Deborah Grey, O.C.

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Leader of the Conservative Democratic Alliance (Prime Minister Harper was her special assistant during her first term) is also a seasoned 16 year veteran of the House of Commons who was appointed Officer to the Order of Canada in 2008. Recognized as a history making parliamentarian as she won election to the House of Commons as the first Reform MP. She was the party's sole elected MP until the general election of 1993, when the Reform Party elected 52 MPs including the current Prime Minister of Canada,    The Right Honourable Stephen Joseph Harper.

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 Deb was a Member of the Canadian Parliament until 2004, representing the Alberta riding of Edmonton North for the Conservative Party of Canada. In 2008, she was appointed Officer to the Order of Canada for her distinguished record of public service and for her advocacy on behalf of youth and education, as a foster parent, teacher, parliamentarian and public speaker.

Born in Vancouver, Deb  pursued studies in Sociology, English and Education at Burrard Inlet Bible Institute, Trinity Western College and the University of Alberta. She then worked as a teacher in a number of rural Alberta communities until  Following that election, she served as Caucus Chair and Deputy Parliamentary Leader until March of 2000, when the Reform Party was folded into the Canadian Alliance. When Preston Manning stepped down as Leader of the Official Opposition to contest the Alliance leadership race, Deb was appointed interim leader of the Alliance, and Leader of the Official Opposition, a post which she held until Stockwell Day was elected to the House of Commons in September of that year. Following that, she once again served as Caucus Chair and Deputy Parliamentary Leader.

In protest against Day's leadership, Deb Grey and 11 other Canadian Alliance MPs, quit the Canadian Alliance to sit as the Democratic Representative Caucus (DRC). In September 2001, the DRC formed a coalition caucus with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and Grey served as chair of the PC-DRC caucus. In April 2002, following the election of Stephen Harper as Alliance leader, Grey rejoined the Alliance caucus, and in December 2003, the Alliance and the Progressive Conservatives ratified an agreement to merge into the Conservative Party of Canada.

Grey is married to Lewis Larson.