Dan Hays

Who is Dan Hays?

Daniel Phillip Hays, PC 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 B. 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.