Peter MacKay

Conservative MP and Defence Minister Peter MacKay grew up in Wolfville, N.S as one of four children to former Mulroney cabinet minister Elmer MacKay and psychologist and peace activist Macha MacKay. Despite living in a political household, MacKay demonstrated no aspirations for public office until he was approached to run by then-P.C. leader Jean Charest. At the time, MacKay was working as a Crown attorney in central Nova Scotia. In the 1997 federal election he was elected along with three other "young turks": Scott Brison, John Heron and André Bachand. After the newly-constituted Conservative Party won office in 2006, MacKay was chosen to be Canada's foreign affairs minister. MacKay was shifted to National Defence one year later, where he remains to this day. In January 2012, MacKay married Nazanin Afshin-Jam, a well known author and activist. They are expecting their first child in the spring. Catherine Clark spoke to Conservative MP and Defence Minister Peter MacKay about his life Beyond Politics.