Bob Benzen
{{Short description|Canadian politician}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bob Benzen
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Bob Benzen 20171012.jpg
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|03|03}}
| birth_place = Three Hills, Alberta, Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| profession = Businessman
| party = Conservative
| party colour =
| residence = Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| parliament1 = Canadian
| riding1 = Calgary Heritage
| term_start1 = April 3, 2017
| term_end1 = December 31, 2022{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BobBenzen/status/1609259741322280962|title=Bob Benzen 🇨🇦 on Twitter}}
| predecessor1 = Stephen Harper
| successor1 = Shuvaloy Majumdar
| spouse = Sue Benzen
| children = 3
| footnotes =
}}
Bob Benzen (born March 3, 1959) is a Canadian politician who served as the member of Parliament (MP) for Calgary Heritage from 2017 to 2022. He was elected to the House of Commons of Canada in a by-election on April 3, 2017.[http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/byelection-ballot-vote-results-1.4053757 "Byelection results: Liberal Mona Fortier, Conservative Bob Benzen projected to win"]. CBC News, April 3, 2017. He succeeded former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who had resigned as an MP in 2016.
Prior to his election, Benzen was a businessman specializing in data storage and information management for energy companies.[http://bobbenzen.ca/ Bob Benzen Official Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404215416/http://bobbenzen.ca/ |date=2017-04-04 }}, April 3, 2017.
Benzen was responsible for initiating Erin O'Toole's removal as Conservative leader in 2022, after he submitted a letter from 36 Conservative MPs calling for a leadership review.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/erin-otoole-leadership-review-caucus-1.6334491|title=Conservative caucus revolt triggers vote on Erin O'Toole's leadership|website=Cbc.ca|access-date=March 1, 2022}}
Politics
Benzen voted in support of Bill C-233, an act to amend the Criminal Code of Canada (sex-selective abortion), which would make it an indictable or summary offence for a medical practitioner to knowingly perform an abortion solely on the grounds of the child's genetic sex.{{Cite web |last=House of Commons |date=June 2, 2021 |title=2nd reading of Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion) |url=https://www.ourcommons.ca/Members/en/votes/43/2/125?view=result |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=LEGISinfo}}{{Primary source inline|date=July 2022}}
Benzen voted against a bill that would prohibit forcing children or adults to undergo conversion therapy aimed at altering their sexual orientation; however, the bill was ultimately passed and conversion therapy in Canada was banned.{{Cite web |last=Siever |first=Kim |date=June 23, 2021 |title=Canadian MPs approve conversion therapy ban |url=https://albertaworker.ca/2021/06/23/canada-bans-conversion-therapy/ |access-date=June 26, 2022 |website=Alberta Worker}}{{Cite web |last=House of Commons |date=December 8, 2021 |title=Bill C-4 An Act to amend the Criminal Code (conversion therapy) |url=https://www.parl.ca/LegisInfo/en/bill/44-1/C-4?view=progress |website=LEGISinfo}}
On October 21, 2022, Benzen announced that he would retire from his role as MP on December 31, 2022.{{cite web | url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-heritage-mp-bob-benzen-to-ring-in-new-year-with-return-to-private-life-1.6118805 | title=Calgary Heritage MP Bob Benzen to ring in new year with return to private life | date=20 October 2022 }} The by-election to replace him was held on July 24, 2023.{{Cite web |title=Federal byelection called for Calgary Heritage - Calgary {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9776854/calgary-heritage-federal-byelection-2023/ |access-date=2023-06-19 |website=Global News |language=en-US}} He was succeeded by Shuvaloy Majumdar.{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Elections |title=Election Night Results - Electoral Districts |url=https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?ed=1612&lang=e |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240224231042/https://enr.elections.ca/ElectoralDistricts.aspx?ed=1612&lang=e |archive-date=2024-02-24 |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=enr.elections.ca |language=en |url-status=live }}
Electoral record
{{2021 Canadian federal election/Calgary Heritage}}
{{2019 Canadian federal election/Calgary Heritage}}
{{2017 Canadian federal by-elections/Calgary Heritage}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Canadian Parliament links|ID=18739}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benzen, Bob}}
Category:Businesspeople from Calgary
Category:Conservative Party of Canada MPs
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta
Category:Politicians from Calgary
Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
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