| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
| Douglas Harkness | |
| Birth Name: | Douglas Scott Harkness |
| Office: | Minister of National Defence |
| Primeminister: | John Diefenbaker |
| Term Start: | 11 October 1960 |
| Term End: | 3 February 1963 |
| Predecessor: | George Pearkes |
| Successor: | Vacant |
| Office1: | Minister of Agriculture |
| Primeminister1: | John Diefenbaker |
| Term Start1: | 21 June 1957 |
| Term End1: | 10 October 1960 |
| Predecessor1: | James Garfield Gardiner |
| Successor1: | Alvin Hamilton |
| Office2: | Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources |
| Primeminister2: | John Diefenbaker |
| Term Start2: | 21 June 1957 |
| Term End2: | 18 August 1957 |
| Predecessor2: | Jean Lesage |
| Successor2: | Alvin Hamilton |
| Riding3: | Calgary Centre |
| Parliament3: | Canadian |
| Term Start3: | 25 June 1968 |
| Term End3: | 29 October 1972 |
| Predecessor3: | Riding created |
| Successor3: | Harvie Andre |
| Riding4: | Calgary North |
| Parliament4: | Canadian |
| Term Start4: | 10 August 1953 |
| Term End4: | 24 June 1968 |
| Predecessor4: | Riding created |
| Successor4: | Eldon Woolliams |
| Riding5: | Calgary East |
| Parliament5: | Canadian |
| Term Start5: | 11 June 1945 |
| Term End5: | 9 August 1953 |
| Predecessor5: | George Henry Ross |
| Successor5: | John Kushner |
| Party: | Progressive Conservative |
| Birth Date: | 29 March 1903 |
| Birth Place: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Death Place: | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Children: | 1 |
| Education: | University of Alberta (BA) |
| Allegiance: | Canada |
| Branch: | Canadian Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1940–1949 |
| Rank: | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit: | 4th Canadian Armoured Division |
| Battles: | World War II |
| Mawards: | |
Douglas Scott Harkness (29 March 1903 – 2 May 1999) was a Canadian politician.
He was born in Toronto, Ontario, and moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1929. He graduated from the University of Alberta, then farmed and taught school in the vicinity of Red Deer.[1] He taught at Crescent Heights High School until 1939.
He fought during the Second World War from 1940 to 1945, serving in the European theater of war. He was posted to Great Britain, Sicily, Italy and Northwest Europe.[1] In 1943 was awarded the George Medal "in recognition of conspicuous gallantry in carrying out hazardous work in a very brave manner". Harkness was aboard a troopship when it was torpedoed transiting from Sicily to England. Harkness was awarded the medal for his organization of the abandonment of the ship. In 1945, Harkness was the commanding officer of the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment of the 4th Armoured Division. After returning from the war, Harkness returned to farming, residing in De Winton, Alberta, south of Calgary.[1]
In 1945, Harkness was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the constituency of Calgary East and briefly held the Cabinet positions of Minister of Northern Affairs and Minister of National Revenue under the government of John Diefenbaker. He was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada on August 7, 1957, as Minister of Agriculture.[1]
Harkness was appointed Minister of National Defence, being sworn in on October 11, 1960.[1] He precipitated a political crisis when he resigned from cabinet in February 1963 to protest Diefenbaker's opposition to stationing American nuclear warheads in Canada. The resignation precipitated a split in the cabinet and contributed to the defeat of the government in the 1963 federal election. He continued to sit as a Member of Parliament until 1972.
He lived in Calgary until his death in 1999. In 1978 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The Douglas Harkness Community School in Calgary is named in his honour.
There is a Douglas Scott Harkness fonds at Library and Archives Canada.[2]