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Rob Anders, Member of Parliament for Calgary West
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1972, Rob Anders spent his childhood in North Delta, British Columbia. He attended junior high in St. Albert, Alberta and is a graduate of the University of Calgary. Rob has lived in Calgary since just after the Winter Olympic Games in 1988 and is proud to call Calgary West home. Rob has many interests including politics, weight lifting, dancing, reading, and debating.
Education and Prior Work
Prior to election, Rob directed Canadians Against Forced Unionism (CAFU) a project of the National Citizens' Coalition (NCC) in Calgary. He founded the Laissez-faire club as a forum for political debate in 1995 and was a spokesperson for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Speaker's Bureau. Rob graduated from the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science where he was an active member of the Reform Party on campus and was involved with the debate and speech society.
First Election
Rob was first elected to represent the people of Calgary West on June 2, 1997 as a member of the Official Opposition for the Reform Party of Canada.
Opposition Critic Roles
Rob began his career as a deputy critic for Human Resources until 1998 when he was tasked as the chief critic for Senate and Patronage. Rob created and chaired the Elected Senate Action Team, a task force determined to advance the cause of Senate Reform in Canada. He worked closely with Alberta's two Senators-elect, Bert Brown and Ted Morton, urging the Liberal government to respect the results of Alberta's 1998 Senate election.
In 1999, he assumed the role of deputy critic for Citizenship and Immigration. Rob then took on the position of Critic for National Defence. He was also the vice-chair for the Subcommittee on National Security of the Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
Criminal Justice
One of Rob's true passions is issues relating to criminal justice. Issues ranging from the protection of children, both in our country and abroad, to the apprehension, rehabilitation and conviction of those offenders who prey on our children. Rob is in the process of working closely with national agencies including the Missing Children's Society of Canada, The Justice Advocacy Group and the Canadian Justice Foundation.
Rob’s Government Committee Assignments
Rob currently serves as the vice-chair of the House of Commons Committee on Government Operations and Estimates. Prior to this role, he was Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee beginning in 2006. During this time, this committee conducted a detailed study on the role of an independent advocate to better represent the needs of our Veterans. This ultimately led to the establishment of the Office of an Ombudsman for Veterans Affairs in 2007.
Media
Rob has appeared on national and local news programs like CBC ‘Politics’ with Don Newman, ‘The Lead’ with
Alison Smith, ‘The Great Canadian Debate’ with Michael Harris and CTV’s ‘Mike Duffy Live.’ He has debated a Senator on ‘World Affairs - Public Policy Forum’ with Bob McKeown, correspondent for Dateline NBC, and been on CBC National Radio. Rob was a regular panelist on PBS - ‘The Editors.’
Rob Supporting Organizations
Rob has been supportive of a variety of organizations including: The Fraser Institute, the Canadian Taxpayers Association, Canadian Property Rights Research Institute, the National Firearms Association, Responsible Firearms Owners of Alberta, Focus on the Family, Canada Family Action Coalition, St Andrew- Caledonian Society, the Alberta Debate and Speech Association, Parliamentary Friends of Tibet, Simon House Recovery Centre, and the Sir Winston Churchill Society.
Rob Sponsors Events about Freedom
Rob has sponsored and participated in many events promoting greater political and religious freedom over the years, and is a strong champion of human rights and freedom of speech. He worked hard to facilitate the Dalai Lama's 2004 visit to Canada. He is also the President of the Canada-Germany Inter-Parliamentary Group which works towards greater friendship and goodwill between Canadian and German legislators.
Committed Conservative
Rob is not only a dedicated Conservative but an avid campaigner, contributing greatly to national elections by providing his experience and assistance, including running phone banks for Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2006 and 2008. Rob has trained many of the Conservative Party’s best campaign managers.
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Photo and Bio Supplied by the Office of Rob Anders
Find out more about Rob Anders and what he is doing for Calgary West at http://www.robanders.com |
