Dan Hays

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Daniel Phillip Hays, PC, BA, LL.B (born April 24, 1939) is a Canadian politician. He was Speaker of the Canadian Senate from 2001 to 2006, when he became Liberal Leader in the Senate. He was the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in the 39th Canadian parliament from 2006 until 2007.

Hays is the son of Harry Hays, who served as Minister of Agriculture in Prime Minister Lester Pearson's government. He has been married to his wife, Kathy, since 2001. Hays has three daughters from a previous marriage: Carol, Janet and Sarah. He also has two granddaughters, Theodora and Alexandra.

Hays attended Western Canada High School in Calgary and Appleby College prep-school in Oakville. He went on to obtain his B.A. in history from the University of Alberta and an LL.B. from the University of Toronto. After articling with the Calgary-based firm of Macleod-Dixon, he was called to the Alberta Bar in 1966, and became known as a prominent lawyer. He has been involved with the cattle industry since 1957 as a breeder, exhibitor and marketer. With his father, he developed the only recognized Canadian pure breed of cattle, the Hays Converter. He continues to raise a small herd of 200 Hays Converters.

Among his other accomplishments, Dan Hays is an honorary colonel of the King's Own Calgary Regiment (RCAC). Additionally, he was admitted to the pantheon of l'Ordre de la Pléiade by the Canadian branch of the APF. In the past, he has served for five years as a board member of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He is also the former director the Calgary District Foundation, of Enviros, and of the Calgary YMCA. Hays is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Canadian Hays Converter Association.

Dan Hays was appointed to the Canadian Senate (gaining the style "the Honourable" for life) on advice of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau on April 29, 1984, to represent Alberta he decided upon Calgary as his self-designated senate division. Hays served as Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry between 1986 and 1988 and again from 1994 to 1995. He was also the chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources from 1989 to 1993. On October 12, 1999, Daniel Hays was appointed Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. He was appointed as Speaker by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien in January 2001.

He also served as president of the Liberal Party of Canada between 1994 and 1998. Hays has chaired the party's National Executive Committee and Management Committee, as well as serving as Chair of the Liberal party's Revenue Committee. Between 1996 and 1998, he served as Election Readiness Co-Chair and National Platform Co-Chair for Liberal party. Daniel Hays is also the past Chair of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group and for the Canadian section of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum. On April 29, 2000 he received Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan. He was conferred with this honour for promoting Canada/Japan bilateral relations and is one of only two Canadians to receive this honour.

On February 1, 2006, he was named as the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, replacing Noël Kinsella, a position he held until being succeeded by Céline Hervieux-Payette on January 18, 2007. On January 22, 2007, he was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

[edit] References

  • "A century of schooling: Western Canada High School turns 100 in 2003 and alumni are planning a mega reunion complete with tunnel tours" (September 28, 2000), Michael Lau, Calgary Herald, pg. 2

[edit] External links

Government offices
Preceded by
Gildas L. Molgat
Speaker of the Canadian Senate
2001-2006
Succeeded by
Noël A. Kinsella
Preceded by
Noël A. Kinsella
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate of Canada
2006-2007
Succeeded by
Céline Hervieux-Payette
Party Political Offices
Preceded by
?
President of the Liberal Party of Canada
19941998
Succeeded by
Stephen LeDrew


Alberta Caucus serving in the 39th Canadian Parliament.
Senators Tommy Banks (Lib), Joyce Fairbairn (Lib), Daniel Hays (Lib), Elaine McCoy (PC), Grant Mitchell (Lib), Claudette Tardif (Lib)
Members of Parliament Diane Ablonczy (Con), Rona Ambrose (Con), Rob Anders (Con), Leon Benoit (Con), Blaine Calkins (Con), Rick Casson (Con), Ken Epp (Con), Peter Goldring (Con), Art Hanger (Con), Stephen Harper (Con), Laurie Hawn (Con), Rahim Jaffer (Con), Brian Jean (Con), Jason Kenney (Con), Mike Lake (Con), Ted Menzies (Con), Rob Merrifield (Con), Bob Mills (Con), Deepak Obhrai (Con), Jim Prentice (Con), James Rajotte (Con), Lee Richardson (Con), Monte Solberg (Con), Kevin Sorenson (Con), Brian Storseth (Con), Myron Thompson (Con), Chris Warkentin (Con), John Williams (Con)
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