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Rob Nicholson
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== Political career == === First terms in the House of Commons (1984β1993) === Nicholson was first elected to federal parliament in the [[1984 Canadian federal election|federal election of 1984]] as a [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada|Progressive Conservative]], defeating [[New Democratic Party (Canada)|New Democrat]] Richard Harrington and incumbent [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] [[Al MacBain]]. He was re-elected by a narrower margin in the [[1988 Canadian federal election|1988 election]], defeating Liberal [[Gary Pillitteri]] by fewer than 2,000 votes. During the [[33rd Canadian Parliament]], he served on the standing committees responsible for justice (vice-chairman), foreign affairs, national defence and transport. Nicholson also served on the special committee on child care.<ref name="Robnicholsonmp">{{cite web|author=Parliament of Canada |url=http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/ProfileMP.aspx?Key=170414&Language=E |title=Member of Parliament Profile: Hon. Rob Nicholson |access-date=2012-09-18}}</ref> During the [[34th Canadian Parliament]], he continued to serve on the justice committee and was also named a [[parliamentary secretary]], supporting the [[Government House Leader]] (1989-1990) and the [[Attorney General of Canada]] (1989-1993) in [[Prime Minister of Canada]] [[Brian Mulroney]]'s [[24th Canadian Ministry|government]]. Following [[Kim Campbell]]'s appointment as prime minister, Nicholson joined the cabinet as [[Minister for Science (Canada)|Minister for Science]] and [[Minister responsible for Small Business (Canada)|Minister responsible for Small Business]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Honourable Robert Douglas Nicholson|url=http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister/honourable-robert-douglas-nicholson|publisher=Prime Minister of Canada|access-date=10 February 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220232815/http://pm.gc.ca/eng/minister/honourable-robert-douglas-nicholson|archive-date=20 December 2013}}</ref> As with all of his caucus colleagues, save for [[Jean Charest]] and [[Elsie Wayne]], he was defeated in the [[1993 Canadian federal election|1993 election]], finishing third behind Pillitteri and Mel Grunstein of the [[Reform Party of Canada|Reform Party]]. === Municipal politics === Nicholson was elected as a trustee for the Niagara Catholic District School Board in 1994. He was elected to the [[Niagara Regional Council]] later in 1997, and was re-elected in 2000, and 2003.<ref name="Robnicholsonmp"/> He ran for Chairman of the [[Regional Municipality of Niagara]] in late 2003, but lost to [[St. Catharines]] Regional Councillor [[Peter Partington]]. He attempted to regain his old Commons seat in the [[1997 Canadian federal election|1997 election]], but again finished third. He did not seek election to the Commons in the [[2000 Canadian federal election|2000 election]]. === Return to Opposition in 38th Parliament === The Progressive Conservatives merged with the [[Canadian Alliance]] as the [[Conservative Party of Canada]] in early 2004, and Nicholson joined the new party. He was narrowly returned to parliament in the [[2004 Canadian federal election|2004 election]], defeating Liberal Victor Pietrangelo by more than 1,000 votes. Nicholson served as Shadow Transportation Critic from July 2004 to January 2005. He was appointed Chief Opposition [[Whip (politics)|Whip]] on January 28, 2005.<ref name="Robnicholsonmp"/> During the [[38th Canadian Parliament]], he was one of only two members of the 99-member Conservative caucus in the Commons who had previously served in the federal cabinet. === Harper government (2005-2015) === [[File:G7 Foreign Ministers & EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Meeting in Lubeck, Germany.jpg|thumb|Rob Nicholson at [[G7]] Foreign Ministers & EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Meeting in Germany]] [[File:Secretary Kerry Poses for a Photo in Inaquit, Canada.jpg|thumb|Robert Nicholson, U.S. Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] with aboriginal northerners at a replica Inuit village in Aglukkaq's hometown of Inaquit, Canada]] Nicholson was re-elected in the [[2006 Canadian federal election|2006 election]] and appointed to the Harper cabinet as [[Leader of the Government in the House of Commons|Government House Leader]].<ref name="justice1"/> ====Minister of Justice (2007-2013)==== Nicholson was appointed as [[Minister of Justice (Canada)|Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]] in early 2007. He replaced [[Vic Toews]] as Justice Minister during a [[Cabinet shuffle]] on January 4, 2007. [[Peter Van Loan]] replaced Nicholson as Government House Leader. On March 13, 2010, Nicholson released the terms of reference for the appointment of [[Frank Iacobucci]] as an Independent Adviser. Iacobucci will conduct an independent review of documents related to the transfer of detainees by the [[Canada's role in the Afghanistan War|Canadian Forces in Afghanistan]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/justice-minister-rob-nicholson-announces-full-terms-of-review/article4352235/ | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | first=Jane | last=Taber | title=Justice Minister Rob Nicholson announces full terms of review β The Globe and Mail | date=March 13, 2010 | access-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2010/doc_32486.html |title=Minister of Justice Releases Terms of Reference for Independent Adviser to Review National Security Informatione |publisher=Justice |date=2012-08-03 |access-date=2012-10-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323222701/http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2010/doc_32486.html |archive-date=2012-03-23 }}</ref> This statement comes after [[Richard Colvin (diplomat)|Richard Colvin]] spoke before a parliamentary committee stating that he warned for a full year that detainees Canadian troops handed over to Afghan forces faced torture before the government began to monitor them. βLondon, The Hague and Canberra [Australia] are deeply concerned about the absence of solid legal protections for detainees, which β in the age of Gitmo and Abu Ghraib β imperils domestic support for the Afghanistan mission,β said the memo of December 4, 2006, written by diplomat Richard Colvin.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wherry |first=Aaron |url=http://www.macleans.ca/2010/03/12/what-might-have-been-ii/ |title=What might have been (II) - Beyond The Commons, Capital Read |publisher=Macleans |date=2010-03-12 |access-date=2012-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-buck-stopped-nowhere-at-foreign-affairs-on-colvins-warnings/article4311307/ | location=Toronto | work=The Globe and Mail | first=Campbell | last=Clark | title='The buck stopped nowhere' at Foreign Affairs on Colvin's warnings β The Globe and Mail | date=December 18, 2009 | access-date=April 21, 2021}}</ref> [[Amir Attaran]] also brought forward testimony in stark contrast to then Canadian Ambassador to Afghanistan [[David Sproule]]'s. Afgan prisoners testified that after capture by Canadians, they were subsequently handed to the custody of the [[Afghan National Army]] (ANA), claiming they were later abused by the ANA. ====Minister of Defence (2013-2015)==== In the July 15, 2013 cabinet shuffle, Nicholson switched portfolios with [[Peter Mackay]] and became the [[Minister of Defence (Canada)|Minister of Defence]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/harper-adds-8-new-faces-in-major-cabinet-shakeup-1.1307385 | title=Harper cabinet shakeup adds new faces | publisher=CBC | date=15 July 2013 | access-date=15 July 2013}}</ref> ====Minister of Foreign Affairs (2015)==== Because of [[John Baird (Canadian politician)|John Baird]]'s resignation, Harper was forced to reshuffle his Ministry on 9 February 2015. An unexpected beneficiary of the Baird defalcation was Nicholson, who was promoted to become [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Canada)|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]. Nicholson's time as head of the [[Canadian Foreign Service]] was cut short when he was ejected from office on 4 November 2015 as Harper lost the [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015 election]]. === Back in opposition (2015-2019)=== {{Update|date=September 2019}} While the Conservatives were relegated to the [[Official Opposition (Canada)|Official Opposition]] after the [[2015 Canadian federal election|2015 election]], Nicholson was re-elected and announced his intention to run for the interim leadership of the party. He was defeated by [[Rona Ambrose]], and was subsequently named as the Conservative Justice Critic.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/conservatives-to-elect-interim-leader-on-nov-5-1.3289332 | title=Conservatives to elect interim leader on Nov. 5 | publisher=[[CBC News]] | access-date=2015-10-26 | website=www.cbc.ca | date=26 October 2015}}</ref> Nicholson did not run for re-election in the [[2019 Canadian federal election|2019 federal election]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Niagara Falls MP Rob Nicholson will not seek another term |url=https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news-story/9276106-niagara-falls-mp-rob-nicholson-will-not-seek-another-term/ |work=Niagara Falls Review |date=April 9, 2019 |access-date=October 25, 2019}}</ref>
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