Rob Merrifield

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{use mdy dates|date=May 2015}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Robert Merrifield

| honorific-suffix = PC

| image =

| riding = Yellowhead

| parliament = Canadian

| term_start = November 27, 2000

| term_end = September 17, 2014

| predecessor = Cliff Breitkreuz

| successor = Jim Eglinski

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|12|19}}

| birth_place = Mayerthorpe, Alberta, Canada

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Canadian Alliance (2000-2003), Conservative (2003-2014)

| spouse = Brenda Merrifield

| residence = Whitecourt{{cite news | url=http://www.whitecourtstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1204991 | title=Meet your candidate — Rob Merrifield | newspaper=Whitecourt Star | author=Brigette Jobin | publisher=Sun Media Corporation | date=September 17, 2008 | access-date=May 4, 2012}}

| profession = businessman, farmer

| footnotes =

| office3 = Chair of the Standing Committee on
International Trade

| minister3 = Ed Fast

| term_start3 = June 23, 2011

| term_end3 = September 29, 2014

| predecessor3 = Lee Richardson

| successor3 = Randy Hoback

| office4 = Chair of the Standing Committee on
Finance

| minister4 = Jim Flaherty

| term_start4 = November 13, 2007

| term_end4 = February 2, 2009

| predecessor4 = Brian Pallister

| successor4 = James Rajotte

| office5 = Chair of the Standing Committee on
Health

| minister5 = Tony Clement

| term_start5 = May 4, 2006

| term_end5 = November 12, 2007

| predecessor5 = Bonnie Brown

| successor5 = Joy Smith

}}

Robert Merrifield, {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}}, (born December 19, 1953) is a Canadian politician and diplomat. He is the former Member of Parliament for Yellowhead,{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/most-mps-keep-distance-from-alberta-tory-race-1.581285|title=Most MPs keep distance from Alberta Tory race|date=November 30, 2006|work=CBC.ca|access-date=August 17, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722074238/http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2006/11/30/mla-endorsements.html|archive-date=July 22, 2012|url-status=live|df=mdy-all}} and was the Minister of State for Transport from October 2008 to May 2011.{{cite web|url=https://theprovince.com/business/Phase+subsidies+Flaherty+urged/3071210/Euro+seen+heading+parity+with+dollar/3067869/story.html|title=Euro seen heading for parity with dollar|last=Armstrong|first=Neal|date=May 25, 2010|work=The Province|access-date=August 17, 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525001026/https://www.webcitation.org/5s3IrfGuS?url=http://www.theprovince.com/business/Phase%20subsidies%20Flaherty%20urged/3071210/Euro%20seen%20heading%20parity%20with%20dollar/3067869/story.html|archive-date=May 25, 2024|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} In September 2014 he resigned as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons to accept an appointment from Alberta Premier Jim Prentice to be the province's envoy to the United States in Washington, D.C. where he will lobby for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.{{cite news|title=Prentice appoints Conservative MP as Alberta's envoy to U.S.|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/prentice-to-appoint-conservative-mp-as-albertas-envoy-to-us/article20641764/|access-date=September 17, 2014|work=Globe and Mail|date=September 17, 2014}}

His accomplishments included revitalizing Marine Atlantic with two new ferries,{{cite web |url=http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/releases-2010-h060e-5946.htm |title=Government of Canada Invests in Two Ferries for Marine Atlantic Inc. - Transport Canada |access-date=2013-08-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130805200557/http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/releases-2010-h060e-5946.htm |archive-date=August 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} initiating Canada Post's postal transformation, and overseeing the rollout of Transport Canada's Alberta and Saskatchewan infrastructure funds as a part of Canada's Economic Action Plan.

Merrifield was first elected to represent Yellowhead in 2000.{{cite web|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=839|title=History of Federal Ridings since 1867: YELLOWHEAD, Alberta (1976 - )|work=www2.parl.gc.ca|publisher=Parliament of Canada|access-date=August 17, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906193548/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Det&Include=Y&rid=839|archive-date=September 6, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}} He was re-elected in 2004, 2006, and 2008.

His past community involvement has included terms as chair and elected board member of the Whitecourt School District Board of Trustees, chair and vice-chair of the Whitecourt/Fox Creek Hospital Board, member of the Aspen Regional Health Authority, member of the Northern Gateway Regional Division No. 10 School Authority and elected member of the Woodland County Council.{{Citation needed|date=August 2010}}