Fred Rose (politician)

Fred Rose (born Rosemberg Fredman, December 7, 1895 – March 16, 1973) was a Canadian politician and labour organizer. He was the first and only openly Communist Member of Parliament in Canada.

Born in Lublin, Poland, Rose emigrated to Canada in 1920. He became active in the labour movement and the Communist Party of Canada (CPC). He was a key organizer for the Jewish Labour League Mutual Benefit Society and involved in various workers' rights campaigns.

Rose was elected to the House of Commons in the 1943 Montreal Cartier by-election, running as a Labour-Progressive Party (LPP) candidate, which was the legal name the Communist Party used during that period. He was re-elected in the 1945 federal election.

In 1946, Rose was arrested and charged under the Official Secrets Act, accused of passing information to the Soviet Union as part of the Gouzenko Affair. He was convicted in 1947 and sentenced to six years in prison. He was expelled from Parliament following his conviction.

After his release from prison, Rose was deported to Poland in 1953. He lived in Poland until his death in 1973.