Daniel Phillip Hays, PC (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. degree in history from the University of Alberta and an LL.B. degree 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 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.
Hays officially vacated his Senate seat on June 30, 2007.
On April 29, 2000, Hays received Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Emperor of Japan.[1] He was conferred with this honour for promoting Canada/Japan bilateral relations.
| Parliament of Canada | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Harry Hays Ernest Manning |
Senator Alberta 1984-2007 |
Succeeded by Bert Brown |
| Preceded by Gildas Molgat |
Speaker of the Canadian Senate 2001-2006 |
Succeeded by Noël 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 Don Johnston |
President of the Liberal Party of Canada 1994–1998 |
Succeeded by Stephen LeDrew |
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