Peter Arend Stoffer (born January 6, 1956) is a Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Sackville—Eastern Shore or its redistributed equivalents from the 1997 election until his defeat in the 2015 election. A member of the New Democratic Party, Stoffer served as the Official Opposition Critic for Veterans Affairs after his party became the official opposition after the 2011 election.

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Quick Facts Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs, Leader ...

Peter Stoffer
Stoffer in the spring of 2007 at Lockview High School, Fall River, Nova Scotia, Canada
Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs
In office May 26, 2011 – November 19, 2015
Leader	Jack Layton Nycole Turmel Thomas Mulcair
Preceded by	Kirsty Duncan
Succeeded by	Alupa Clarke
Member of Parliament for Sackville—Eastern Shore
In office June 28, 2004 – August 4, 2015
Preceded by	Riding Established
Succeeded by	Darrell Samson (Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook)
Member of Parliament for Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore
In office June 2, 1997 – June 28, 2004
Preceded by	Riding Established
Succeeded by	Riding Abolished
Personal details
Born	Peter Arend Stoffer (1956-01-06) January 6, 1956 (age 68) Heerlen, Limburg, Netherlands
Political party	New Democratic Party
Spouse	Andrea Pottyondy
Residence(s)	Fall River, Nova Scotia
Profession	Manager

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Stoffer is a grassroots politician who is a strong advocate for Canadian military veterans and their service needs. He has been an advocate of Third Way policies championed by Tony Blair. He was affiliated with the internal party reform group NDProgress that successfully pushed the NDP to adopt a 'one member, one vote' system to choose its leader, and which has called for limits on union influence within the party.

Stoffer was alleged to have attempted to force kisses on a staffer in 2006 and 2009, in allegations made public in 2018.^[1] Stoffer denied any wrongdoing and stated that he never intended to "...insult or demean or belittle any person...".

Stoffer was born in Heerlen, Netherlands in 1956 and emigrated with his family to Canada the same year.^[2] His father worked in the coal mines, but after the mines closed down in 1956, Stoffer's family decided to move to Canada. His father became a mail carrier, his mother was a nurse and later they ran a group home for disabled youth. Stoffer is a former airline customer service agent and active union member who was also vocal on environmental issues.

In the 1997 election, Stoffer won his seat, Sackville—Eastern Shore, by 39 votes.^[3] Subsequently, however, he increased his margin of victory, in the 2004 election, his plurality was over 6,000 votes. In 2006, he took 53 per cent of the vote, the second placed candidate was over 12,000 votes behind. He was the only Nova Scotia NDP Member of Parliament elected in 1997 to have retained his seat, other than McDonough.

Stoffer represented the redistributed riding of Sackville—Musquodoboit Valley—Eastern Shore after the 2000 election. After the 2004 election, he was re-elected as an MP in an electoral district again renamed to Sackville—Eastern Shore.

During the 2003 NDP leadership convention, Stoffer was the campaign co-chair to Lorne Nystrom, a former long serving NDP MP from Saskatchewan. Days before the leadership convention, Stoffer let it be known to the media that his second ballot intention was to move to support Manitoba MP Bill Blaikie. At the convention, Toronto city councillor Jack Layton was elected on the first ballot.

Stoffer was defeated in the 2015 election as the Liberal party swept all the Atlantic Canada ridings.^[10] After his defeat, Stoffer proposed a number of changes for the NDP, including changing its name to the "Democratic Party," disaffiliating the federal and provincial NDP parties, and removing the influence of the Canadian Labour Congress on the party.^[10]

Stoffer lives in Fall River, Nova Scotia with his wife Andrea, his two daughters (Jasmin and Amber) and his dogs Angel and Buddy. On May 6, 2015, Stoffer was invested by the Dutch as a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.^[2]

Changes for the Canadian Alliance from 1997 are based on the results of its predecessor, the Reform Party.