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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 10:22:42 a.m.
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I will now call upon the member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing.

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Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP)

Oct/3/23 10:23:09 a.m.
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Mr. Chair, I want to begin by thanking the hon. member for Nipissing—Timiskaming for his service as Speaker of the House. I would also like to thank the people of Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing for placing their trust in me to represent them for the past 15 years. I am honoured to be their member of Parliament. I begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin nation. It is important that we, as representatives of the Crown, acknowledge the people whose lands we stand on and the history that this place represents in this context, especially as we just marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation this past weekend. We sit here today at a unique moment in the history of the House. It is obviously quite rare for us to discuss the election of a new Speaker in the middle of a Parliament. This has been done only once before, when Speaker John Bosley, who was coincidentally the last Speaker appointed to the role rather than elected, resigned to sit in the Progressive Conservative backbenches in 1986. Speaker Bosley, whom you may remember was commemorated in the House last year following his passing, left the position because he was concerned about the erosion of public respect for Parliament and believed he could do more to build that respect from outside of the Speaker's chair. Speaker Bosley was clearly concerned about how the House was being perceived by the Canadian electorate. The erosion of public respect for Parliament is real, and I believe we, the members of the House, all have a responsibility to work toward improving it. The role of the Speaker, as representative of the House of Commons, is to guide this institution in the debates, to oversee the rules and traditions that are so dear to us and, perhaps most importantly at this time, to maintain order and decorum so as to restore the public's respect for Parliament—something that Speaker Bosley was concerned about nearly 40 years ago. I believe that my experience as Assistant Deputy Speaker has prepared me for this role. I have held this position for the duration of the past two Parliaments and the first half of this Parliament. During my terms, I have always been fair and reasonable in my duty to maintain order in the House. I have made decisions that maybe, at times, were not popular, even with members of my own party, because the duties of the Chair demanded it. I have also heard from some members of all parties that they believe I am fair and even-handed and have been consistent in my application of the rules of the House. When we are here, regardless of what our party affiliation is, the rules are the rules. Speaking of political parties, I know there is more that binds us together than divides us. We are all here because we love our nation and are all dedicated to seeing it flourish. We may have different ideas about how to accomplish this goal, and it is vital that we encourage healthy debate to find the common ground. However, I feel, as I am certain many of you do, that at times members can act in a manner that is challenging for the House. I believe that, in those moments, we do a disservice to the House and to Canadians by allowing unhealthy debate to proceed. My commitment to each of you is that you will have your moment to engage in healthy debate, and you will allow your colleagues their moment to a healthy debate, without unacceptable interruptions, shouting or heckling. This is how we rebuild the public's trust in and respect for Parliament. I am also looking forward to following in the footsteps of another of our predecessors, the Right Hon. Jeanne Sauvé, former governor general of Canada, who is to this day the only woman who has served as Speaker of the House of Commons. It has been over 40 years since she last presided over the House, and I believe that we must show young women that they too can see themselves represented in our institutions, including as Speaker of the House of Commons. In closing, I would like to remind members that Canadians are looking to us to make Parliament work in a way that will deliver results for them. I have shown throughout my years in Parliament that I have the experience, judgment and temperament necessary for this role, which is vital for the functioning of our democracy. Colleagues, this is why I ask for your support. Your support is greatly appreciated.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 10:27:39 a.m.
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I will now call upon Ms. Elizabeth May, the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. She is not here with us today, but we can watch her on the screen.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Oct/3/23 10:28:12 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to speak today at this unique sitting. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend in person. Because of my inability to be on an airplane at this point in my life due to having had a stroke, and I am, as you see, recovering quite well, I cannot participate in person, which means I also cannot vote, which is a terrible shame. I am participating this way because I want to make sure this election for the Speaker takes into account what I think are the essential elements for the next Speaker of the House. We must follow our rules. For me, this is essential. If you walk down the back corridor behind the Speaker's chair, you will see the portraits of former Speakers. I do think you should pause in front of the portrait of Lucien Lamoureux, who served this place from 1966 to 1974. He was the best of all of our Speakers. He personified nonpartisanship. Elected as a Liberal in the government of Lester B. Pearson, when Lucien Lamoureux ran for re-election as a sitting Speaker, he did so twice as an independent. He also applied our rules, which meant he was not always popular, and he was not elected. He was able to enforce the rules. Everyone who has spoken has said our rules are important, but on a daily basis we ignore Standing Orders 16 and 18, which require that we respect one another and that we treat each other with respect. I completely agree with my colleague, the hon. member for Hull—Aylmer. Respect is of the utmost importance. However, we have made it a habit to flout our rules. We ignore our rules at our peril. I cite the hon. member for Nipissing—Timiskaming for his service, and the tragedy that unfolded in this place could have been avoided if we had followed our rules. There are rules about recognizing visitors in the galleries. In this case, it is clear that the rules were broken in acknowledging that man's presence. I know that because I tried to convince the former Speaker to recognize someone whom I thought did deserve recognition in our gallery, only to be told that Dr. David Suzuki did not qualify, so I know the rules represent a steep hill to climb to have someone recognized in the gallery. I cannot imagine how this happened, but I also agree words are not enough. That moment in this House brought back the words of the late Irving Abella, who said that in our history it was easier to gain entry to Canada as a Nazi than as a Jew. I think we have to do more than say we are sorry. I think we have to atone and open up the records of the Deschênes commission. We have to look at our history, just as we do on the day of truth and reconciliation for the injustices and genocide toward indigenous peoples. We must follow our rules. The Speaker's role is essential, as the Speaker is the only person who can decide who speaks in question period. It has been 40 years that the Speaker has broken the rules every single day, regardless what Speaker we are talking about, by accepting a list from a party whip that tells him or her who speaks and in what order. That abomination has moved the system of rewards and punishments from the Speaker to the party whip. The party whips are not the people we want to please if we want this place to operate with respect and to make Canadians look at the House of Commons and think, “There is a place I respect; that is democracy in action.” We can try harder and we can do better. It is possible. All of those running in this election are more than qualified to be good Speakers of the House. If it were my honour to fill that role, I cannot tell you how overwhelmed I would be. However, I think it is not likely, and I encourage you to vote for the person you think will be your best Speaker. I pledge my support to the next Speaker, whoever is brave enough to go back to following our rule that only the Speaker chooses who speaks in question period. This was confirmed when the hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle was the Speaker of the House, in April 2013 on a point of order from the late Mark Warawa. It would no doubt improve our proceedings enormously. With that, I wish you all the best of luck. Good luck to all of my colleagues who are hoping to be the next Speaker. I miss you all and cannot wait to see you all again. You know I love you all. I really miss you and want to give you a big hug. Thank you very much. I wish you the best of luck. God bless you.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 10:33:34 a.m.
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I will now call upon the hon. member for Brossard—Saint‑Lambert.

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Mrs. Alexandra Mendès (Brossard—Saint-Lambert, Lib.)

Oct/3/23 10:33:49 a.m.
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Mr. Chair, colleagues, seeing you again is always a pleasure, despite the unfortunate circumstances, to put it mildly. I would like to thank the member for Nipissing—Timiskaming for promoting a collegial atmosphere here and for accomplishing so much at a time of tremendous change in the House of Commons. I am not here to stand against anyone. I am here because I have convictions that I believe could help us approach our responsibilities as parliamentarians differently. I feel it is vital that the House invite diplomatic and community representatives of the Jewish and Polish communities to the chamber as soon as possible so we can express our dismay to them and offer our apologies. History cannot be rewritten, and I believe that we all share a collective duty of remembrance. We are 338 individuals among the 40 million Canadians who chose us to make laws for them on matters that concern their present and, now more than ever, their future. I am keenly aware of the incredible honour that the people of Brossard—Saint‑Lambert have done me, and of the responsibilities I have undertaken since I was first elected. Some of those responsibilities include and depend on the constant quest for truthfulness and the common good. I also believe that one of our responsibilities is to find joy in the work we do. Loving what we do, this place where we do it and the people who help us do it, for me, is a fundamental aspect of a successful parliamentary life. It cannot and should not be all about insults and accusations, about “gotcha” moments and questionable statements. I associate some of the most meaningful hours I have experienced in the House with debates where members strove to find shared goals. Emergency and take-note debates, private members' bills and motions, and even some legislative initiatives are often moments where we find our better natures. This is the place where Canada's important conversations should be held, where we seriously debate and where we humourously disagree. What I take away from those moments is that we are all quite capable of rising above partisan sparring when that is what is called for, and that some of our colleagues' sense of humour seasons what would otherwise be dry or overly technical conversations with a zesty je ne sais quoi. Holding the government to account is the essential element of parliamentary democracy. No government is immune from the necessary scrutiny of its proposed legislation and its management of the public accounts, but Canadians have told us time and again that they expect us to do this with far more civility than they see in this place every day. Reject me if you must, but should I be given the honour of being elected to the Chair, I would strive with all my might to bring dignity to our debates by enforcing the rules that we have all chosen to adhere to. I believe in the rules and regulations that govern the House of Commons. I believe in the office of the Speaker that oversees the functioning and administration of this place. I believe in the Clerk and the table officers who guide us and provide us with their knowledge and their independent analysis. Dignity is a principle I care deeply about. The humanity of every person in the House, elected or otherwise, must be respected. That is why I value things like a simple thanks to the page who brings us a glass of water or a lectern, a respectful awareness of the monumental task performed by our interpreters, recognition of the sensitive work carried out by the table officers, and acceptance that, despite our differences, each and every one of us is here for the same reason: to make good laws. Joy is also a principle of enormous importance to me. The joy of music is an eternal source of wonder. As everyone knows, because I announced it two years ago, I hope to create a parliamentary choir. That has been a dream of mine for many years. Over my many years in this place I have heard people, including journalists, staff and sometimes you members, suggest that some of the traditions and rituals we observe are silly, arcane or outdated. I tend to disagree, but that does not mean that we should not try to create new rituals that will in turn become traditions. This is the people's House and we are only the temporary occupants and guardians of it. Our predecessors fought hard for our rights as parliamentarians. If you elect me as your Speaker, I promise to continue that fight by doing everything in my power to ensure MPs have a safe, productive and collaborative environment to do the work that they deserve.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 10:39:07 a.m.
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I will now call upon Peter Schiefke, the member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges, to speak.

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Mr. Peter Schiefke (Vaudreuil—Soulanges, Lib.)

Oct/3/23 10:39:17 a.m.
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Mr. Chair, right hon. Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, leader of the Bloc Québécois, leader of the NDP, leader of the Green Party, hon. colleagues, hon. candidates, dear friends, it is a privilege for me to rise in the House today as an official candidate for Speaker of the House of Commons. Colleagues, I am running for this position because I want to follow in the footsteps of the extraordinary men and women who came before me in service of us all. Two of those extraordinary men are here in the chamber with us: the hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle and the hon. member for Nipissing—Timiskaming. Honourable colleagues, to stand here as a candidate for Speaker means to stand for the candidacy of the custodian and the guardian of this sacred democratic chamber. It is not lost on me that I do so 71 years after my grandfather, Luis Gonzalez, fled Spain under dictatorial rule, boarding a ship called the Anna Salen in search of a place where he could speak freely, where he could send a representative to speak on his behalf, arriving on the shores of Halifax on December 29, 1952. This past weekend, my daughter Ellie, who just turned seven, asked me what I was doing. I told her that I was running for speakership of this place. She is too young to understand what that means. She is too young to fully grasp the significance of the work that we do here every single day, but she will understand it one day. Colleagues, if you are asking me for my two reasons for running to be the 38th Speaker, there they are: to be your servant as we honour those who sought this place out in generations past and to be your servant to help build an even stronger democratic institution for my children, your children and future generations of Canadians. Colleagues, we are at a pivotal moment in Canadian history. I truly feel that. Through the conversations that I have had with so many of you over the weekend, I know that you feel that way, too. We have the work ahead of us of rebuilding trust in this place among members, of rebuilding trust that Canadians have in this place, of rebuilding trust that our allies and friends around the world have in us. As your Speaker, that will be my primary priority. First and foremost, I seek to put in place a policy that will ensure due diligence, so that when I rise as your Speaker to ask hon. members to rise on behalf of somebody who is in the gallery, you can do so with trust and with confidence. I pledge to you that within one week of being elected your Speaker, I will invite Jewish community leaders from across the country, as well as veterans groups that are also affected by what happened that Friday, to this place, to apologize as your Speaker on behalf of all members of this House. I pledge that I will send a communiqué within one week of being elected Speaker to the hon. Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, informing him of my intentions to apologize to him and the members of the Ukrainian Parliament. I believe these to be diligent measures and ones that are necessary if we seek to move on and truly reconcile with what occurred on September 22. Just as important will be my work to ensure that your right to speak freely in this place is defended. The story goes that the distance between the Right Hon. Prime Minister's desk and the desk of the leader of the official opposition was measured in such a way to be the distance of two duelling individuals, their swords drawn, with one inch added in the middle, that inch to symbolize that in this place we solve our differences not through violence but through discourse, dialogue and debate. As your Speaker, I vow to do everything that I can within the powers and the tools available to me as Speaker, to ensure that when you come to this place every single day to do the hard work for Canadians, you are able to do that, to share your gift, the gift that your constituents saw in you and the reason they sent you here: to be able to share that gift unimpeded and without fear of intimidation. Hon. colleagues, since 2015, I have had the privilege of working with you as the proud member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges, as the parliamentary secretary on four different portfolios and as the chair of a committee. I hope that those I have had the chance to work with could see that I am a fair and transparent person. I come here every day with the intention of working with you, regardless of which party you belong to, to find solutions for improving Canadians' quality of life. Hon. colleagues, I sincerely thank you for giving me the opportunity to address you today. Colleagues, I hope you will give me the grand honour of being the 38th Speaker of this House of Commons.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 10:44:34 a.m.
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Before I suspend the sitting for 30 minutes, may I bring to the attention of hon. members that the bells calling the members back to the House will be sounded for not more than five minutes. The sitting is suspended to the call of the Chair for 30 minutes.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 11:19:20 a.m.
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Pursuant to the provisions of the Standing Orders, the House will now proceed to elect a Speaker. After the Clerk has unsealed the ballots, I will suggest to the House a procedure that will accelerate the voting process. We will now prepare to begin to vote according to the provisions of Standing Order 4. Please allow me to outline the procedure for all members. The names of the candidates eligible for the election are listed on the ballot in alphabetical order. To vote, you must rank the candidates in order of preference by placing the number “1” in the space next to your first-choice candidate, the number “2” next to your second-choice candidate, and so on, until you have ranked all candidates for whom you wish to vote. Please note that it is not necessary to rank all candidates. In order to vote, I will ask that members leave their desks, exit through the curtains, and come to the table using the doors on the left and right sides of the chair on their respective sides of the House. The clerk will issue to each member a ballot paper. After casting their ballots, members are asked to leave the voting area. The polling booths are now open to vote. The polling booths are now open to vote. (Members were issued ballots and marked their ballots in secret at voting stations)

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 11:59:00 a.m.
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All members having voted, I do now instruct the Clerk to proceed with the counting of the ballots, after I have cast my ballot.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 11:59:53 a.m.
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Before I suspend the sitting, I wish to remind hon. members that, when the counting has been completed, the bells to call the members back to the House will be sounded. The sitting is suspended to the call of the Chair.

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The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon)

Oct/3/23 1:28:26 p.m.
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It is my duty to inform the House that a Speaker of the House has been duly elected. It is with great pleasure that I invite the hon. member for the electoral district of Hull—Aylmer to take the chair. Some hon. members: Hear, hear! The Presiding Officer (Hon. Louis Plamondon): I now invite the right hon. Prime Minister and the hon. Leader of the Opposition to escort the Hon. Greg Fergus to the chair. (The Presiding Officer having vacated the chair, the right hon. Prime Minister and the hon. Leader of the Opposition conducted Mr. Greg Fergus from his seat in the House to the chair)

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The Speaker

Oct/3/23 1:35:06 p.m.
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Hon. members, I want to humbly thank the House for doing me the great honour of selecting me as Speaker. Before we begin, I would like to acknowledge a number of individuals and, indeed, all of you. Let me begin with the hon. member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, the dean of the House of Commons, who has had a lengthy career in the House of Commons. He has been here for 39 years; that is a great inspiration to us all. For the younger members who came in 2021 and those who arrived quite recently following by-elections, you have before you a man who is an inspiration to us all, a man who with close ties to his voters, to his people. He has served in the House with great integrity since 1984. I congratulate him. He may not remember this, but I came here in 1988 as a parliamentary page, and I had the pleasure of serving him water and delivering him messages on paper. He was an upstanding gentleman then, just as he is, even more so, now. I hope I will have the chance to beat his record and be in this chair for longer than five days, at least, but we will see. I will start with one afternoon. I would also like to thank my hon. colleagues who let their names stand to become Speaker of the House of Commons. Let us all give them a huge round of applause. They are amazing Canadians. They have served this House, especially the speakership team. The two assistant deputy speakers and the Deputy Speaker in particular have served the House very well and with great honour and integrity. I hope to continue to count on your sage advice and your support as we move forward for the rest of this Parliament. I really look forward to working collaboratively with all of you. Thank you for the applause. I know that, in politics, there are only two times when people give strong applause and are happy to see you: the day you arrive and, of course, the day you leave. The Speaker, to use the old hockey analogy, is nothing more than a referee. If there is one thing I know, it is that nobody pays good money to go see the referee. They go to see the stars: you, the players on the ice. People go to see the men and women who have long been demonstrating their talents in the minor leagues, who practised at home with their families, and who have since found themselves here in the House. My role as Speaker is to assure you that the rules and regulations will be followed so that you can engage in what I hope will be respectful, friendly, sincere and passionate debates in the House. As I said earlier, in my speech to all of you, respect is a fundamental part of what we do here. We need to make sure that we treat each other with respect and that we show Canadians an example, because there can be no dialogue unless there is a mutual understanding of respect. There can be no ability to pursue arguments, to make points be heard, unless we all agree to extend to each other that sense of respect and decorum. Therefore, I am going to be working hard on this, and I need all of your help to make this happen, because this is the place where hard debates will happen.

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The Speaker

Oct/3/23 1:38:03 p.m.
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This is the place to have passionate yet respectful debates. I will soon begin meeting with the table officers. I will be meeting with the Deputy Speaker and the assistant deputy speakers to discuss how we are going to proceed over the next few months to make sure we get things right. We must follow the rules of the House of Commons. By doing so, we can have fruitful and meaningful debates, and we can proceed in a way that promotes mutual respect. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the trust you have placed in me. I hope to prove myself worthy of that trust in the coming years. I hope to have the chance to speak with each and every one of you, to get to know you better. That way, we can set an example and show Canadians that politics is a noble profession. Thank you very much. I wish us all a very successful session. The hon. Prime Minister.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Oct/3/23 1:42:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, you have to say “the right honourable”.

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The Speaker

Oct/3/23 1:42:24 p.m.
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Well, there is my first mistake. The right hon. Prime Minister.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau

Oct/3/23 1:42:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the government and every member of this House, I want to congratulate you on your election. I also want to thank all the other candidates for the speakership. I thank them for answering the call to keep our democracy healthy and strong. Mr. Speaker, today, you are the first Black Canadian to become Speaker of the House. This should be inspiring for all Canadians, especially those in younger generations who want to get involved in politics. Congratulations. The House is the home of Canadian democracy. Members of Parliament come from every corner of the country to represent their communities. Canadians from coast to coast to coast elect us to work hard for them and to be their voices in this place. They elected us to deliver results to help make their lives better. This remains our number one job. The only way we can make progress is by working together and by respecting each other.

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Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

Oct/3/23 1:43:10 p.m.
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The House of Commons is a place of debate. It is to be expected that we will not always agree with each other. Mr. Speaker, we have elected you to help us keep our debates civil and to remind us that we are all here for the same reason: to serve Canadians. These are consequential times for Canada and for the world. We must continue to work together to make life more affordable, to build more homes, to keep our democracy strong, to fight climate change and to power the clean economy of tomorrow. We must keep working to uphold Canada's promise of a better quality of life for every generation. In these consequential times, Canadians expect us all to work together to deliver results. They expect us to behave to the highest standards. I know you will help us rise to meet this moment. Canada is the best country in the world. Let us keep working all together to make it even better.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/3/23 1:45:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to congratulate you. Mr. Speaker, are you sure you know what you have gotten yourself into? I know you have strong enough arms for the job because I had the difficult task of dragging you all the way to that chair. We thought for a moment that you had changed your mind when you took a turn to congratulate one of our colleagues on this side, but it is an incredible achievement to serve in the role that Parliament has bestowed upon you. To serve here, in the House of Commons, is an honour for every member. Each of us should be proud to be responsible for working on behalf of some 100,000 people. At times, however, we forget the order in which power is exercised. We think that the Prime Minister is at the top, with the House of Commons below, and the people down at the very bottom, but the opposite is true. In a democracy, the people have the power. We serve the people, and the government serves parliamentarians. In fact, that is why Parliament was invented. The reason these floors and seats are green is that the first commoners met in fields. They were the peasants and farmers who were tired of having their crops taxed away by an impossibly cruel Crown. They gathered to force King John to sign the Magna Carta, the great charter, which of course restrained the power of the Crown. Today, we have a similar circumstance, with a government that is excessively powerful and costly. It has overburdened the population and created unprecedented strain, particularly on middle-class and working-class people, who are now forced in many cases to live in tents and who are losing their homes and skipping meals. We have seven million people who cannot afford food because of the inflationary taxes imposed on that food by an overly greedy government. Now, more than ever, the role of Parliament in restraining the power of the Prime Minister is primordial. We will continue to carry out that role proudly on the floor of this House of Commons because we will always remember that we are servants and not masters of the Canadian people. We will do it with common sense. Why is this important? Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Hon. Pierre Poilievre: I hear that some members of the government do not like the sound of the words “common sense”. We can understand why they would not, but is it not interesting that this is called the House of Commons for a reason? Common wisdom, our common resources, our common heritage and our common future are determined by the people elected to serve in this place. We must always do it with common sense, the common sense of the common people, united for our common home: their home, my home, our House. Let us bring it home.

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