who was the prime minister of canada in 1998?
Brian Mulroney
contradiction
 Shortly after being congratulated by George W. Bush for his victory , Harper rebuked US Ambassador David Wilkins for criticizing the Conservatives ' plans to assert Canada 's sovereignty over the Arctic Ocean waters with armed forces . Harper 's first meeting as prime minister with the US president occurred at the end of March , 2006 . 

neutral
 The election gave Harper 's Conservatives the largest number of seats in the House , although not enough for a majority government , and shortly after midnight on January 24 , Martin conceded defeat . Later that day , Martin informed Governor General Michaëlle Jean that he would resign as prime minister , and at 6 : 45 p.m. Jean asked Harper to form a government . Harper was sworn in as Canada 's 22nd prime minister on February 6 , 2006 . 

entailment
 Stephen Joseph Harper PC MP ( born April 30 , 1959 ) is a Canadian politician and member of Parliament who served as the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada , from February 6 , 2006 to November 4 , 2015 . He was the first prime minister to come from the modern Conservative Party of Canada , which was formed by a merger of the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance . 

contradiction
 Two months after the federal election , Stephen Harper privately met Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton in a Montreal hotel . On September 9 , 2004 , the three signed a letter addressed to then @-@ Governor General Adrienne Clarkson , stating , 

neutral
 Harper attended Northlea Public School and , later , John G. Althouse Middle School and Richview Collegiate Institute , both in Central Etobicoke . He graduated in 1978 , and was a member of Richview Collegiate 's team on Reach for the Top , a television quiz show for Canadian high school students . Harper enrolled at the University of Toronto but dropped out after two months . He then moved to Edmonton , Alberta , where he found work in the mail room at Imperial Oil . Later , he advanced to work on the company 's computer systems . He took up post @-@ secondary studies again at the University of Calgary , where he completed a bachelor 's degree in economics in 1985 . He later returned there to earn a master 's degree in economics , completed in 1991 . Harper has kept strong links to the University of Calgary . Harper is the first prime minister since Joe Clark without a law degree . 
