New Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia asks for 'a little grace period' as Parliament opens
Speaker to oversee busy session as government moves to reshape trade relationships
Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia, who represents the Quebec riding of Lac-Saint-Louis, is the new Speaker of the House of Commons and will preside over what Prime Minister Mark Carney has told his caucus will be a "very, very" busy few weeks and months ahead.
The Speaker is an MP chosen in a secret ranked ballot 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.
While the Speaker is elected to Parliament as a member of a party, they do not sit in any party caucus because the role is considered non-partisan.
"I will remind members that we are at the beginning of a mandate in the selfish hope that you will afford me a little grace period," he said after being ushered to the Speaker's chair by Carney and interim Opposition leader Andrew Scheer.
"Once again thank you for your confidence. I have few words, because well, we all have things we want to accomplish and we have been away. Thank you, colleagues."
Carney stood in the House for the first time on Monday, thanking those who voted for him personally and all members of the House of Commons, before going on to congratulate Scarpaleggia.
"I have much to learn from the members of this great House," Carney said. "I will make mistakes. I have no doubt that you will call them out for good reason, because this House has rules, it has traditions and it's on those traditions that our Athenian democracy is founded," he said.
"Yes we are Athens, they are Rome," Carney said, referencing Scarpaleggia's campaign speech for the speakership earlier in the day. "We will prevail. We are in the golden age of Athens. Thank you Mr. Speaker, you have my support."
An all-Liberal race
Scheer, who served as Speaker from 2011 to 2015, congratulated Scarpaleggia, telling the House that he has the support of the Conservative Party.
"You have taken charge of an office that's almost as old as Parliament itself," Scheer said Monday, noting seven previous speakers of the British House of Commons had been beheaded by the monarch.
"It might no longer be a requirement to stand up to kings and queens, but you may find yourself having to stand up to other offices of authority," Scheer said.
"If such an opportunity presents itself, we trust you will stand with those Speakers who came before you, who defended this institution on behalf of the people."
Scarpaleggia defeated Greg Fergus, the MP for the Quebec riding of Hull-Alymer who had served as Speaker since October 2023.
On Sunday evening, there were officially eight candidates for the post, but at the outset of Monday's proceedings in the House, Conservatives Chris d'Entremont, a Nova Scotia MP who served as deputy Speaker since 2021, and John Nater, who represents the Ontario riding of Perth-Wellington, pulled out of the race.
With both Conservative candidates withdrawing their names, that left five Liberals aside from Scarpaleggia: Sean Casey, (Charlottetown), Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West), Alexandra Mendès (Brossard-Saint-Lambert), Sherry Romanado (Longueuil-Charles-LeMoyne) and Fergus.
'Canada's greatest asset is its democracy'
Scarpaleggia was first elected to the House in the 2004 federal election and has been re-elected seven consecutive times since then.
From 2011 until 2021, he served as the Liberal caucus chair, and has chaired multiple Commons committees including environment and sustainable development, and electoral reform.
In his campaign speech in the House Monday morning, he said that it is possible to hold passionate, substantive, debates without engaging in personal insults or intimidation, and that if elected he would work to improve decorum in the Commons.
"Canada's greatest asset is its democracy, and democracy lives and breathes here in this chamber," he said.
"It is rightly said that there can be no true freedom without order. Likewise, we can't have a truly meaningful exchange of ideas without an orderly, rules-based House of Commons."
Scarpaleggia said he was in favour of robust debate where "board-rattling" bodychecks take place in the corners, but that a problem begins to emerge "when sticks go high."
"Canadians want to see sticks on the ice and it's the responsibility of the Speaker to make this so," he said.
"Our neighbour to the south may be modern-day Rome in size and power; we are Athens in culture, values and democracy.… That is how we must see ourselves. That is who we must be."
A Speaker has the authority to demand that MPs apologize if they use unparliamentary language — and can even order a member removed from the chamber.
The Speaker also oversees the administration and finances of the House. They manage staff and communicate between the Senate and the Crown.
The Speaker earns a $99,900 top-up on their $209,800 MP salary, along with a car allowance. The job comes with a small apartment in West Block and an official estate in Gatineau Park known as The Farm.
There are some ceremonial duties that also come with the role, such as hosting dignitaries and diplomats and representing the Commons abroad, for which the Speaker has a large hospitality budget.
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