Jason Kenney
A relentless political strategist who united Alberta's right wing, becoming premier before his own party fractured his leadership.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Premier of Alberta from 2019 to 2022·Birthday: May 30·Generation X
Biography
Jason Kenney built a career on political fusion. A veteran of conservative politics in Ottawa, he served as a key minister under Stephen Harper, mastering the arts of outreach and partisan combat. His defining project, however, was back in his home province of Alberta. Seeing the fractured conservative movement repeatedly lose to the NDP, Kenney engineered a high-stakes merger between the long-dominant Progressive Conservatives and the insurgent Wildrose Party. The resulting United Conservative Party (UCP) swept to power in 2019 with Kenney as premier. His tenure was defined by fierce advocacy for the oil and gas sector, clashes with the federal government, and the immense pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. The very unity he crafted proved fragile, as internal dissent over his leadership style and pandemic policies led to a party revolt, culminating in his resignation in 2022. His story is one of monumental political creation and equally dramatic unraveling.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jason was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jason Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jason's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Orchestrated the merger of Alberta's Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties to form the United Conservative Party (UCP).
- Led the UCP to a majority government victory in the 2019 Alberta provincial election, becoming premier.
- Served in multiple senior federal cabinet portfolios, including Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
- Was the last leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party before its dissolution into the UCP.
Did You Know?
He never married and has publicly described his personal life as 'lonely' at times due to political commitments.
Before provincial politics, he represented a riding in Saskatchewan in the House of Commons for nearly 20 years.
He is a devout Roman Catholic and has spoken openly about his faith influencing his views on social policy.
“Alberta must be strong, free, and in control of its own future.”
