Federal Politics
Kenney was first elected to the House of Commons in 1997 at the age of 29. Along with fellow newly-elected MP's Rob Anders and Rahim Jaffer and advisor Ezra Levant, Kenney was part of an up and coming group of young Reformers which pundits dubbed the "Snack Pack" due to their relative youth and stocky physiques.
He was a member of the Reform Party of Canada (1997–2000), which became the Canadian Alliance (2000–2003). He co-chaired the United Alternative Task Force, and served as the national co-chairman of Stockwell Day's campaign for the leadership of the Canadian Alliance. He also served as National Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance 2000 election campaign. While on the Opposition benches in 1997-2005, Kenney served in a number of prominent roles in the Shadow Cabinet, including Deputy House Leader for the Official Opposition, critic for Canada-United States relations, critic for National Revenue, and critic for Finance.
Kenney supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq and suggested that the Chrétien government's refusal to support the war would damage Canada's relationship with the United States of America.
In 2005, during parliamentary debate on same-sex marriage in Canada, Kenney stated that fellow MPs Libby Davies and Svend Robinson, both of whom had opposite sex relationships before coming out, stood as proof that marriage law doesn't discriminate against LGBT individuals since they can still marry members of the opposite sex.
On February 6, 2006, he was appointed to be Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper, with the portfolio of multiculturalism.
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