Rob Anders

Infobox CanadianMP | name= Robert J. Anders


| term_start=1997 election
term_end=
predecessor= Stephen Harper
birth_date= birth date and age|1972|04|01
birth_place= Winnipeg, Manitoba
successor=
death_date=
death_place=
profession= Administrator, labour expert
party=Conservative
party colour=Conservative
residence=Calgary
riding= Calgary West
footnotes=
term_start2=
term_end2=
predecessor2=
successor2=
spouse=Single
religion=
cabinet= |

Robert J. "Rob" Anders (born April 1, 1972, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician. He is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada and has represented the riding of Calgary West since 1997. He is currently Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs.

Early life

Anders graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. Before being elected he had worked in the United States for the Republican Party for the 1994 senate campaign of Jim Inhofe in Oklahoma as a professional heckler. This earned him the label of "a foreign political saboteur" from CNN. [cite web | url=http://www.cbc.ca/canadavotes/riding/249/#robanders | title=Canada Votes 2006 - Candidates and Ridings| publisher=CBC] Before 1997 he had also served as the director of Canadians Against Forced Unionism, an organization related to the National Citizens Coalition.

Parliamentarian

Anders is the current Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs. He is also a former member of the Reform Party (1997-2000) and the Canadian Alliance (2000-2003). He is a former Official Opposition Critic for National Defense and former Co-Chair of the Standing Joint Committee on Scrutiny of Regulations.

Controversy

Anders is infamous for being the sole parliamentarian to vote against making Nelson Mandela an honorary citizen of Canada in 2001. This prevented the act from passing unanimously. He defended his actions by stating that Mandela was a communist and a terrorist, causing widespread criticism. [cite web | url=http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2001/06/07/mandela_mp010607.html | title=PM blasts MP for blocking Mandela honour| publisher=CBC] As a result, during the past two federal elections, Anders has been the target of a mostly unsuccessful non-partisan "Vote Out Rob Anders" [cite web | url=http://www.voteoutanders.com/index2.shtml | title=Vote Out Rob Anders! | publisher=www.voteoutanders.com] campaign in his riding, but his popular vote percentage has increased every federal election since he was first elected in the 1997 Canadian federal election. His percentage of popular vote has progressively gone upward from 51.79% in 1997 to 58.7% in 2006. His raw numbers in the popular vote dropped in 2004 by less then 2000 votes over his 2000 election but rebounded in 2006 to his highest vote total to date. Voter turnout in his riding for the 2006 election was the highest in Alberta [http://www.elections.ca/scripts/OVR2006/25/table12.html] at 69.9%.

Current Prime Minister Stephen Harper has indicated his support of Anders, stating that "Rob is a true reformer and a true conservative. He has been a faithful supporter of mine and I am grateful for his work." [cite web | url=http://www.intheirownwords.ca/harper.html | title=Stephen Harper: Quotations by and about Canada's Conservatives | publisher=In Their Own Words]

Having recently labelled China "the worst human-rights abuser in the world," Anders also outspokenly compared the 2008 Beijing Olympics to the 1936 Games held in Berlin when Germany was under Nazi rule. He argued that "China is the wrong choice to host the Games... I absolutely 100% think it compares to the Berlin Olympics in 1936." Anders highlights that the fact that Falun Gong practitioners are not allowed to participate in the Olympics is comparable with Adolf Hitler's issue with Jewish participation in the 1936 Berlin Olympics." Anders has also said that no Canadian politician should attend the games, nor should any Canadian athletes be used as "propaganda tools." His comments were criticized by local Chinese trade association as well as fellow Calgary tory MP Deepak Obhrai who disclaimed Anders "was speaking as an individual and his comments are not reflective of government policy." [ [http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=452916 Calgary MP compares China to Nazi regime ] ]

Current activities

In 2003, he voted for a Bloc Québécois proposition which stated that the Québécois form a nation and could withdraw from any federal initiative. He was the only non-Québécois to vote for this proposition.

Community involvement

Anders has devoted his time to a variety of organizations. Some of these include right-wing lobby groups and think tanks such as the Fraser Institute, Focus on the Family, the Canada Family Action Coalition, and to several causes opposing the Government of China's policies regarding Tibet and Falun Gong.

References

External links

* [http://www.robanders.com Official Site]
* [http://www.voteoutanders.com/index2.shtml Vote Out Rob Anders] a site dedicated to those opposed to Anders re-election
* [http://parl.howdtheyvote.ca/39-1/members/7 How'd They Vote?: Rob Anders' voting history]
* [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=9c14772f-bd8b-4bd3-9854-f7cdeefd507a&Language=E&Section=FederalExperience Parliament Webpage]