#Canada; #HouseOfCommons; #electNewSpeaker
Toronto/CMEDIA: A rare mid-session election for a new Speaker is being held by the House of Commons Tuesday, after the position was vacated by Liberal MP Anthony Rota when Rota last week stepped down as House of Commons Speaker after inviting a former Ukrainian soldier who fought in a Nazi division to Parliament.
According to the Constitution reportedly electing a Speaker should be the first order of business when Parliament returns after an election as the House cannot sit until a Speaker is chosen.
When Rota officially stepped down from his role last Wednesday, it was agreed by the MPs that the House would continue sitting with Bloc Québécois MP Louis Plamondon, the MP with the longest unbroken sitting record who isn’t a minister or party leader, would be acting as interim Speaker.
As the Dean, Plamondon — who was first elected in 1984 — oversees Tuesday’s election.
The MPs who are seeking the Speakership and the perks it comes with are
- Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes;
- Liberal MP Greg Fergus;
- Liberal MP Sean Casey;
- Liberal MP Peter Schiefke;
- Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont;
- NDP MP Carol Hughes; and
- Green MP Elizabeth May.
The naming of the new Speaker would follow the same procedural pomp and circumstance involving key officials including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Gov. Gen. Mary Simon are expected.
“I wish to inform the House that her excellency the governor general has seen fit to authorize this chamber to proceed with the election of a Speaker,” Trudeau reportedly said, kicking off the proceedings.
