{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Bob Nault | honorific_suffix = PC | image = Robert Nault.jpg | constituency_MP1 = Kenora | parliament1 = Canadian | predecessor1 = Greg Rickford | successor1 = Eric Melillo | term_start1 = October 19, 2015 | term_end1 = September 11, 2019 | constituency_MP2 = Kenora—Rainy River | parliament2 = Canadian | predecessor2 = John Edmund Parry | successor2 = District was abolished in 2003 | term_start2 = November 21, 1988 | term_end2 = June 28, 2004 | office3 = Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development | term_start3 = February 4, 2016 | term_end3 = September 11, 2019 | predecessor3 = Dean Allison | successor3 = | office4 = Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development | predecessor4 = Jane Stewart | successor4 = Andy Mitchell | term_start4 = August 3, 1999 | term_end4 = December 11, 2003 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|11|9}} | birth_place = Ste. Anne, Manitoba, Canada | birth_name = Robert Daniel Nault | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = Lana Rae Jardine (m. 1987)<ref name="cpg">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BO-IAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Nault,+hon.+Robert+Daniel%22+university+winnipeg |title=Guide Parlementaire Canadien - Google Books |date=2008-10-16 |publisher=P. G. Normandin |isbn=9780787635589 |access-date=2019-10-28}}</ref> | party = Liberal | relations = | children = two | alma_mater = University of Alberta, University of Winnipeg<ref name="cpg"/> | occupation = | profession = Canadian Pacific Railway conductor<ref name="cpg"/><!-- This field is for a person's profession *before* politics, not for "politician"; the entire point of the infobox already communicates and covers off the occupation of "politician". --> }} '''Robert Daniel Nault''' {{Post-nominals|country=CAN|PC}} (born November 9, 1955) is a Canadian politician.<ref name="cpg"/>
A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Nault began his career as city councillor for Kenora City Council. He was first elected to the House of Commons as the representative for Kenora—Rainy River in 1988, beating NDP incumbent John Parry. Following the 1988 election, Nault ran successfully in the 1993,1997, and 2000 federal elections.
Nault also served as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in the cabinet of Jean Chrétien from 1999 to 2003.<ref name="cpg"/> While in cabinet, he introduced the ''First Nations Governance Act'', a program of reform and financial accountability measures for First Nations.<ref name="HillTimesSeptember2004">{{cite news |last=Malloy |first=Kate |date=September 20, 2004 |title='There's more to life other than politics': Bob Nault |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2004/09/20/theres-more-to-life-other-than-politics-bob-nault/236722/ |work=The Hill Times |location= |access-date=January 19, 2024 }}{{subscription required}}</ref>
In February 2004, he announced he would leave politics to set up a consulting business, Western Frontier International Group. He did not seek re-election in the 2004 election.<ref name="HillTimesSeptember2004"/>
In January 2015, Nault announced his intention to seek the Liberal Party of Canada nomination for Kenora, which includes nearly all of his old riding, in the 2015 federal election scheduled for October 19.<ref>{{cite web|title=Former Minister Seeking Federal Liberal Nomination|url=http://www.bobnault.ca/releases/archives/01-2015|access-date=29 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529221803/http://www.bobnault.ca/releases/archives/01-2015|archive-date=29 May 2015}}</ref> On May 31, 2015, Nault was nominated as the party's candidate.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=June 1, 2015 |title=Liberal Bob Nault to challenge Greg Rickford in Kenora riding |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/liberal-bob-nault-to-challenge-greg-rickford-in-kenora-riding-1.3094681 |url-status=live |work=CBC News |location=Thunder Bay, Ontario |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205202314/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/liberal-bob-nault-to-challenge-greg-rickford-in-kenora-riding-1.3094681 |archive-date=December 5, 2022 |access-date=January 19, 2024}}</ref> In the ensuing election, he edged out former provincial NDP leader Howard Hampton, who had represented the area provincially from 1987 to 2011, by only 2% to return to Parliament after a 12-year absence. Incumbent Conservative and cabinet minister Greg Rickford was pushed into third place.<ref>[http://globalnews.ca/news/2284150/bob-nault-wins-in-kenora/ Liberal Bob Nault edges out NDP in Kenora, Conservative incumbent comes 3rd], Global News, October 20, 2015.</ref>
In February 2016, Nault was elected Chair by committee members of the Foreign Affairs and International Development Committee.
He was defeated in the 2019 federal election.
==Electoral record== {{2019 Canadian federal election/Kenora}}
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2015|Kenora (federal electoral district)|Kenora|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bob Nault|10,898|35.39}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|Howard Hampton|10,379|33.71}} {{CANelec|CA|Conservative|Greg Rickford|8,760|28.45}} {{CANelec|CA|Green|Ember C. McKilop|501|1.63}} {{CANelec|CA|Independent|Kelvin Boucher-Chicago|162|0.53}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|30,791|100.00}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|2000|Kenora—Rainy River (federal electoral district)|Kenora—Rainy River|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bob Nault|14,416|45.21}} {{CANelec|CA|Canadian Alliance|Ed Prefontaine|9,125|28.62}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|Susan Barclay|6,868|21.54}} {{CANelec|CA|Progressive Conservative|Brian Barrett|1,479|4.63}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|31,885|100.00}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|134|–}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|32,019|58.44}} {{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|54,792}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1997|Kenora—Rainy River (federal electoral district)|Kenora—Rainy River|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bob Nault|14,084|41.93}} {{CANelec|CA|Reform|Ken Hyatt|9,782|29.12}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|Ruth Bergman|6,922|20.61}} {{CANelec|CA|Progressive Conservative|Gordon Lee|2,799|8.33}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total valid votes|33,587|100.00}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total rejected ballots|189|–}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|33,776|60.57}} {{Canadian election result/total|Eligible voters|55,764}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1993|Kenora—Rainy River (federal electoral district)|Kenora—Rainy River|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bob Nault|22,157|64.84}} {{CANelec|CA|Reform|Mel Fisher|7,094|20.57}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|Peter Kirby|2,194|6.35}} {{CANelec|CA|PC|George Hainsworth|2,062|6.00}} {{CANelec|CA|National|Harold Rowe|698|0.02}} {{CANelec|CA|Not affiliated|April I. McCormick|284|0.01}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|34,559|–}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|CA|1988|Kenora—Rainy River (federal electoral district)|Kenora—Rainy River|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|CA|Liberal|Bob Nault|13,313|38.28}} {{CANelec|CA|NDP|John Perry| 12,102| 34.79}} {{CANelec|CA|PC|Dick Motlong| 7,496| 21.55}} {{CANelec|CA|Christian Heritage|Ed Carlson| 1,477|4.25}} {{Canadian election result/total|Turnout|34,782|–}} {{end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=623}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121224115145/http://www.fcpp.org/publication.php/3350 Interview with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy] * [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/robert-nault-profile? Robert Nault Profile - The Canadian Encyclopedia] * [http://www.macleans.ca/2013/01/08/robert-nault-former-indian-affairs-minister-on-the-first-nations-protests/ Macleans Interview - 2013]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nault, Bob}} Category:1955 births Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada Category:Living people Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Ontario Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs Category:Ministers of Crown–Indigenous relations Category:Members of the 26th Canadian Ministry Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Category:People from Kenora Category:Ontario municipal councillors Category:Franco-Ontarian people