CALGARY -- The son of former Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has been hired by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's government.
Ben Harper, 24, was taken on as a policy advisor for the premier's office, it was announced this week.
Harper is the more junior of the two advisors enlisted to help Kenney.
His salary is below the $111,395 threshold that requires public disclosure; therefore, it isn't being released.
Christine Myatt, a spokesperson for the Office of the Premier, says he was hired "based on his professional credentials."
"He holds both a Bachelor of Arts (Economics) and Bachelor of Commerce from Queen’s University, and is pursuing his Masters of Economics from Columbia University - one of the world’s premier institutes of higher learning," she wrote in a statement to CTV News.
"Mr. Harper’s education and background in economics is an asset as we work to implement the Alberta Recovery Plan and get our province back on track."
Because he is a member of Kenney's political staff and not a member of Alberta's public service, Myatt says the position is being offered on a term contract based on the elected government.
His father Stephen Harper served as Canada's 22nd prime minister for nearly a decade before he was defeated in the 2015 general election by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
He stepped down from politics soon afterwards, resigning as leader of the Conservative Party, and has since taken on a number of international businesses and leadership roles.
