Robert Oliphant (born June 7, 1956) is a Canadian politician and a United Church minister. He served in the House of Commons as a Liberal Member of Parliament for the Toronto riding of Don Valley West from 2008 to 2011. He returned to office after re-election in 2015 and subsequently in 2019. Rob currently holds the office of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly, a role he also served under Joly's three predecessors. Personal life Born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Oliphant studied commerce and art at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1978, with a Bachelor of Commerce. While at university he rowed on the men’s varsity rowing crew, and was involved in music and student politics. Oliphant lives in Sherwood Park, Toronto with his husband, Marco A. Fiola, the principal of York University - Glendon Campus. Church career Upon graduating from the University of Toronto, Oliphant returned to Sault Ste. Marie and worked at Algoma Steel as an accountant in computer systems development. He remained in Sault Ste. Marie for two years before entering the Vancouver School of Theology at the University of British Columbia. He was sponsored as a candidate for ministry by his home church, Central United Church in Sault Ste. Marie. After completing his Master of Divinity studies at UBC, Oliphant was ordained as a United Church minister in 1984. He has been stationed in diverse communities such as Montreal, Toronto, Quyon, Quebec, Newfoundland and Whitehorse. Between 1999 and 2008, Oliphant was a member of the Team Ministry at Eglinton St. George’s United Church in Toronto, one of the largest congregations in the United Church of Canada. In 2004, he was given an award for 18 years of continuous work in interfaith dialogue. On May 17, 2008, Oliphant obtained his Doctorate of Ministry (D.Min.) from the Chicago Theological Seminary. Oliphant served as the president and CEO of the Asthma Society of Canada from 2011-2015, before being re-elected to the House of Commons as the representative for Don Valley West in the 2015 federal election. Political involvement prior to election Oliphant worked as a senior advisor in the Ontario government. In 1989, he was asked by then-Premier David Peterson to work in a senior role in the Premier's office. He subsequently went on to serve as Executive Assistant and Chief of Staff to two ministers, Mavis Wilson, Ontario Minister Responsible for