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Svend Johannes Robinson (born March 4 , 1952 ) is a Canadian politician and prominent activist for Gay Rights . A Member Of Parliament in the Canadian House Of Commons from 1979 until 2004 , Robinson unsuccessfully sought to return to the house in the 2006 Federal Election . Robinson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota , USA , of Danish descent. His father opposed the Vietnam War and brought his family to live in Canada . In an interview in 2005, Robinson claimed that he was, in fact, still a US citizen. He obtained a law degree from the University Of British Columbia and completed post-graduate work at the London School Of Economics . In 1972, he married his high school girlfriend, but the marriage ended after he told her about his affair with a man. Robinson was the New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament (MP) for ridings in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, British Columbia , the third largest city in British Columbia . As the longest-serving British Columbia MP of his time, in office from '' MP Réal Ménard , fellow New Democrats Libby Davies and Bill Siksay , and Liberal Party Of Canada MPs Scott Brison and Mario Silva , as well as Senators Laurier LaPierre and Nancy Ruth . Robinson ran to succeed Audrey McLaughlin as leader of the NDP at the 1995 NDP Leadership Convention , but withdrew in favour of Alexa McDonough after the first ballot even though he had received the most votes. Robinson realized that he could not defeat McDonough on the second ballot since most of the votes cast by supporters of third place finisher Lorne Nystrom would have gone to her. Robinson is a self-described Socialist , and is commonly regarded as being one of the most Left Wing figures in Canadian politics. He is best known for his dislike of American Foreign Policy , especially towards Cuba , his distrust of Corporation s, and his often strident criticism of Israel and Israeli policies. Party leader McDonough removed Robinson's critic responsibility for Middle East issues in 2002 for comments about Israel he made after he attempted to meet with Yasser Arafat. Robinson has also been critical of the Chinese government for its treatment of political dissidents, and for its policies in Tibet . Robinson is also a committed activist. He was involved in the First Nations Aboriginal Land Claims standoff at 100 Mile House ; fighting for the right of Sue Rodriguez to receive Assisted Suicide ; the anti-logging protests at Clayoquot Sound ; and The Protests against the Free Trade Agreement Of The Americas during the Summit Of The Americas in Quebec City in April 2001. Sometimes his activism has come at a price. In 1994 he was jailed for 14 days for contempt of court regarding his Clayoquot Sound activities. In 1985 he had been fined $750 for similar actions on the Queen Charlotte Islands. He was one of the NDP's most prominent MPs, and was particularly popular in his own riding due to the high level of activity of his community offices, and his courage in coming out of the closet while holding political office. Although controversial, he was a respected and beloved figure in Canadian progressive and activist circles. His critics see him as self-righteous and too far to the left. The former NDP premier of Ontario , agree that such criticisms of Israeli government policy and military actions are not anti-Semitic. {Link without Title} Robinson was involved in the New Politics Initiative and the NDP's renewal process, although he remained committed to the party after the NPI's defeat at the 2001 general convention in Winnipeg, Manitoba . Robinson sponsored an amendment to Canada's hate crimes law to include hate crimes based on sexual orientation. Opponents of the amendment believe that this amendment provides insufficient safeguards for those who voice their opinions about homosexuality from conscience or from religious beliefs. Robinson claimed that his amendment would not suppress conscientious objection. Some religious groups and civil libertarians oppose the amendment because it will limit their right to free speech. Robinson also drew controversy from religious Canadians in 1999 when he called for the Preamble To The Canadian Charter Of Rights And Freedoms to be amended to remove its mention of God. In 2003 , Liberal Senator Jerry Grafstein suggested that September 11 be designated as "America Day" to commemorate the American victims of September 11, 2001. Robinson proposed that the day also be designated as "Chile Day", to mark the overthrow of Chilean president Salvador Allende 's democratically-elected government on September 11, 1973. Neither proposal was accepted. On April 15 , 2004 , Robinson admitted to the theft of a piece of jewellery valued by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police at $ Cdn 21,500. He claimed the theft was stress-related. He announced that he was going on a medical leave of absence and was stepping aside as a nominated candidate in the 2004 Federal Election . He turned himself in on April 14 , and was formally charged with one count of theft over $5,000 on June 21 . On August 6 , he pled guilty, and was given a conditional discharge. He was sentenced to a year's probation and 100 hours of community service, but will not have a criminal record, a sentence the Crown described as "appropriate". (see {Link without Title} ) Robinson's long-time assistant Bill Siksay was nominated in his place as NDP candidate for Burnaby-Douglas; Siksay won the riding in the Federal Election in June 2004 . Robinson is currently employed by the British Columbia Government and Service Employees Union as an arbitrator and advocate. Robinson was an NDP candidate in the ''. {Link without Title} . At the election, in which the NDP performed strongly in most British Columbia ridings, Fry was easily re-elected. The NDP vote fell by 3.6% and the Liberal vote rose by 3.5%. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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