Latest news with #SpeakerElection
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
‘One of the quickest returns to parliament': Aiello on new speaker and PM Carney's agenda
Watch CTV's Rachel Aiello breaks down Francis Scarpaleggia's election as Speaker, PM Carney's first remarks, and what it means ahead of King Charles' address.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's in, who's out? At least seven MPs running for Speaker role on Monday
OTTAWA — When members of Parliament return to the House of Commons on Monday, their first order of business will be to elect a new Speaker. To date, no fewer than seven Liberal and Conservative MPs have indicated they are interested in the position. In addition to incumbent Greg Fergus who wants to re-offer for a second time, Liberal MPs Francis Scarpaleggia, Sherry Romanado and Sean Casey and Conservative MPs Chris d'Entremont and Tom Kmiec, are expected to seek the job. Liberal MP Rob Oliphant was also seriously considering running for the job and was widely consulting colleagues for their feedback this week. On Friday, he confirmed it was official. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said on Friday she was still 'torn' between staying in her current role or shedding her responsibilities with the Greens to take on the role of Speaker. 'That question is on my mind,' she said. 'Where does duty lie? Do I best serve my country as leader of the Green Party in the House of Commons, or as Speaker in the House of Commons?' As for Liberal MP Alexandra Mendès, who has served as assistant deputy Speaker since 2019 and was in the running back in 2023, she has not been campaigning this time around. Mendès was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing treatments. The position is a particularly coveted one. It comes with a pay bump of $99,900 — on top of an MP's base salary of $209,800 — and an official country residence in the Gatineau Hills, called 'The Farm.' The Speaker also has access to a small apartment on Parliament Hill. According to House of Commons standing orders, all MPs — except party leaders and ministers — are automatically on the list of candidates for the position of Speaker. Those who do not want to be considered need to indicate in writing that they are withdrawing their name. They have until 6 p.m. Sunday, the day before the election, to do so. The official list of candidates will then be published. On Monday morning, the dean of the House — Bloc Québécois MP Louis Plamondon, who was first elected in 1984 — will assume the role of Speaker during the vote. Candidates will have five minutes to make their pitch to all MPs in the House before MPs vote via a secret ballot, ranking each candidate by their order of preference. The rules of a preferential ballot apply, with the winner having to obtain a majority of votes in a round. In anticipation of the vote, candidates sent out letters by email to their fellow MPs and made phone calls to garner support. Liberal and Conservative caucuses will be meeting on Sunday, where there will likely be decisions made on the preferred candidates. One active discussion among Liberals in caucus, sources say, is whether they want to elect one of their own as Speaker — and therefore lose a crucial vote in the House — when they are just three seats short of a majority. The Liberal caucus went back to 169 seats on Friday after a judicial recount in Newfoundland found that the Conservatives had won the riding of Terra Nova-The Peninsulas. One name to watch will be d'Entremont — the Conservatives' now lone MP in Nova Scotia — who has served as deputy Speaker since 2021 and is expected to garner support from both sides of the aisle. He said he will be pitching his experience in the role on Monday. 'We've got a lot going on in the next few days,' he said. 'Whether it's a Throne Speech, whether it's the first set of question periods, that experience is going to be very important to bring us through the next few weeks, and that's what I'm going to run on.' Oliphant — a Toronto-area MP who was first elected in 2008 — touted his personal relationship with parliamentarians across the aisle which he said might help him foster respect as Speaker. 'I can't say this for sure, but I think they would listen to me,' he said. Oliphant said he was once asked to withdraw remarks in the House by Peter Milliken, who was Speaker for 10 years, from 2001 to 2011, and said Milliken would serve as a role model if he were to take on the role. 'The thought that was in my head was I had disappointed the Speaker, and I quickly withdrew the remarks because he had that much gravitas, that much respect,' Oliphant said of that moment. 'I think that we have lost that.' Scarpaleggia has been the Liberal MP for the Montreal riding of Lac-Saint-Louis for more than two decades and sat on both the government and opposition benches in the House. He said he will be putting forward his 'accumulated experience' as a parliamentarian. 'I just feel that I've got the level of experience that is right for the moment,' he said. Casey, Liberal MP for Charlottetown since 2011, will be running for Speaker for a second time and making a similar pitch as he did during his speech in 2023 to bring back more civility and respect in the House. He said it did not get any better under Fergus. 'I think it's a perfect time for a reset, a complete reset, including a new Speaker, someone who will set the tone early and consistently and vigorously,' Casey said. D'Entremont said that he would not 'interrupt all the time and pontificate' like Fergus did in his time as Speaker and would make sure to not expel MPs from the House. He argued that Milliken 'never kicked anybody out.' In a particularly raucous question period in April last year, Fergus ejected Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre after he refused to apologize for calling then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a 'wacko,' and Conservative MP Rachael Thomas for criticizing Fergus. Casey said he does not fault Fergus for the heightened partisanship under his tenure. 'Greg did the best he could. His approach is collegial and that's the way he came out of the gate. And I felt that time and time again, there were parliamentarians that were taking advantage of his good nature,' he said. Fergus, Romanado and Kmiec did not respond to requests for an interview. No matter the outcome of the election, Oliphant said he will be genuinely happy either way. 'I will be extremely happy to win, and extremely relieved if I don't.' 'It's a lot of work.' National Post calevesque@ Get more deep-dive National Post political coverage and analysis in your inbox with the Political Hack newsletter, where Ottawa bureau chief Stuart Thomson and political analyst Tasha Kheiriddin get at what's really going on behind the scenes on Parliament Hill every Wednesday and Friday, exclusively for subscribers. Sign up here. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here.
CBC
25-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Parliament is returning after nearly 6 months away — and will look different than usual
Parliament will return on Monday after more than six months and will feel a little different than usual thanks to some unusual circumstances. Each parliamentary session typically opens with some routine proceedings, which include the election of a Speaker of the House of Commons and a throne speech. But added political attention on the Speaker position and the arrival of King Charles on Monday will add some twists and flair to the proceedings. Heightened attention on Speaker election The Constitution states that electing a Speaker should be the first order of business when Parliament returns after an election. Technically, the House cannot sit until a Speaker is chosen. The Speaker is an MP chosen by other MPs to preside over the business of the House of Commons, act as an impartial arbiter of House proceedings and maintain order during debates. A Speaker has the authority to demand that MPs apologize if they use unparliamentary language — and can even order an MP removed from the chamber. The Speaker is elected by a secret ranked-ballot, meaning MPs list the candidates in order of preference. If nobody wins on the first ballot, the last-place candidate is dropped and their votes are redistributed until someone claims a majority. The election is overseen by the "Dean of the House" — the MP with the longest unbroken sitting record who isn't a minister or party leader. Bloc Québécois MP Louis Plamondon, who was first elected in 1984, will be overseeing his seventh Speaker election. While the Speaker is elected as a member of a party, the role is considered non-partisan — the Speaker does not sit in any party caucus. Typically, the Speaker position doesn't garner much attention, and the MP chosen for the role generally remains in the chair until the House is dissolved. But the Speaker's role has become more politicized during the last parliamentary session. Former Speaker Anthony Rota resigned from the role in September 2023 after he invited a Ukrainian veteran who fought with a Nazi unit in the Second World War to sit in the House of Commons during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to Parliament. Rota's resignation prompted a rare mid-session Speaker election, which Liberal MP Greg Fergus won. Fergus remained as Speaker until Parliament was dissolved in March but faced calls from opposition parties to step down over actions they believed were overly partisan for his role. The re-election of a Speaker when Parliament returns is never guaranteed — former Speaker Geoff Regan lost the role to Rota in 2019 despite having been re-elected as an MP. And other MPs, besides Fergus, have expressed interest in running for the job in Monday's vote. All MPs who are not a leader of a recognized party or a minister are automatically considered candidates for Speaker unless they notify the House clerk in writing. At least three Liberal MPs have expressed interest in taking the Speaker's chair: P.E.I. MP Sean Casey, who put his name forward to replace Rota in 2023; Ontario's Rob Oliphant; Sherry Romanado and Francis Scarpaleggia from Quebec. Opposition Speaker could make difference for Liberals on cusp of majority The Liberals also might opt to back a Speaker from the Opposition given that they're just three seats shy of a majority. The Speaker doesn't vote in the House unless there is a tie, in which case they traditionally vote with the government. At least three MPs from other parties are planning to let their name stand for election. Conservatives Chris d'Entremont and Tom Kmeic have sent letters to their fellow MPs pitching himself for the Speaker's role. D'Entremont has served as Deputy Speaker since 2021. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May is also putting herself forward for the Speaker role. She previously vied for the job in 2019 and 2023. While May is technically a leader of her party, the Greens are not officially recognized in the House because they only have one seat; a party must have at least 12 to gain official status. So May is still eligible to be a candidate. The House will convene for the day after the election and return just before the throne speech on Tuesday. Monarch will read throne speech for just 3rd time in history Every parliamentary session is generally opened by a speech from the throne. The speech is usually read by the governor general in the Senate. But because King Charles will read the speech this time — only the third time a monarch has done so since Confederation — there will be more flair to the proceedings. The King and Queen will travel to the Senate in Canada's state landau — the ceremonial horse-drawn carriage used for royal and viceregal transport in Ottawa — from outside the Bank of Canada on Wellington Street. The carriage will be drawn by 28 horses of the RCMP musical ride, with 14 horses travelling in front of the carriage and the rest following behind. At the Senate, the King will receive full military honours, including a 100-person guard of honour from the 3rd Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment, an inspection of the guard and the band, followed by a 21-gun salute. Once the King arrives in the Senate, the Usher of the Black Rod will be sent to the House to summon MPs for the throne speech. The Usher is the King's messenger in Parliament and is also responsible for Senate security and other ceremonial and administrative duties. The job originated in England in 1348. Former RCMP superintendent J. Greg Peters has served in the role since 2013. The knock at the door Traditionally, when the Usher arrives at the doors of the House chamber, he knocks three times and informs MPs that the governor general "desires" their presence for the throne speech. But because the King is presenting this throne speech, Peters will tell MPs that "the King commands this Honourable House to attend His Majesty immediately in the chamber of the honourable the Senate." WATCH | Carney sets up throne speech: At Issue | Carney sets up throne speech 2 days ago Duration 22:05 The Speaker will then present themselves to the King along with the MPs in attendance. The throne speech is always read in the Senate due to the tradition that the monarch (or their representative) cannot enter the House of Commons — a tradition derived from the British Parliamentary system that dates back to 1642. By the same token, MPs can attend the throne speech but cannot enter the Senate chamber past the brass bar at the entrance — a barrier meant to symbolize the independence of both houses of Parliament. The prime minister is the one exception to this rule and may enter the chamber for the speech. More routine proceedings will return following the throne speech. Both the Senate and House will introduce "pro-forma" bills — a Latin term meaning "for the sake of form." Bill C-1, "An Act respecting the Administration of Oaths of Office," will be given a first reading but won't proceed any further and won't be discussed again. A similar step will take place in the Senate with the introduction of Bill S-1. The introduction of these bills is a symbolic ritual meant to assert the independence of both houses from the Crown. The House will then either begin debate on the throne speech or turn to administrative business, such as appointments to the Board of Internal Economy and the procedure and House affairs committee.
National Post
23-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Who's in, who's out? At least seven MPs running for Speaker role on Monday
OTTAWA — When members of Parliament return to the House of Commons on Monday, their first order of business will be to elect a new Speaker. To date, no less than seven Liberal and Conservative MPs have indicated they are interested in the position. Article content Article content In addition to incumbent Speaker Greg Fergus who wants to reoffer for a second time, Liberal MPs Francis Scarpaleggia, Sherry Romanado and Sean Casey, and Conservative MPs Chris d'Entremont and Tom Kmiec, are expected to throw their hats in the ring, Article content Article content Liberal MP Rob Oliphant was also seriously considering running for the job and has consulted colleagues for feedback, sources said, but he had not yet made it official. Article content Article content As for Liberal MP Alexandra Mendès, who has served as assistant deputy speaker since 2019 and was in the running back in 2023, she has decided to opt out this time around. Mendès was recently diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing treatments. Article content The position of Speaker is a particularly coveted one. It comes with a pay bump of $99,900 — on top of MPs' base salary of $209,800 — and an official country residence in the Gatineau Hills, called 'The Farm.' The Speaker also has access to a small apartment on Parliament Hill. According to House of Commons standing orders, all MPs — except party leaders and ministers — are automatically on the list of candidates for the position of Speaker. Article content Those who do not want to be considered for the position need to indicate in writing that they are withdrawing their name. They have until 6 p.m. Sunday, the day before the election, to do so. The official list of candidates that remain on the list will then be published. Article content Article content On Monday morning, the dean of the House — Bloc Québécois MP Louis Plamondon, who was first elected in 1984 — will assume the role of Speaker during the vote. Article content Candidates will have five minutes to make their pitch to all MPs in the House before MPs vote via a secret ballot, ranking each candidate by their order of preference. The rules of a preferential ballot apply, with the winner having to obtain a majority of votes in a round. Article content In anticipation of the vote, candidates sent out letters by email to their fellow MPs and made phone calls to garner support. Liberal and Conservative caucuses will be meeting on Sunday, where there will likely be decisions made on the preferred candidates. Article content One active discussion among Liberals in caucus, sources say, is whether they want to elect one of their own as Speaker — and therefore lose a crucial vote in the House — when they are so close to a majority. As things stand, they are two MPs short of that threshold. Article content One name to watch will be d'Entremont — the Conservatives' now lone MP in Nova Scotia — who has served as deputy Speaker since 2021 and is expected to garner support from both sides of the aisle. He said he will be pitching his experience in the role on Monday.
