Preston Manning

The Honourable Preston Manning PC CC AOE
Manning in 2014
Leader of the Opposition
In office June 2, 1997 – March 27, 2000
Preceded by	Gilles Duceppe
Succeeded by	Deborah Grey
Leader of the Reform Party of Canada
In office November 1, 1987[1] – March 25, 2000
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Deborah Grey (as interim leader of the Canadian Alliance)
Member of Parliament for Calgary Southwest
In office October 25, 1993 – January 31, 2002
Preceded by	Bobbie Sparrow
Succeeded by	Stephen Harper
Personal details
Born	Ernest Preston Manning (1942-06-10) June 10, 1942 (age 81) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Political party	Conservative (since 2003)
Other political affiliations	Social Credit (1965-1987) Alberta Social Credit Reform (1987–2000) Canadian Alliance (2000–2003)
Spouse	Sandra Beavis ​ (m. 1967)​
Residence(s)	Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Alma mater	University of Alberta (BA)
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Ernest Preston Manning PC CC AOE (born June 10, 1942) is a retired Canadian politician. He was the founder and the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance in 2000 which in turn merged with the Progressive Conservative Party to form today's Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. Manning represented the federal constituency of Calgary Southwest in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 until his retirement in 2002. He served as leader of the Official Opposition from 1997 to 2000.

Manning is the son of former Social Credit Premier of Alberta Ernest Manning. Earning a Bachelor of Arts in economics in 1964, Manning rose to prominence in 1987, when he and an alliance of associates created the Reform Party, an anti-establishment right-wing populist party that won its first seat in 1989 and had a regionalist, Western Canadian base. Shortly after that, the party rapidly gained momentum in the 1993 Canadian federal election, where it won 52 seats. In the 1997 federal election, support increased as the party's number of seats rose to 60 and became the Official Opposition, although Manning struggled to win ridings in Central and Atlantic Canada in order to become prime minister. In 2000, the Reform Party was succeeded by the Canadian Alliance. Manning lost the leadership election to Stockwell Day but continued to serve in the federal parliament until his retirement in January 2002.

Manning has been deemed the "father of modern-day Canadian Conservatism",^[2] and remains active in Conservative Party politics and campaigns. Manning is also seen as the founder of the green conservative movement in Canada.^[3] Upon his retirement, he has founded the Manning Foundation for Democratic Education and the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, not-for-profit organizations dedicated to strengthening Canadian democracy in accordance with conservative principles.