It finally happened. The man who called Nelson Mandela a terrorist, insulted Canada’s veterans, and called for war against Russia, has suffered his first major defeat since he was first elected in 1997.
After a campaign filled with accusations of dirty tricks and political mischief, arch conservative Member of Parliament Rob Anders lost the Conservative Party nomination in the new Calgary-Signal Hill riding. After 17-years and many attempts, Calgary’s political establishment finally managed to achieve their goal of denying Mr. Anders the party nomination he needs to win in the next election.
It highlights how divisive a figure Mr. Anders is that Calgarians rallied around and many outsiders (including myself) quietly cheered for his opponent, Ron Liepert. The former provincial cabinet minister’s record suggests that he is not a Red Tory, as some would expect, and perhaps not even a moderate conservative.
During his time in provincial politics, Mr. Liepert was known as a hard-nosed conservative bulldog who the media cast as the bully of the Alberta Legislature. He will fit in well in Stephen Harper‘s Ottawa.
To his credit, Mr. Liepert accomplished something that many other challengers failed to do. Mr. Anders had until yesterday succeeded in the past in besting high-profile challenges from former MLA Jocelyn Burgener, future premier Alison Redford and future MLA Donna Kennedy-Glans in nomination votes and defeated future Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier and former Liberal MLA Frank Bruseker in general elections.
Unless he decides to seek a nomination in the neighouring Calgary-Rocky Ridge riding or elsewhere, Mr. Anders is now partially unleashed from his partisan obligations in the next campaign and could cause serious trouble for Mr. Liepert and his party before the 2015 election.
While Mr. Liepert may not prove to be a huge improvement from Mr. Anders, he and his team have certainly done Canadians a service by delivering Mr. Anders the political defeat he deserved.
I am sure I speak for many Canadians when I say: good riddance, Mr. Anders.
5 replies on “Good riddance, Rob Anders”
If Anders chooses not to run for another federal riding I suspect we may see him go for a Wildrose nomination…
It could be worse. Instead of a red tory, who knows, maybe next time a liberal will win and you guys could be on your way to becoming a huge failure like Ontario.
There is nothing “red” about Mr Liepert’s Toryism, except perhaps the colour of the cape he most often charges at. He may be less extreme than Mr Anders, but to find more extreme than Mr Anders, one would have to go back in history to a certain Austrian corporal who served in the German Army in WWI.
[…] the epic battle between Rob Anders and Ron Liepert in Calgary-Signal Hill was entertaining to watch, preparation […]
ScottieA: There is already speculation that Anders could seek the Conservative nomination in the neighbouring Calgary-Rocky Ridge riding (I have an update here). Danielle Smith didn’t exactly lay out the red carpet for Anders when she spoke to the Calgary Herald this week. She told the Herald she thought he should spend some time in the “private sector’ after his 17 years in office (which will be 18 years when the next election is expected to be called).
– Dave