, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Who will replace Steven Harper as leader of the Conservatives?|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/who-will-replace-steven-harper-as-leader-of-the-progressive-conservatives|access-date=October 20, 2015|work=National Post|date=October 20, 2015}}</ref> His name was also mentioned as a prospective leader of the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta]] (PC) who could potentially unite the rival Progressive Conservative and [[Wildrose Party|Wildrose]] parties.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The dozen who will dominate politics in 2016|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/01/01/the-dozen-who-will-dominate-politics-in-2016-tim-harper.html|access-date=January 8, 2016|work=Toronto Star|date=January 1, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Why nobody's going to be 'uniting the right' in Alberta any time soon|url=https://ipolitics.ca/2016/01/07/why-nobodys-going-to-be-uniting-the-right-in-alberta-any-time-soon/|access-date=January 8, 2016|work=iPolitics|date=January 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=Tony Clement organizers meet to discuss possible leadership bid|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/12/12/tony-clement-organizers-meet-to-discuss-possible-leadership-bid.html|access-date=December 12, 2015|work=Toronto Star|date=December 12, 2015}}</ref> On July 6, 2016, Kenney announced that he would be seeking the leadership of the Alberta PC Party, citing his desire to unite Alberta's two major centre-right parties.<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Wood|first1=James|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/kenney-to-announce-run-for-pc-leadership-on-wednesday |title=Kenney finally makes his leadership pitch to 'Unite Alberta' |date=July 6, 2016 |work=[[Calgary Herald]]}}</ref> The following day, he announced that he would resign his seat in the [[House of Commons of Canada|House of Commons]] within three months once the leadership campaign period officially opened, a decision that was severely criticized by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which Kenney had previously lead, for misusing taxpayer dollars.<ref name="CBCNews_2016-07-07">{{Cite news |first=David |last=Cochrane |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jason-kenney-canadian-taxpayers-federation-alberta-1.3668514|title=Taxpayers group miffed Kenney will collect MP perks this summer|newspaper=[[CBC News]]|access-date=November 6, 2016 |date=July 7, 2016}}</ref> He officially resigned September 23.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/jason-kenney-to-resign-federal-seat-next-week-1.3760314|title=Kenney resigning as MP after 19 years in bid to 'unite the right' in Alberta |work=[[CBC News]] |date=September 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name="CBCNews_2016-07-07" />

Kenney was elected leader of the PCs [[2017 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election|on March 18, 2017]], with more than 75% of the delegate votes on the first ballot. He re-affirmed his pledge to unite the party with the rival Wildrose Party.<ref>{{Cite news|author=James Wood, Calgary Herald |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/pc-leadership-convention-candidates-make-closing-arguments-before |title=Jason Kenney wins PC leadership |newspaper=Calgary Herald |date=March 19, 2017 |access-date=July 26, 2017}}</ref>  Two months later, on May 18, the PC and Wildrose party announced a merger agreement that would be voted by on their respective memberships.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Graney|first1=Emma|title=Wildrose-PC members to vote on new united party on July 22|url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-conservative-unity-one-step-closer|access-date=May 18, 2017|work=[[Edmonton Journal]]|date=May 18, 2017}}</ref> The results, announced June 22, had 95% of Wildrose and PC members vote in favour of a merger.<ref name="mergevote">{{cite news |date=July 22, 2017 |title=Wildrose votes yes to unity with 95% of the vote |work=Calgary Herald |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/wildrose-party-members-votes-95-5-per-cent-in-favour-of-joining-united-conservative-party |access-date=July 22, 2017}}</ref><ref name="cbcmerge">{{cite news |last1=Bellefontaine |first1=Michelle |date=July 22, 2017 |title=Wildrose and PC members approve unite-the-right deal with 95% voting 'yes' |work=[[CBC News]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/wildrose-unity-pcs-vote-1.4217598 |access-date=July 23, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 18, 2017 |title=Wildrose-PC members to vote on new united party July 22 |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/alberta-conservative-unity-one-step-closer |access-date=May 19, 2017 |work=Edmonton Journal}}</ref> The new [[United Conservative Party]] was recognized as the Official Opposition by the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]] on July 25, 2017, and shortly thereafter registered with [[Elections Alberta]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bourne |first=Kirby |last2=Kornik |first2=Slav |date=2017-07-25 |title=United Conservative Party becomes official opposition, selects caucus leadership team |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/3623311/united-conservative-party-selects-interim-caucus-leadership-team/ |access-date=2022-10-08 |website=[[Global News]] |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Nathan Cooper (Canadian politician)|Nathan Cooper]] named [[Interim leader (Canada)|interim leader]] while the party organized a leadership election.<ref name="cooper">{{cite news |first=Michelle |last=Bellefontaine |date=July 24, 2017 |title=Nathan Cooper chosen as interim leader of United Conservative Party |work=[[CBC News]] |url=http://www.cbc.ca/1.4219080}}</ref> However, as Alberta law forbade political parties from transferring assets, the PC and Wildrose parties continued to exist on paper, and the UCP was formally a newly created party.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Emma |last=Graney |date=July 23, 2017 |title=Selecting interim leader is first step for new Alberta political party |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/united-conservative-party-the-next-steps |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=[[Edmonton Journal]] |language=en-CA}}</ref>

On October 28, 2017, the party's [[2017 United Conservative Party leadership election|inaugural leadership election]] was held. Kenney was elected as the first full-time leader of the party, defeating former Wildrose leader [[Brian Jean]] and lawyer [[Doug Schweitzer]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/united-conservative-party-announce-new-leader-1.4377206|title=Jason Kenney elected 1st leader of Alberta's United Conservative Party|newspaper=[[CBC News]]|access-date=October 29, 2017 |date=October 28, 2017 |first=Michelle |last=Bellefontaine}}</ref> The following day, MLA [[Dave Rodney]] announced his resignation of his seat of [[Calgary-Lougheed]] in order to create a vacancy for Kenney.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Michelle |last=Bellefontaine |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/jason-kenney-gets-to-work-new-leader-upc-1.4377594 |title=Calgary MLA steps down to allow Jason Kenney to run for legislature seat |work=[[CBC News]] |date=October 29, 2017 |access-date=May 30, 2018}}</ref> Kenney was elected as MLA on December 14,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Graveland |first=Bill |date=2017-12-14 |title=Jason Kenney wins Calgary-Lougheed byelection |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/jason-kenney-wins-calgary-lougheed-byelection-1.3721117 |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=[[CTV News]] |language=en}}</ref> and sworn in as [[Leader of the Opposition (Alberta)|Leader of the Opposition]] on January 29, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-29 |title=Alberta's new Opposition leader Jason Kenney sworn in at legislature |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/alberta-s-new-opposition-leader-jason-kenney-sworn-in-at-legislature-1.3780527 |access-date=2022-07-22 |website=[[CTV News]] |language=en}}</ref>

=== "Kamikaze campaign" scandal ===
The [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] and the Alberta Election Commissioner investigated allegations that Jason Kenney and his team were involved in orchestrating [[2017 United Conservative Party leadership election#Jeff Callaway|Jeff Callaway]]'s campaign for the leadership of the United Conservative Party in an attempt to harm Kenney's biggest rival, Brian Jean. Documents obtained by ''[[The Toronto Star|The Star]]'' confirm that Kenney's campaign controlled major aspects of Callaway's campaign, including the providing of strategic plans, attack ads, speeches, and talking points intended to discredit Jean. These documents were handed over the election commissioner, according to Callaway's former campaign manager Cameron Davies. Davies also said that Kenney had attended a meeting at Callaway's house in July 2017, where the "kamikaze campaign" was discussed, and that Kenney had firsthand knowledge of this strategy.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Leavitt |first1=Kieran |last2=McIntosh |first2=Emma |title=Jason Kenney knew about UCP 'kamikaze' affair before leadership race, documents given to investigators say |url=https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2019/03/17/jason-kenney-knew-about-ucp-kamikaze-affair-before-leadership-race-documents-given-to-investigators-say.html |access-date=April 11, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Toronto Star]] |date=March 17, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

A leaked document alleged that Jason Kenney's team first approached [[Derek Fildebrandt]] in July 2017 about running a "dark-horse" campaign, but ultimately decided against working with him. Fildebrandt confirmed this account but stated that it was he who rejected the idea.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Keller |first1=James |title=The 'kamikaze candidate' continues to haunt Jason Kenney |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-the-kamikaze-candidate-continues-to-haunt-jason-kenney/ |access-date=April 11, 2019 |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=March 22, 2019}}</ref>

An emergency injunction was sought to halt the probe into the financing of Callaway's UCP leadership campaign for the duration of the 2019 Alberta general election, but was denied by [[Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta|Court of Queen's Bench]] Justice Anne Kirker, who ruled it was in the public interest for the investigation to continue.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Grant |first1=Meghan |last2=Ward |first2=Rachel |title=Calgary judge denies bid to halt UCP 'kamikaze' campaign probe during Alberta election |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kenney-callaway-ucp-oec-investigation-court-injunction-calgary-decision-1.5083536 |access-date=April 11, 2019 |work=[[CBC News]] |date=April 3, 2019}}</ref>

[[CBC News]] and [[CTV News]] received documents{{when|date=February 2021}} indicating that fraudulent e-mail addresses attached to party memberships were used to cast ballots in the party's leadership race in 2017, which Jason Kenney won. CBC News picked a sample of e-mail addresses based on suspicious domains, and determined that 60% of those were used to cast ballots in the leadership election.<ref name="CBCFraud">{{Cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Drew |last2=Dunn |first2=Carolyn |last3=Dempster |first3=Allison |last4=Labby |first4=Bryan |last5=Neveu |first5=Audrey |title=Fraudulent emails used to cast votes in UCP leadership race, CBC finds |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ucp-leadership-voter-fraud-membership-lists-data-1.5091952 |access-date=April 11, 2019 |date=April 10, 2019}}</ref>

Former UCP MLA [[Prab Gill]] sent a letter to the RCMP outlining allegations that the Kenney leadership campaign used fraudulent e-mail addresses to intercept PINs needed to vote in the leadership race, and that they were subsequently used by the Kenney campaign to vote for Kenney.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Former UCP MLA: Fake emails point to Kenney voter fraud |url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/former-ucp-mla-fake-emails-point-to-kenney-voter-fraud-1.4374894 |access-date=April 11, 2019 |work=[[CTV News]] |date=April 10, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

Many of the suspicious domains were traced to a network with ever-changing domains, and it is unclear who registered these domains. The majority of the fraudulent e-mail addresses were registered in the weeks preceding the leadership vote. CBC noted that it is not clear how widespread the voting fraud is outside of their selected sample of suspicious domains, and it is also possible that common e-mail providers such as [[Gmail]] or [[Hotmail]] were used with fraudulent addresses. A dozen individuals were contacted by CBC News to confirm whether or not they voted in the race, all of whom confirmed that they did not vote in the race and the e-mails on the voter's list were not their true e-mails.<ref name="CBCFraud"/>

The RCMP went to question at least one family to speak with them regarding the allegations of voter fraud.<ref name="CBCFraud"/>

==Premier of Alberta (2019–2022)==
{{main|Premiership of Jason Kenney}}

Under Kenney's leadership, the United Conservative Party won a majority government in the [[2019 Alberta general election]], winning 63 seats and 54.88% of the popular vote in 2019 election. On April 30, 2019, Kenney was sworn in by [[Lieutenant Governor of Alberta|Lieutenant Governor]] [[Lois Mitchell]], becoming the [[List of premiers of Alberta|18th Premier of Alberta]].

During the first session of the [[30th Alberta Legislature]], the Kenney government passed several notable of pieces of legislation, including the ''Act to Repeal the Carbon Tax,''<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.assembly.ab.ca/pro/bills/20190521_1200_01_bsr.pdf |work=[[30th Alberta Legislature]] |title=Bill Status Report for the 30th Legislature|date= October 24, 2019 | access-date = October 27, 2019 }}</ref> the ''Alberta Corporate Tax Amendment,''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bill3: Job Creation Tax Cut| department = Bills and Amendments |work=Legislative Assembly of Alberta|access-date=October 24, 2019 |date=June 28, 2019| url = http://www.assembly.ab.ca/net/index.aspx?p=bills_status&selectbill=003&legl=30&session=1 |series=30th Legislature, 1st Session (2019)}}</ref> and the ''[[Public Sector Wage Arbitration Deferral Act]]''. The government also passed legislation allowing parties to merge, clearing the way for PC and Wildrose to legally and formally merge into the UCP, and hence dissolve.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Franklin |first=Michael |date=2020-02-07 |title=Wildrose and Alberta PCs are no more after Elections Alberta approves merger |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/wildrose-and-alberta-pcs-are-no-more-after-elections-alberta-approves-merger-1.4802340 |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=[[CTV News]] |language=en}}</ref> Premier Kenney established a one-year, $2.5 million [[Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns]]<ref>{{Cite web| title = FAQ |series= Public inquiry into anti-Alberta energy campaigns| access-date = September 12, 2019 | url = https://albertainquiry.ca/faq}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Public inquiry into anti-Alberta energy campaigns |series=Anti-Energy campaigns| access-date = September 12, 2019| url = https://albertainquiry.ca/}}</ref> and a Calgary-based $30 million 'war room' to "fight misinformation related to oil and gas".<ref>{{Cite web| last = Heydari| first = Anis| title = Jason Kenney touts $30M 'war room' but provides few details| work = CBC News| access-date = October 27, 2019| date = June 7, 2019| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/jason-kenney-war-room-calgary-1.5167205}}</ref> They announced their first provincial budget on October 24, 2019, which fulfilled their "promise of slight austerity" with "cuts to spending programs and the elimination of hundreds of bureaucracy jobs", according to ''The National Post''.<ref name="NaPo_Dawson_20191024"/> ''The Post'' said that these and the corporate tax cuts "were the key planks of a four-year plan to bring the budget into balance."<ref name="NaPo_Dawson_20191024">{{Cite news| last = Dawson| first = Tyler| title = Jason Kenney's conservatives deliver the tougher budget they warned Albertans was necessary| work = National Post|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/jason-kenneys-conservatives-deliver-the-tougher-budget-they-warned-albertans-was-necessary|access-date=October 27, 2019 | date=October 24, 2019}}</ref> The goal is to reduce government spending by $4-billion over four years.<ref name="NaPo_Dawson_20191024"/>

===Oil Sands lawsuit===
On February 2, 2022, five environmental organizations filed a lawsuit in Edmonton against Kenney for defamation. The lawsuit alleged that, in public statements and in social media posts, Kenney deliberately distorted the results of a public inquiry led by Calgary forensic accountant Steve Allan investigating the possibility that the groups accepted American money to spread misinformation about the environmental impacts of [[Athabasca oil sands|oil sands]] development in Alberta. They were represented in the filing by Paul Champ of Ottawa-based Champ & Associates.<ref>{{cite news|last=Weber|first=Bob|date=February 2, 2022|title=Environmental groups serve Alberta premier, government with defamation lawsuit|website=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC News]]|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/environmental-groups-serve-alberta-premier-government-with-defamation-lawsuit-1.6337502|access-date=June 24, 2022}}</ref>

=== Leadership tensions and resignation ===
On March 8, 2021, CBC News reported that following discontent about the travel controversy and government policies around pandemic measures and coal mining, several UCP constituency associations had discussed holding a [[leadership review]] at an upcoming convention, putting Kenney's leadership of the party to a vote.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kenney's close call: How the conservative grassroots put Alberta's premier on notice |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kenney-leadership-review-ucp-alberta-covid-1.5935730 |access-date=April 23, 2021 |website=[[CBC News]] |language=en}}</ref> On March 13, the UCP announced a leadership review will be held at the party's annual general meeting in 2022, expected to be held in October, six months ahead of the fixed election date for the [[31st Alberta general election|next Alberta general election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alberta Premier Jason Kenney facing party leadership review next year |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kenney-leadership-review-ucp-alberta-covid-1.5949069 |access-date=April 23, 2021 |website=[[CBC News]] |language=en}}</ref>

On April 7, 2021, 15 UCP MLAs, including former Minister of Municipal Affairs Tracy Allard and Speaker [[Nathan Cooper (Canadian politician)|Nathan Cooper]], signed a letter criticizing the Government's public health orders. Two other MLAs added their names to the letter after it had been released publicly.<ref>{{Cite web |title=17 UCP MLAs revolt against Alberta government's renewed COVID-19 restrictions |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7744125/alberta-covid-restrictions-ucp-mlas-letter/ |access-date=April 14, 2021 |website=[[Global News]] |language=en}}</ref> UCP MLA [[Dan Williams (Canadian politician)|Dan Williams]] also released a video criticizing the closure of GraceLife Church by Alberta Health Services. Kenney stated that Government MLAs were permitted to dissent over COVID-19 health restrictions but breaking health rules or encouraging others to do so would result in their expulsion from the Government Caucus.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Dean |date=April 8, 2021 |title=Caucus dissent over COVID OK, breaking health rules means expulsion: Alberta premier |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/caucus-dissent-over-covid-ok-breaking-health-rules-means-expulsion-alberta-premier-1.5980893 |website=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> This was described as a "revolt" and an unprecedented level of opposition from within a government caucus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Braid: One-quarter of Kenney's caucus revolts against latest pandemic measures |url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/braid-nearly-one-quarter-of-kenneys-caucus-revolts-against-latest-pandemic-measures |access-date=April 14, 2021 |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |language=en-CA}}</ref> During a three-hour caucus meeting following the release of the letter, Kenney reportedly threatened to ask the lieutenant governor to dissolve the legislature and call a [[snap election]] if dissidents did not support the government.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bell: Kenney sinks in poll, UCP COVID wrangling, election threatened |url=https://calgarysun.com/opinion/columnists/bell-kenney-sinks-in-poll-ucp-covid-wrangling-election-threatened |access-date=April 23, 2021 |website=Calgary Sun |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 8, 2021 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Kenney threatened UCP Caucus with snap election over lockdown revolt |url=https://westernstandardonline.com/2021/04/exclusive-kenney-threatened-ucp-caucus-with-snap-election-over-lockdown-revolt/ |access-date=April 23, 2021 |website=Western Standard |language=en}}</ref>

On April 22, 2021, a letter calling for the resignation of Premier Kenney, started circulating within the UCP party's leadership boards. The letter gained 90 signatures composed of board presidents and board members of UCP riding associations. The letter states that the boards believed that they did not believe Kenney had the moral authority or trustworthiness to lead this party into the next election or to continue to deliver on important conservative priorities and that for the sake of a strong and free Alberta and for the well-being of the conservative movement in this province, the boards ask that Kenney do the proper thing and resign. The petitioners will bring up the letter during an upcoming board meeting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Braid |first=Don |date=April 22, 2021 |title=Braid: Explosive letter circulating within UCP calls for Kenney's resignation |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/braid-an-ominous-growl-from-the-grassroots-demanding-kenneys-resignation |access-date=September 28, 2021 |website=[[Calgary Herald]] |language=en-CA}}</ref>

On May 13, 2021, MLA [[Todd Loewen]] stepped down from his role as UCP [[caucus chair]] and called on Jason Kenney to resign, citing "persistent issues of dysfunction within the government" and claiming that "the Premier chooses not listen to caucus".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Stephanie |date=May 13, 2021 |title=UCP caucus chair quits, calls for removal of Premier Kenney |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/ucp-caucus-chair-quits-calls-for-removal-of-premier-kenney-1.5425998 |access-date=May 13, 2021 |website=CTV News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Loewen |first=Todd |title=I have sent the following letter to Premier Kenney and caucus informing them that I will be stepping down as UCP Caucus Chair due to persistent issues of dysfunction within government. |url=https://www.facebook.com/ToddLoewenAB/posts/4491997477523356 |url-access=limited |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/185298528193294/4491997477523356 |archive-date=February 26, 2022 |access-date=May 13, 2021 |website=Facebook |language=en}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

On September 22, 2021, MLA [[RJ Sigurdson]] presented a motion of no-confidence at a UCP caucus meeting, after the government introduced new public health restrictions, including a vaccine passport, following a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta. The motion was withdrawn after it was agreed that the UCP would hold a leadership review in Spring 2022, rather than October 2022 as previously scheduled.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dawson |first=Tyler |date=September 23, 2021 |title=Jason Kenney has asked UCP for leadership review at party's Spring convention |language=en |website=National Post |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/jason-kenney-has-asked-ucp-for-leadership-review-at-partys-spring-convention |access-date=September 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Braid |first=Don |title=Kenney heads off caucus revolt but agrees to leadership review |url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/braid-kenney-heads-off-caucus-revolt-but-agrees-to-leadership-review |access-date=September 27, 2021 |website=Calgary Herald |language=en}}</ref>

On May 18, 2022, Jason Kenney narrowly won a confidence vote held by the UCP with 51.4% support from members of his party. He then announced on the same evening his intention to resign as premier of Alberta and leader of the UCP, citing the clearly divisive nature of his leadership and a need for party unity.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Alberta Premier Jason Kenney resigning as UCP leader despite narrow win in leadership review|last=Bellefontaine|first=Michelle |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-premier-jason-kenney-resigning-as-ucp-leader-despite-narrow-win-in-leadership-review-1.6457221|access-date=May 19, 2022|website=CBC|date=May 17, 2022|language=en}}</ref> He subsequently confirmed that he would not be candidate in the [[2022 United Conservative Party leadership election|leadership election]] to succeed himself.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8853740/jason-kenney-not-running-ucp-leadership-race-alberta/ | title=Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he won't run in next UCP leadership race |first=Dean |last=Bennett |agency=The Canadian Press |date=May 21, 2022}}</ref>

== Post-premiership ==
On November 29, 2022, Jason Kenney resigned as MLA for Calgary-Lougheed, with immediate effect.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-11-29 |title=Former UCP leader Jason Kenney resigns seat as MLA |work=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kenney-resigns-seat-1.6668669 |access-date=2022-11-29}}</ref> On February 1, 2023, Kenney announced that he had started a new job as senior advisor for the law firm, [[Bennett Jones]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Toy |first1=Adam |title=Former premier Kenney joins law firm, will not lobby Alberta government |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9452455/jason-kenney-joins-law-firm/ |website=[[Global News]] |access-date=2 February 2023}}</ref>

His seat was retained by [[Eric Bouchard]] of the UCP in the [[2023 Alberta general election|May 2023 Alberta general election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alberta election 2023 results: Calgary-Lougheed  |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9625356/alberta-election-2023-results-calgary-lougheed/ |access-date=2023-05-30 |website=[[Global News]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

Jason Kenney was nominated to the board of [[ATCO]] on March 31, 2023.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-03-31 |title=Former premier Jason Kenney nominated to ATCO board |work=[[Calgary Herald]] |url=https://calgaryherald.com/business/former-premier-jason-kenney-nominated-to-atco-board |access-date=2024-06-23}}</ref>

== Political positions ==
[[File:Jason Kenney and Andrew Scheer (33927663458).jpg|thumb|Kenney with [[Andrew Scheer]] in 2019.]]
Kenney has been a social conservative in his political career, voting in favor of abortion restrictions and against same-sex marriage.

=== Abortion ===
Kenney voted in favour of abortion restrictions and received an endorsement from the socially conservative lobbyist group [[Campaign Life Coalition]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Meet Jason Kenney's Radical Social Conservative Allies Who Want to Send Alberta Back to the 19th Century |url=https://pressprogress.ca/meet-jason-kenneys-radical-social-conservative-allies-who-want-to-send-alberta-back-to-the-19th-century/ |access-date=December 15, 2018 |work=PressProgress |date=November 1, 2017 |language=en}}</ref> In 2012, Kenney was one of ten Cabinet ministers who voted in favour of a motion to study when life begins.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hannay |first=Chris |date=September 25, 2012 |title=The Globe and Mail&nbsp;— NDP slams Jason Kenney for supporting 'abortion' debate |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/ndp-slams-jason-kenney-for-supporting-abortion-debate/article4566487/ |access-date=September 25, 2012}}</ref> In 2018, a bill to create "no-protest zones" around abortion clinics was introduced to the Alberta legislature, following similar legislation in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]. As leader of the UCP, Kenney refused to debate the bill and led his caucus to walk out of the house 14 times over the course of two months when the bill was at issue.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Dean |title=Alberta passes bill creating no-protest zones around abortion clinics |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-passes-bill-creating-no-protest-zones-around-abortion-clinics/ |access-date=December 15, 2018 |newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]] |date=May 30, 2018}}</ref>

=== LGBTQ issues ===
Kenney voted against same-sex marriage as an MP, saying, "A majority of Canadians support the provision of benefits on grounds such as domestic partnership relationships, which are grounded on unions of economic dependency rather than relationships of a mere conjugal nature, and yet still two-thirds of Canadians, from every culture that exists in this country, from every corner of the globe who have come to this country to build a future for themselves and their families, recognize that marriage is, as the Supreme Court said the last time it spoke to this issue in the Egan case in 1995, 'by nature a heterosexual institution'."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=1979399&Language=E&Mode=1|title=Edited Hansard * Table of Contents * Number 123 (Official Version)}}</ref>

In 2016, Kenney supported the removal of "traditional definition of marriage" from the conservative party policy book.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Tonda MacCharles |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/05/28/accept-same-sex-marriage-kenney-tells-tory-convention.html |title=Tories vote to accept same-sex marriage |work=The Star |date=May 28, 2016 |access-date=May 30, 2018}}</ref>

Kenney was criticized by the provincial NDP, some LGBTQ activists, and some journalists for saying in a ''Postmedia'' interview that parents generally have a right to know if their child has joined a Gay-Straight Alliance, unless it would be contrary to the best interests of the child in the circumstances.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=White |first1=Ryan |title=Kenney's gay-straight alliance comments raise fears over possible outing of LGBTQ youth |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/kenney-s-gay-straight-alliance-comments-raise-fears-over-possible-outing-of-lgbtq-youth-1.3346505 |work=[[CTV News]] |location=Calgary |language=en-CA |date=March 29, 2017}}</ref>

In November 2018, Kenney faced pressure to expel an outspoken member of the United Conservative Party who compared the [[gay pride flag]] to the flag of [[Nazi Germany]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Braid |first1=Don |title=Braid: Linking rainbow flag to swastika a dark, ugly slur |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/braid-a-dark-ugly-turn-to-rhetoric-on-lgbtq-rights |access-date=December 14, 2018 |newspaper=[[Calgary Herald]] |date=November 13, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> Although Kenney had previously directed the party to cancel the membership of another member, he said that the decision to expel members rested with the party's board.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Dean |title=Ousting UCP member for swastika-pride flag comment not his call: Alberta Opposition leader |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4663997/alberta-kenney-carpay-ucp-swastika-pride-flag/ |access-date=December 14, 2018 |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |work=[[Global News]] |date=November 14, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

A two-decade-old audio recording surfaced in December 2018 of Kenney boasting about overturning a gay marriage law in 1989 in [[San Francisco]]. Kenney was referring to his role in organizing a petition to repeal the city ordinance that extended recognition rights of heterosexual couples to same-sex couples. This ordinance, originating during the [[Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS#United States|1980s AIDS epidemic]], extended rights that were previously exclusive to heterosexual couples, such as hospital visitation, to same-sex couples. Kenney addressed the audio clip by stating that he regrets the comments he made and that, since then, his record shows he supports domestic partner arrangements and benefits for couples regardless of sexual orientation.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Dean |title=United Conservative Leader Kenney regrets comments on gay hospital visitation rights |url=https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/12/06/united-conservative-leader-kenney-regrets-comments-on-gay-hospital-visitation-rights.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |agency=[[The Canadian Press]] |work=[[Toronto Star]] |date=December 6, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The comments led to backlash from outside and within the United Conservative Party. One board member and campaign manager for the party resigned his positions and membership with the party, citing the audio recording of Kenney as his reason for departure.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Leavitt |first1=Kieran |title=United Conservative Party board member quits party over concerns about Jason Kenney's record on LGBTQ rights |url=https://www.thestar.com/edmonton/2018/12/13/united-conservative-party-board-member-quits-party-over-concerns-about-jason-kenneys-record-on-lgbtq-rights.html |access-date=December 14, 2018 |work=StarMetro Edmonton |date=December 13, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Minority outreach ===
Kenney was widely recognized for his central role in reaching out to ethnic minority voters in 2011, leading to the Conservative Party's successful election campaign, and the Conservative parliamentary majority that resulted.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 3, 2011 |title=How courting the immigrant vote paid off for the Tories |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/how-courting-the-immigrant-vote-paid-off-for-the-tories/article578608/ |access-date=March 23, 2013}}</ref> He publicly acknowledged that his ongoing strategy of promoting conservative values and policies in government so as to capture the support of ethnic communities was in the works beginning years prior to Stephen Harper first winning government in 2006.<ref name=":2" /> Kenney also suggested that Harper was one of the first people he consulted with on the ethnic outreach strategy, when the latter was still an opposition Canadian Alliance MP.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 9, 2011 |title=Jason Kenney's 2011 Conservative Convention speech |publisher=jasonkenney.ca |url=http://www.jasonkenney.ca/news/minister-jason-kenneys-speech-at-the-opening-ceremonies-of-the-conservative-convention-june-9-201/ |url-status=dead |access-date=March 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927223324/http://www.jasonkenney.ca/news/minister-jason-kenneys-speech-at-the-opening-ceremonies-of-the-conservative-convention-june-9-201/ |archive-date=September 27, 2011}}</ref>

Kenney's ethnic outreach strategy was also evident when, in early 2011, a letter using government stationery was sent to Conservative riding associations seeking assistance in raising $200,000 funding for an ad campaign aimed at bolstering support among ethnic communities in ridings that the Conservatives were targeting in the next election.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 3, 2011 |title=Kenney fundraising letter breaks rules: NDP |work=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/kenney-fundraising-letter-breaks-rules-ndp-1.1026750 |access-date=March 3, 2011}}</ref>  News of this broke when a copy was believed to have been mistakenly sent to the office of opposition MP [[Linda Duncan]] instead of that of fellow Conservative MP [[John Duncan (Canadian politician)|John Duncan]] (no relation). This led to criticism over the letter's labelling of certain groups and ridings as "ethnic" or "very ethnic".<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 4, 2011 |title=Ethnic voter plan is 'offensive': Liberals |work=[[CBC News]] |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/ethnic-voter-plan-is-offensive-liberals-1.1104050 |access-date=April 15, 2011}}</ref> Kenney publicly apologized for the mailing error, citing a staffer's inexperience for the mistake.

As immigration minister, Kenney was largely credited with building bridges attracting ethnic communities to the Conservative Party, which was long dominated by the Liberal Party. In addition, he also handled the apology and financial compensation for the Chinese head tax and the official recognition of the Armenian and Ukrainian genocides.  According to an observer, "He acts as a conductor to correct historical wrongs, It might not seem important to the majority of the population, but for the concerned communities, it's huge."<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 7, 2011 |title=Exclusive: What really sunk Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals |work=The Star |location=Toronto |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2011/05/07/exclusive_what_really_sunk_michael_ignatieff_and_the_liberals.html}}</ref> According to ''The Globe and Mail'', the Chinese–Canadian community nicknamed Kenney the "Smiling Buddha" in reference to his efforts to garner ethnic votes on the basis of what some perceive as commonly held conservative values.<ref name="Friesen article">{{Cite news |last=Friesen |first=Joe |date=January 29, 2010 |title=Jason Kenney: The 'Smiling Buddha' and his multicultural charms |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-smiling-buddha-and-his-multicultural-charms/article4388303/?page=all |access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref> The ''Toronto Star'' characterized him as having a "[[Bieber]]-like" following in many communities.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Black |first1=Debra |last2=Keung |first2=Nicholas |date=February 22, 2013 |title=Jason Kenney attracts 'Bieber-like' following in ethnic communities |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2013/02/22/jason_kenney_attracts_bieberlike_following_in_ethnic_communities.html |access-date=July 9, 2016 |work=[[Toronto Star]]}}</ref> Kenney justified his efforts to gain ethnic support by stating, "You observe how these new Canadians live their lives. They are the personification of [[Margaret Thatcher]]'s aspirational class. They're all about a massive work ethic."<ref name="Friesen article" />

== Personal life ==
Kenney is [[bilingualism in Canada|bilingual]], speaking French and English.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Graham |date=Nov 15, 2019 |title=Alberta Premier Jason Kenney might be bilingual but he needs to learn a new language |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kenney-alberta-quebec-ucp-1.5360080 |work=[[CBC News]]}}</ref> He has never been married and has no children.<ref name=":2" />

== Awards and recognition ==
Kenney received the [[Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal]] in 2002,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/125-43120 |title=The Queen Golden Jubilee Medal List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}}</ref> the [[Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal]] in 2012,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-687 |title=The Queen Diamond Jubilee Medal List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}}</ref> and the Albertan version of the [[Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal]] in 2022.<ref name="Platinum">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/lieutenantgovernorofalberta/52373449727|title=Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal ceremony - July 29, 2022|website=Flickr|author=Lieutenant Governor of Alberta|date=July 29, 2022}}</ref>

In 2004, Kenney was named one of Canada's "100 Leaders of the Future" by ''[[Maclean's]]'' magazine, "one of Canada's leading conservative activists" by ''The Globe and Mail'', and one of "21 Canadians to watch in the 21st century" by the ''[[Financial Post]]''.<ref>[http://www.v1.theglobeandmail.com/elections/fed2004/candidates/generated/48007_CON.html Kenney, Jason.]{{Dead link|date=March 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The Globe and Mail. Candidates. 2004.]</ref>

On May 13, 2009, ''Maclean's'', in association with the [[The Historica Dominion Institute|Dominion Institute]], ''[[L'actualité]]'', and presenting sponsor [[Enbridge]], presented Kenney with the award for "Best Overall MP".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jasonkenney.ca/EN/4961/89222bn=1|title=Calgary's Jason Kenney named Canada's best overall MP in Ottawa|date=January 6, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805171117/http://www.jasonkenney.ca/EN/4961/89222bn%3D1|archive-date=August 5, 2010}}</ref>

''Maclean's'' named Kenney the "hardest working" MP of 2011, citing overwhelming support from all political parties who recognized Kenney's constant "20-hour work days" and "permanent 5 o'clock shadow".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.macleans.ca/politics/parliamentarians-of-the-year-hardest-working-jason-kenney/|title=Parliamentarians of the Year Awards: Hardest Working&nbsp;— Jason Kenney|work=Maclean's|date=November 21, 2011|access-date=May 26, 2015}}</ref>

On November 4, 2012, he received an [[Honorary degree|honorary doctorate]] from the [[University of Haifa]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Awards – University of Haifa Board of Governors|url=https://bogcms.haifa.ac.il/awards/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018235307/https://bogcms.haifa.ac.il/awards/|archive-date=October 18, 2021|access-date=December 9, 2021|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2014, Kenney received the [[UN Watch]] Moral Courage Award for speaking out on behalf of those who had been victimized by international tyranny.<ref name="UN Watch presents minister kenney with moral courage award">{{Cite web|url=http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/un-watch-presents-jason-kenney-with-moral-courage-award|title=UN Watch presents Minister Kenney with Moral Courage Award|last=Clarke|first=Katrina|date=May 23, 2014|work=[[National Post]]|access-date=July 8, 2016}}</ref> At the ceremony in [[Geneva]], representatives of the [[14th Dalai Lama]] presented Kenney with a traditional Tibetan scarf.<ref name="UN Watch presents minister kenney with moral courage award" /> Also in 2014, Kenney was awarded the inaugural [[Benjamin Disraeli]] Prize by [[Policy Exchange]], a centre-right UK [[think tank]], in recognition of the successful outreach to Canada's ethnic and cultural communities.<ref name="Minister Kenney presented with inaugural Benjamin Disraeli Award">{{Cite web|url=http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/modevents/item/the-inaugural-disraeli-prize-presented-to-hon-jason-kenney-mp|title=The Inaugural Disraeli Prize, presented to Hon Jason Kenney MP|date=June 16, 2014|website=policyexchange.org.uk|publisher=[[Policy Exchange]]|last1=Rishi|first1=Sunak|access-date=July 4, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817012558/http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/modevents/item/the-inaugural-disraeli-prize-presented-to-hon-jason-kenney-mp|archive-date=August 17, 2016}}</ref> The award was presented by British Conservative cabinet minister [[Michael Gove]].<ref name="Minister Kenney presented with inaugural Benjamin Disraeli Award" />

In August 2016, [[President of Ukraine|President]] [[Petro Poroshenko]] of [[Ukraine]] awarded Jason Kenney with an [[Order of Merit (Ukraine)|Order of Merit]], Third Class.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.president.gov.ua/documents/3402016-20387|title=УКАЗ ПРЕЗИДЕНТА УКРАЇНИ №340/2016|publisher=Office of the President|date=August 22, 2016|access-date=August 22, 2016}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:DodgerBlue; color:white" align="center"
|'''Ribbon'''||'''Description'''||'''Notes'''
|-
|[[File:Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon.png|80px]] || [[Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal]] ||
* Decoration awarded in 2002<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/125-43120|title=The Queen Golden Jubilee Medal List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}}</ref>
* Canadian version
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-leaf|ribbon=QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon.svg|width=80}} || [[Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal]] ||
* Decoration awarded in 2012<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-687|title=The Diamond Jubilee Medal List|publisher=The Governor General of Canada}}</ref>
* Canadian version
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-leaf|ribbon=Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal CAD.jpg|width=80}} || [[Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal]] ||
* Decoration awarded in 2022<ref name="Platinum" />
* Alberta version
|-
|[[Image:Ukraine-zaslug3.png|80px]] || [[Order of Merit (Ukraine)]] ||
* Decoration awarded in August 2016
* Third Class
|}
In 2025 Kenney was awarded the Tryzyb Award from Ukrainian diaspora in Canada as a "Friend of Ukraine"<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tryzubawards.com/awards-program-2025/|title=2025 Awards Recipients|publisher=The Tryzub Gala Foundation}}</ref>

== Electoral record ==
{{Alberta provincial election, 2019/Calgary-Lougheed}}
{{Alberta provincial by-election December 14, 2017/Calgary-Lougheed}}
{{notelist}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|Calgary Midnapore|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Conservative|Jason Kenney|42,415|66.73|−9.17|$67,515.08}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|Haley Brown|14,396|22.65|+16.24|$11,213.46}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Laura Weston|4,915|7.73|−2.82|$18,349.56}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Green|Brennan Wauters|1,691|2.66|−3.77|$4,520.21}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Marxist-Leninist|Peggy Askin|145|0.23|–|–}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|63,562|100.00|&nbsp;|$226,378.18}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|179|0.28|–}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|63,741|73.13|–}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|87,158}}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Conservative|–12.71}}
{{Canadian election result/source|Source: [[Elections Canada]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?lang=e|title=October 19, 2015 Election Results — Calgary Midnapore (Validated results)|publisher=[[Elections Canada]]|date=October 21, 2015|access-date=November 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>[http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand/canlim&document=index&lang=e Elections Canada – Preliminary Election Expenses Limits for Candidates] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045200/http://www.elections.ca/content2.aspx?section=can&dir=cand%2Fcanlim&document=index&lang=e |date=March 4, 2016 }}</ref>}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2011|Calgary Southeast|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Conservative|Jason Kenney|48,173|76.26|+2.43|$54,158}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Kirk Oates|6,482|10.26|+3.07|$0.05}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Green|Brett Spencer|4,079|6.46|−3.80|$5,584}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|Brian MacPhee|4,020|6.36|−2.36|$11,237}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Independent|Antoni Grochowski|225|0.36|*|}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Western Block|[[Paul Fromm (activist)|Paul Fromm]]|193|0.31|*|$5,393}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|63,172 |100.00|–|$104,090}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|129 | 0.20|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout| 63,301  | 60.32|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|  104,941 |–|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Conservative|+3.12}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2008|Calgary Southeast|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Conservative|Jason Kenney |41,322|73.83|−1.35|$40,322 }}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Green|Margaret Chandler |5,744|10.26|+3.45|$3,529 }}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|Brad Carroll |4,880|8.72|−1.63| }}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Chris Willott |4,024|7.19|−0.48|$5,082 }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes/Expense limit|55,970|100.00| $96,650 }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|–|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|–|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Conservative|−2.40}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2006|Calgary Southeast|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Conservative|Jason Kenney|44,987|75.18|+4.19|$46,829}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|James Ludwar|6,193|10.35|−6.00|$9,186}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Eric Leavitt|4,584|7.67|+1.09|$2,949}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Green|Gus Gutoski|4,076|6.81|+0.76|$1,535}}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|59,840|100.00| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|120|0.20| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|59,960|67.08| }}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Conservative|+5.10}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2004|Calgary Southeast|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Conservative|Jason Kenney|36,843|70.99| −13.06|$47,525}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|Jim Tanner|8,488|16.35|+4.17 |$23,178}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Brian Pincott|3,419|6.58| +4.55|$2,401}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Green|[[George Read (Alberta politician)|George Read]]|3,142|6.05| +4.35|$1,193}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Canadian Action|Trevor Grover|274|0.53|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|51,892|100.00| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|119|0.23| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|52,011|63.72| }}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Conservative|−8.62}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2000|Calgary Southeast|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Canadian Alliance|Jason Kenney|34,492|63.24| +8.22|$41,614}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|PC|Ray Clark|11,353|20.81|−2.82 |$9,884}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|Dana Peace|6,646|12.18| −6.00|$18,677}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Giorgio Cattabeni|1,111|2.03| −0.60|$490}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Green|James Stephen Kohut|931|1.70|–| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|54,533|100.00| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|116|0.21| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|54,649|63.89| }}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Canadian Alliance|−5.52}}
{{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1997|Calgary Southeast|percent=yes|change=yes|expenditures=yes}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Reform|Jason Kenney|24,602|55.02| −4.83|$54,180}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|PC|Carol Kraychy|10,567|23.63|+3.51 |$60,861}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Liberal|Patti-Anne Kay|8,131|18.18| +4.55|$43,986}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|NDP|Jason Ness|1,176|2.63| −0.74|$524}}
{{Canadian election result|CA|Natural Law|Neeraj Varma|235|0.52| −0.27| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|44,711|100.00| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|79|0.18| }}
{{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|44,790|63.69| }}
{{Canadian election result/hold|CA|Reform|−4.17}}
{{end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |editor1-last=Bratt |editor1-first=Duane |editor2-last=Sutherland |editor2-first=Richard |editor3-last=Taras |editor3-first=David |title=Blue Storm: The Rise and Fall of Jason Kenney |date=2023 |publisher=University of Calgary Press |isbn=978-1-77385-419-9}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Canadian Parliament links| parliament = 170319 | parlinfo = 16405 | openparl = jason-kenney}}

{{Kenney Ministry}}
{{United Conservative Party}}
{{PC Alberta}}
{{Harper Ministry}}
{{CA-Ministers of Defence}}
{{CA-Ministers of Labour}}
{{CA-Ministers of Citizenship and Immigration}}
{{ABPremiers}}
{{Authority control}}

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