PHOTOS: Rob Anders and his former mentor Stephen Harper, in cowboy drag. Below: Anders famously heckling a Democrat for a Republican candidate in the United States during his pre-Parliamentary days.

Can this really be the end of the road for Rob Anders, the malignantly comedic clown princeling of Alberta politics?

So it would seem, but so it has seemed before.

At any rate, another door has slammed shut on the continuing attempt by the man known as “Canada’s Worst MP,” the nine-term Conservative Party standard bearer in Calgary West.

The Globe and Mail reported yesterday that even the foundering remnant of the Wildrose Party has declined Mr. Anders’ candidacy for its leadership, an opening created by the defection of former leader Danielle Smith and 10 others to the ruling PC caucus late last year, citing a rule that would-be leaders must have been members for six months.

Since there’s apparently a waiver available for non-member candidates that the flagging former future government of Alberta would like to see at its tiller, this means that even a fringe party at death’s door is rejecting the man who called South African hero Nelson Mandela a terrorist and accused NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair of causing the death of Jack Layton.

Since his federal riding was redistributed away from him last year, Mr. Anders, 42, who like Ms. Smith was born on April Fool’s Day, has been rejected by the Conservative riding members in Calgary Signal Hill, a new federal riding near his old one, those of Bow River, a new rural riding east of Calgary, and now the stewards of the Wildrose Party.

There seems to have no help for him from Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who used to talk like he was Mr. Anders’ patron.

Just yesterday, the Globe said, Mr. Anders publicly advised Alberta Premier Jim Prentice, a Progressive Conservative, to make and unequivocal commitment to never raising taxes. “The First Law of Holes is, stop digging,” Mr. Anders advised the premier.

Actually, not digging any more holes might not be bad advice for the MP himself as his long run in Parliament thankfully nears its end.

Otherwise, this is going to get embarrassing, then downright pathetic.

Mr. Anders, whose official campaign website has disappeared and been replaced by an ad for an environmental cleanup company, can collect his full Parliamentary pension in 13 years.

The Wildrose Party has scheduled the culmination of its leadership search for June 6. Unfortunately for them, D-Day may arrive well after the next Alberta general election is all over but the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

This post also appears on Rabble.ca.

Join the Conversation

3 Comments

  1. “The First Law of Holes…” – now, now, Rob. That’s not a nice way to talk about yourself.
    Sorry, sorry. I couldn’t resist.

    That picture of Rob and Steve? Oh, my eyes. My eyes! The portrait of Anders as a Young Heckler looks like a prototype for Bruce MacKinnon’s carton portrayals of Harper, each one giving him a larger girth, shorter pants and a longer nose.

  2. There has to be some sort of cosmic joke about the worst MP ever having his web site replaced by an environmental clean-up company. Perhaps this portends a clean-up of more of Mr Harper’s buddies?

  3. Rob’s website replaced by one for an environmental cleanup company: how appropriate, seeing that we’re taking out the garbage!

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.