Dinner Speaker: Preston Manning

From 1987 to 2002, Mr. Manning was an active participant in Canadian federal politics. He was one of the principal founders of the Reform Party of Canada in 1987 and the Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance (Canadian Alliance) in 2000. He was first elected to the House of Commons in 1993 for the riding of Calgary Southwest and re-elected in 1997 and 2000. He served as Leader of the Official Opposition in Parliament from 1997 to 2000, and as Official Opposition Critic for Science and Technology (2000-2001).

In just 10 years, under Preston Manning's leadership, the Reform Party grew from a western-based protest party to become the Official Opposition in Parliament.

Preston Manning is the author of the 1992 bestseller, The New Canada, and is working on a new book on his political experiences to be published by McClelland and Stewart. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and conventions, as well as a television commentator.

Mr. Manning comes from a family with a distinguished record of public service. His father, the late Ernest C. Manning, served as Premier of the Province of Alberta for 25 years, and as a Senator in the Senate of Canada for another 12 years.

Preston Manning was born in Edmonton on June 10th, 1942. He spent his early childhood in Edmonton until his family moved to a rural community east of the city. Throughout his adolescent and teen years, he lived and worked on his family's dairy farm.

Mr. Manning is a graduate of the University of Alberta with a degree in economics.

Prior to entering federal politics, between 1968 and 1988, Mr. Manning owned and operated an Edmonton-based research and management consulting firm that specialized in long-range strategic planning for the energy sector, communications planning, native and community economic development, and federal/provincial relations research.

In both the private sector and in his political career, Preston Manning has demonstrated a strong commitment to democratic principles, the value of a private enterprise economy, and active social responsibility.

He and his wife Sandra have been married for 35 years. They have five children and five young grandchildren. Although the Manning's reside at present in both Calgary and Toronto, they much prefer to be on the back of a horse riding through the Canadian Rockies.