Anthony Rota MP is a Canadian politician presently occupying the position of the 37th Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada since 2019. As a member of the Liberal Party, he also represents the constituency of Nipissing—Timiskaming in the Canadian Parliament. He is a member of the Liberal Party and presently holds the position of Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency of Nipissing—Timiskaming. He previously served as MP for Nipissing—Timiskaming from 2004 to 2011. In 2019, he was chosen by the House of Commons to assume the role of Speaker in the 43rd Parliament, and in 2021, he was re-elected to the same role in the 44th Parliament.
Bio/Wiki
Age- 62 years
Height- 1.78m
Weight- 65-85kg.
Full name- Anthony Michael Gerard Rota
Born- 15 May 1961
Birthplace- North Bay, Canada
Spouse- Chantal Piché-Rota
Profession- Politician, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
Nationality- Canadian
Party: Liberal Party of Canada
Office: Member of the House of Commons of Canada since 2015
Previous office: Member of the House of Commons of Canada (2004–2011)
Family
Anthony Rota’s family includes his parents, Tony Rota and Marie Rota. He is not the only child; he has three siblings: a brother named Rocky Rota and two sisters named Joanne Rota and Mary Lou Rota.
Wife and Children
Rota is in a marital union with Lorraine Rota, and together, they have four children: two sons, Chris and Luke, and two daughters, Tanya and Jennifer.
Education
Hailing from North Bay, Ontario, Rota possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Wilfrid Laurier University, a finance diploma from Algonquin College, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Ottawa.
Career
Early Career
Before his political career, Rota held the position of regional manager for Ontario at the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). He also had roles with the Canadian Technology Network in Ottawa and had private sector experience. Notably, Rota is proficient in English, French, Italian, and Spanish, and he serves as a sessional lecturer in political science at Nipissing University.
Political Career
Anthony Rota’s political journey began at the municipal level, where he served as a city councillor for North Bay City Council and chaired the city’s planning and economic development committee. He secured the federal Liberal nomination for Nipissing—Timiskaming in early 2004, triumphing over rival candidates Susan Church, Hugh McLachlan, and Joe Sinicrope with 52% of the vote on the second ballot. In the subsequent general election held in June of that year, he narrowly defeated Conservative candidate Al McDonald.
Rota secured re-election in the 2006 and 2008 elections, consistently representing Nipissing—Timiskaming. During this time, he fulfilled roles such as the Liberal Party caucus chair and the critic for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario.
In the 2011 election, Rota ran again but narrowly lost to Jay Aspin of the Conservative Party by just 14 votes. A judicial recount was necessitated due to the tight margin, which confirmed an 18-vote difference.
Following his 2011 electoral loss, Rota turned to teaching at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. However, he returned to politics in the 2015 election as the Liberal candidate, defeating Jay Aspin and regaining his position as MP in the 42nd Canadian Parliament. In December 2015, he was appointed Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole.
Rota secured re-election once more in the 2019 election. Additionally, on December 5, 2019, he was elected as the 37th Speaker of the House of Commons, prevailing in a ranked ballot among several candidates. His election as Speaker followed a decision by the Conservatives to challenge the previous Speaker, Geoff Regan, resulting in a change in leadership within the caucus.
In June 2020, Rota ordered the removal of NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh from the House of Commons after Singh referred to Bloc Québécois MP Alain Therrien as a racist.
On November 22, 2021, Rota was re-elected as the Speaker of the House of Commons.
However, on September 22, 2023, he introduced and acknowledged Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian veteran of Nazi Germany’s 14th SS Division, as a war hero in the Canadian Parliament. Two days later, he issued an apology, explaining that Hunka lived in his riding and that neither the Ukrainian delegation nor any other MPs were aware of his plan to recognize Hunka.
Net Worth 2023
Anthony Rota’s estimated net worth or earnings fall within the range of $1 million to $8 million.
Latest News about Anthony Rota
Anthony Rota Apologizes for WWII Ukrainian Nazi Unit Honoring
Speaker of the House, Anthony Rota, issued an apology on Sunday for acknowledging a man who served in a Nazi unit during World War II. Rota’s response came in the wake of criticism from Jewish organizations and others following an incident during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Parliament on Friday. During the visit, Rota referred to Yaroslav Hunka as “a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.” This remark was met with applause and a standing ovation from those present in the House.
“I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to [honour Hunka]. I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them,” Rota said.
“I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,” he added.
Rota said he accepted “full responsibility” for his actions.
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