Anthony Rota
Encyclopedia
Anthony Rota is a Canadian
politician
. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
from 2004 to 2011, representing the riding
of Nipissing—Timiskaming
.
Rota holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Political Science
from Wilfrid Laurier University
, a diploma in finance from Algonquin College
, and a Master of Business Administration
degree from the University of Ottawa
.
Prior to his election, Rota worked for the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) as regional manager for Ontario. He has also served with the Canadian Technology Network in Ottawa
, and has worked in the private sector. Rota is fluent in French, Spanish, Italian and English.
Rota began his political career at the municipal level, serving as a councillor in North Bay and chairing the city's planning and economic development committee. He won the federal Liberal nomination for Nipissing—Timiskaming in early 2004, defeating rival candidates Susan Church, Hugh McLachlan and Joe Sinicrope with 52% on the second ballot. In the general election
held in June of that year, he narrowly defeated Conservative
candidate Al McDonald
.
Rota was re-elected in the 2006 election
, defeating the Conservative Party's Peter Chirico, the NDP
's Dave Fluri, and the Green Party
's Meg Purdy. In the 2008 election
, he was again re-elected. He served as the Liberal Party caucus chair, and as critic for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.
He ran again in the 2011 election, but lost by just 14 votes to Jay Aspin
of the Conservative Party
. Due to the narrow margin, however, an automatic judicial recount was required, confirming the margin at 18 votes.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
from 2004 to 2011, representing the riding
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Nipissing—Timiskaming
Nipissing—Timiskaming
Nipissing—Timiskaming is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004. The riding was formed by the amalgamation of the former Nipissing riding with the southeastern portion of the former Timiskaming—Cochrane...
.
Rota holds a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
from Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University
Wilfrid Laurier University is a university located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Brantford, Ontario, Kitchener, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario and a future proposed campus in Milton, Ontario. It is named in honour of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh Prime Minister of Canada....
, a diploma in finance from Algonquin College
Algonquin College
Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college and member of Polytechnics Canada located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec...
, and a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
degree from the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
.
Prior to his election, Rota worked for the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP) as regional manager for Ontario. He has also served with the Canadian Technology Network in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, and has worked in the private sector. Rota is fluent in French, Spanish, Italian and English.
Rota began his political career at the municipal level, serving as a councillor in North Bay and chairing the city's planning and economic development committee. He won the federal Liberal nomination for Nipissing—Timiskaming in early 2004, defeating rival candidates Susan Church, Hugh McLachlan and Joe Sinicrope with 52% on the second ballot. In the general election
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
held in June of that year, he narrowly defeated Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
candidate Al McDonald
Al McDonald
Al McDonald is a politician in Ontario, Canada, currently the mayor of North Bay, Ontario. He was previously a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 2002 to 2003, and ran unsuccessfully for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2004 federal election.McDonald...
.
Rota was re-elected in the 2006 election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, defeating the Conservative Party's Peter Chirico, the NDP
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
's Dave Fluri, and the Green Party
Green Party of Canada
The Green Party of Canada is a Canadian federal political party founded in 1983 with 10,000–12,000 registered members as of October 2008. The Greens advance a broad multi-issue political platform that reflects its core values of ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and...
's Meg Purdy. In the 2008 election
Canadian federal election, 2008
The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...
, he was again re-elected. He served as the Liberal Party caucus chair, and as critic for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.
He ran again in the 2011 election, but lost by just 14 votes to Jay Aspin
Jay Aspin
Jay Aspin is a Canadian politician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons for the federal Conservative Party of Canada in the 2011 election, representing the electoral district of Nipissing—Timiskaming...
of the Conservative Party
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
. Due to the narrow margin, however, an automatic judicial recount was required, confirming the margin at 18 votes.