Six MPs, all Liberal, vie for House Speakership. Watch their speeches
May 26, 2025
Six MPs, all Liberal, vie for House Speakership. Watch their speeches
View Video Transcript
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pursuant to standing order three
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pursuant to standing order three I invite Mr Plondo member for Bon Nichollet al- Noak to take the chair as
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member presiding over the election of the speaker
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Pursuant to standing order three I invite Mr member for Nico to take the chair as the
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member presiding over the election of the speaker
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I would like to congratulate all of you on your
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election It's very
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important We are all elected here because we believe in democracy and we support it Congratulations again to all
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of you I see that there are many new members Maybe one of you will one day
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beat my 41year standing record And for all younger or newer MPs
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I'd like to repeat a piece of advice that I've already given here in the House It is important to manage your
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emotions especially frustration Some asked me why I'm not a spokesperson
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why I was never a minister Well sometimes we experience frustration but
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we get over it over time A second piece of advice for new
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members only speak when you have something intelligent to say
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Let me explain I'm saying this in French because if I
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were to say it in English I would also need translation as I do when I speak
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French In this place we have the best journalists in Canada When they
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interview us they don't interview us for no reason You need to be very well
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prepared because if you say one wrong word it can change the course of your career
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sometimes I'd like to share an anecdote that I've already shared with uh
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previous MPs I was first elected in
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1984 when I was a brand new MP I made three
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statements which went against what my party believed in At our first caucus
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meeting a senator who seemed very old to me Now I
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think back on it and he doesn't seem so old He said to me "Come and see me."
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After the caucus meeting I went to see him in his office We had a very short meeting He said "Look at the
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wall." And uh on the wall he said "Do you see what I have on my wall
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here this is a fish a a dead fish And if he had just shut his mouth he would
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still be alive."
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He said "Well in politics it's the same." Now I'm going to speak English received
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by email last list the last last night the list of
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candidates for the speaking speaker the list of numbers who have
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withdraw and the list of number who have in ineligible ineligible as
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candidate this list are also available at the table and our uh on our comments
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if members will to cancel them before the vote Uh
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before we begin I want to invite any member whose name is on the list of candidates but who does not want to
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stand for election to rise and inform the chair accordingly
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Westington Westington Thank you very much Dean of the House of
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Commons It is great to see you preside over this for the seventh time I wish to
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withdraw my name for speaker Thank you
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The honorable member for Akadi
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A good speaker knows when to keep their speeches short Uh can you withdraw my name from the ballot please
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we will revise the list of candidates
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There will be a total of six
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candidates to standing order 3.1 The house must proceed to the speech from
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each candidate for the speakerhip
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uh nonwithstanding uh any standing area or any usual
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procedure and pro p proise had up by the house
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and to help the new members to identify the candidates for the office of speaker I will recognize in alphabetical order
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each candidate by name and by electoral district When the last candidate to address the
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house completes his or her speech I will leave
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the chair for 30 minutes After which numbers will proceed to the election of
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the speaker each number have five minutes
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for the speech I invite I invite now to
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call up Mr
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Congrat to to address the house for not more than 5
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minutes Mr Speaker I would first like to acknowledge that we are meeting on the
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traditional unseated territory of the Alangquin people who have lived here for
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millennia We acknowledge the lasting presence of indigenous peoples first
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nations Inuit and Matei on this territory Parliament and the office of the speaker have declined at an
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accelerating pace over the last decade From 2003 to 2017 not a single member of
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parliament was asked to withdraw for disregarding the authority of the speaker Compare that to the last eight
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years where nine members have been kicked out of the chamber for violating the rules of debate refusing to withdraw
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in parliamentary language failing to apologize for their conduct and defying
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the speaker I have witnessed almost all of these incidents and frankly there
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should have been more expulsions What's worse is that this lack of respect for parliament has actually been used as
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ammunition to raise funds Sadly this demonstrates the current state of dorm
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It is not okay That Mr speaker is why I stand
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before you to offer my candidacy for the office of speaker and I do so with some
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degree of optimism
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Only members of parliament can res restore and rebuild trust in our
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institutions About onethird of members here are new to the house
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I don't think any of them campaigned on a promise to shout the most in the house
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or promising to insult other members of
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parliament and especially not in to insult the speaker him or
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herself They were elected because they promised to represent their constituents
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here with dignity and hard work and to focus on constituents rather than
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on their next Instagram video We members of parliament have a
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significant role to play in restoring trust in this house
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and in the speakerhip members in wanting a reset After thousands of interactions
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with constituents during the course of the campaign I can't imagine that anyone
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held up the current state of civility in parliament with pride We owe Canadians a genuine effort
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to raise the bar in how we treat each other A new session with so many new
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faces offers a fresh start and a real chance to lead by example If you agree
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that the conditions and the timing are right to make a meaningful change then I
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offer my experience and approach to lead that reset
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Before I got into politics I was a lawyer and a business person
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I had to respect the administration of justice and the law
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I had to respect the opposing bench I also had to vigorously defend my client
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Those were part and parcel of my duties as a lawyer I had to follow rules of
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procedure which was essential to be efficient
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that allowed me to build values of equity structure and
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impartiality which are qualities essential to being speaker I was elected to parliament for the first time in
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2011 I was one of just a few new members in the party I was reelected in
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2015 and appointed parliamentary secretary to three different
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ministers More recently I presided over a standing
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committee At age 48 I committed to becoming bilingual and achieved a C level I'm
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very proud of that accomplishment
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I've served with four different speakers and have learned what works and what doesn't First it is vitally important
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for the speaker to set the tone early and rigorously A collegial approach
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cajoling repeat offenders has proven ineffective The current state of debate requires the consistent application of
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progressive discipline I offer the experience the tone and the temperament to deliver exactly that I would be
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honored with your support to lead a collective effort to rebuild respect in parliament
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Thank you Mr Speaker
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I now ask Mr Greg Fergus the honorable member for Hull Almer to address the house for not more than five minutes
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Mr President Mr Speaker thank you I'd like to recognize that we are on the
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unseeded territory of the Alonges people Since time immemorial indigenous peoples
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have met here to exchange to share and to collaborate That is what Canadians
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expect from us here in the House of Commons Today a similar spirit assembles us
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Some of us for the first time some since 1984 I was elected speaker in the second
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half of a minority parliament When I was elected I promised to be a collaborative
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and well thought speaker a speaker that would serve all parliamentarians
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Tempers ran high and cooperation was low It was in that context that I learned
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the ropes of the job often getting it right and when I didn't putting in place
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measures to continually improve To be frank it would have been a difficult
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time for anyone in that role We find ourselves in a new minority parliament A
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new parliament is a new beginning but we don't have to start at the beginning Although I continue to stand by my
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values for mutual respect between members the business of parliament must
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get done without transparenc with transparency with integrity with
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accountability and without gamesmanship This is what Canadians
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expect from us At my first question period I asked you to treat me like a new car Try not
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to get a dent on me on the first day Well I got one
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day There are now a couple of dents but I'm still running I'm now a reliable car
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with expire with experience And that's when I that's how
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I learned what all speakers eventually discover You don't become speaker by
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just putting on the robes You learn the role through experience
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president It's not just the gown that makes you speaker You become a speaker with
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experience That experience I've already obtained and now I want to implement it
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for this 45th legislature Presiding over debates in
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this house is the most visible part of the role However the speaker also has a very
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important diplomatic role to play Canada needs friendships around the world From the early days of my
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speakership I insisted that Canada show our solidarity with Ukraine And I'm proud to have organized an all party
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diplomat parliamentary mission to Ukraine During the long train ride into
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Ukraine under the cover of darkness with the protection of the Canadian Armed Forces seated with my colleagues from
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the Conservatives the BL the NDP and the Liberals working together we developed
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lasting friendships with Ukrainians and strengthened their network of support in
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their time of need This is another example of parliament at its best
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More than ever Canada needs strong friendships everywhere Throughout the
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world I have forged strong ties of friendship to put forward our parliament's interests This experience
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will serve for the success of the speaker's
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G7 meeting that will happen later this summer Another role of the speaker
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happens here As the CEO of about 2,500 members
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of staff I support the services that uh support your rights and privileges as
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parliamentarians Money was well spent We took steps never taken before We started
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a new audit process We implemented robust new security measures in and around Parliament Hill in your
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constituencies at your offices and at your home And we did this so that you
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and your family can do can feel safe while you do your job
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It's with this wealth of experience that I ask for your support for my reelection
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I gained the experience necessary to implement changes that are essential
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starting today Dance but it also has character The engine is strong and I
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know the road Let's go together
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I will now call happen Mr Robert
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I will now call upon Mrs Alexandre Mendes the honorable member for Brar Salon to address the house for not more
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than five minutes Thank you Mr Speaker
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Dear colleagues I rise today to let my name stand to be your speaker I will try
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to be brief and to the point and like other colleagues I did not spend the last few days on emails or phone calls
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asking for your support Mostly because as you may know I some of you may know
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anyways I was diagnosed with cancer at the end of January and I have been undergoing intense treatment ever since
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Thanks to a phenomenal team and the many volunteers who raised their hand to help me through the campaign I find myself
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representing the citizens of Brarard St Lambert once more and I couldn't be
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more After a successful re-election I wanted to ensure my health situation would allow me to stand for this role I
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spent many hours reflecting on my next steps both from a personal and professional level I do wish to take
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this moment to thank many of you in this chamber who sent me messages of encouragement in the past weeks and
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months From text messages to phone calls and emails your heartfelt words meant a
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great deal to me during these challenging times The unequivocical advice from my
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oncologist has led me to believe that I can safely consider serving you as chair as speaker rather I have the experience
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of five years as assistant vice speaker have taught me indeed what it takes to
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ensure an environment of respectful debate of ideas and adherence to our
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standing orders as agreed upon over the course of legislatores I'm not here in opposition
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to anyone I'm here because I have some convictions that I believe will provide
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another way of approaching the responsibilities we all have as parliamentarians I have never been a
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parliamentary secretary nor a minister nor held any government role I have been
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a privileged backbencher but a backbencher nonetheless
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We are 343 out of 40 million Canadians that were chosen to legislate their
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present and more than ever their future Responsibilities include and depend on the constant quest for fruitfulness in
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the common good I also believe that one of our responsibilities is to find joy in the work we
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do Loving what we do this place where we do it and the people that help us do it
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are for me fundamental aspects of a successful parliamentary life It can't
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and it shouldn't be all about insults and accusations about gotcha moments and questionable statements This is the
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place where Canada's most important conversations should be held where we seriously debate and humorously disagree
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The ability to find the right word is an art that I admire and that so many of you dear colleagues use with great
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brio combined with uh the respect for others and the most basic standards of politeness
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Oratory art is exactly what our debate should always be like Holding the government to account is the essential
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element of parliamentary democracy No government is immune from the necessary scrutiny of its proposed legislation and
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its management of the public accounts But Canadians have told us time and time again that they expect us to do this
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with far more civility than they see in this place most days Should I be given
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the honor of being elected to the chair I would strive with all my might to bring dignity to our debates I believe
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in the rules and reg regulations that govern the House of Commons I believe in the office of the speaker that oversees
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the functioning and administration of this place I trust the clerk and the table officers who guide us and provide
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us with their knowledge and their independent analysis Dignity is a principle very close to my
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heart No one in this house parliamentarian or not should have their humanity violated The most elementary
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thanks to the pages who bring us a glass of water or a lectern respectful awareness of the monumental work done by
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the interpreters recognition of the delicacy of the task that falls upon the
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offices of the table and acceptance that despite our differences we are all here with a single goal to make some good
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laws Our predecessors fought hard for our rights as parliamentarians It is our duty to uphold them with conviction and
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honor Finally dear colleagues I offer you the
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argument of the century or the 21st century Is it not time for a woman to be elected speaker of the Canadian House of
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Commons thank you Mr
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Speaker I will now call upen Mr Robert
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Orifant to the honorable member from Down Valley
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West Miss thank you Dean for
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having presided over us with your classic sense of humor I think that you
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have a great career ahead of you I would like to commend first of all everyone for their
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reelection or their election I was first elected and walked into the chamber then
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in center block It was in 2008 I'm a minister of the United Church of Canada
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So neo gothic buildings and stained glass and ceremony were hardly new But I
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was still overwhelmed to be in the Parliament of Canada with honorable colleagues from all parties doing our
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best to live up to the lofty expectations of those who sent us here I
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still feel that sense of awe But after 17 years it has dimmed and become more
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difficult and sometimes even painful to be in here Dignity has diminished and
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decorum has declined respect for one another and for this institution are
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wolffully lacking Canadians have noticed This was confirmed to me at the many doors I knocked on recently and I
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suspect that everyone in this room has had that experience the same way Canadians are
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watching Sashan That being said knowing that the task before us is
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colossal with great humility and some concern I've decided to be a
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candidate to become your speaker Was the Honorable Peter Milikin I did not know
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he would be in the the gallery today who for me embodied what it
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who for me embodied what it means to be a parliamentarian I was in opposition
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and in a moment of uh passion I once went a little too far with a comment
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Speaker Milikin rose He dropped his head He raised his
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eyebrow and he asked me to withdraw the comment I'm a politician I love debate I
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love spice in this house But I felt at that moment I had disappointed the
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speaker I had disappointed him and I withdrew the remark I did not want to
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let down my colleagues or this house or the people who had sent me here to represent them The raising of an eyebrow
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I say this because the speaker's authority the ability to provide leadership to maintain order to protect
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members rights and privileges to have credibility inside and outside this
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house comes from members having trust and respect in not only the office of
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the speaker but in the speaker herself or himself
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We need to go beyond an appearance of impartiality We have to be impartial We have to listen both to both
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sides of the house We have to have taken part in a number of
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roles irrespective of our party or our position Finally this authority is not
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simply given to us because we understand parliamentary privilege but because we protect we
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protect it every single day of course rooted in competence credentials and character But it's more than that It
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comes from being calm in the midst of chaos dispassionate in the heat of debate It comes from humility
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accountability empathy It comes from having a sense of humor that cuts through pretense and posturing and calms
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the moment
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It's not given us just because we respect both official languages but because we live in both languages every
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day My partner over the last few years or my partner is a proud Quebecer
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who grew up in Ramuski Not only is he my French professor but he also helps me to
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better understand the franophhone reality in
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Canada which is an asset to us all And I hope to preside over parliament dignity and I will say zero tolerance for
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behavior that diminishes any one of us with consistently applied consequences
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for unparliamentary behavior no matter where it comes from As a former accountant I hope to excel as a chief
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administrator of this place And as former parliamentary secretary in foreign affairs I hope to represent
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parliament faithfully and carefully around the world and in Canada I believe I can do all three of these key roles In
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my other my role as an other kind of minister I led congregations across Canada leading people in good times and
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bad breaking down people's barriers that divided people and attempting to lead
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them in common purpose People have often asked "What's the difference between being an MP and clergy i pray more."
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Now but I don't want to pray I want to do something about it I would like to be
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your speaker I'd like to be the custodian of the chair that belongs to you
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Thank you very much for your support
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Given that you uh referred to my career when I was elected in
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1984 there were no cell phones There was no internet and there was no facts It
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was paradise It was great I uh will now call upon Mrs Sher
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Romano the honorable member for Long Shaun to address the house for not more
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than five minutes
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Mr Speaker it's with humility and a lot of respect that I stand today as
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candidate to the speakerhip of the House of Commons To members who are back
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welcome back It's great to see so many familiar faces To new MPs welcome
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Every single one of us have won the trust and gained the trust of
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our constituents so that we can respect their views Irrespective of our region
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our party or point of view we are united in our duty of serving democracy with
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integrity We must also defend its institutions It's no easy feat to be speaker of this
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house where these diverse voices assemble sometimes as a cacophony but always with
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passion The speaker has a solemn responsibility that is to preserve the dignity of
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parliament to guarantee the equity of debate and what might be the most
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difficult make sure that 343 very intelligent people with very
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different opinions respect more or less the calendar of parliament The speaker is not partisan
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It is fundamentally based on principles with equity and a staunch defense of
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everyone's privilege If I get the trust
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of this uh house I will treat everyone with respect and impartiality knowing
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that democracy does not develop when we all agree but when we
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all hear and listen to one another parliamentary experience as parliamentary secretary deputy leader of
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the government chair of the standing committee on industry science and technology and probably the only member
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who actually asked to sit on the procedure and house affairs committee As a fellow elected
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representative I understand the demands of public service and the pressures we all face but I also believe that
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impassion debate and decorum are not mutually exclusive The speaker fulfills several key comp uh
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responsibilities Presiding over debates and ensuring the enforcement of rules and the preservation of order and decorum acting as chief administrative
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officer of the house and representing the house in its external relations Of these the one I've heard the most about
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in my conversations over the past weeks is the preservation of decorum On this let me be very clear I
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will be fair firm and consistent The standing orders in the House of Commons
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procedure and practice offer a solid framework to guide our work And with nearly a third of members joining the
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House for the first time it is especially important that the speaker provide guidance clarity and
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support Expectations must be clearly communicated and when rules are not followed corrective action must be taken
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In this regard I've demonstrated my ability to lead impartially and keep order as the chair of the Indu committee
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My two sons will attest to my near obsession with rules and order In fact
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they both voluntarily enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces at age 16 believing that even the military was
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bound to have fewer rules than at home But above and beyond rules the tone
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and culture of this place matter In these times of of uncertainty when trust
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in institutions is being tested we must renew our commitment to civility transparency and respectful dialogue
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Canadians are watching us especially young Canadians Our children and grandchildren are paying attention to
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how we speak to one another how we handle disagreement and how we uphold the principles of democracy Let us give
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them something to be proud of JuMA on
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I believe in a modern accessible parliament as well One that adopts new technologies reflects Canadians
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realities and includes both tradition and innovation Parliament needs to change to adapt to the present moment
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while also maintaining its foundations that have been serving us for generations I do not see the role of
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speaker as a one-way street It must be one that encourages a constant flow of ideas viewpoints and suggestions on how
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we can make this institution stronger and how we can make it work better for all members and ultimately for the
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people we are all here to serve This is after all their house My vision is
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parliament I have a vision of a parliament that reflects the best values that we have as Canadians the best of
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what we are as Canadians and what we defend as parliamentarians
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If I have the honor of being elected as speaker I will fully commit to this
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mission with equity consistency and fairness Thank you very
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much I will now call up Mr Francis Scaparia the honorable member of Rexwood
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Thank you very much Mr Speaker I would also like to mention that today we are gathered on the unseated territory of
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the Alangquin and Ishinabi people A little over 20 years ago I was
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seated in this house for the first time in the farthest back row 20 years
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ago It was a proud moment which is why I would like to offer a special congratulations to all newly elected
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members who are taking their seats for the first time today Whether we are in the first rows
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or the last row like the old Montreal Forum there are no bad seats in this
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arena
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We are all equal here We have all done the same thing Have all traveled the same road and faced challenges and come
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up against obstacles on the way to earning the honor and privilege of being the voices of our constituents in this
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parliament Canada's greatest asset is its democracy And democracy lives and breathes here in
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this chamber Democracy doesn't just stop on the day
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of the vote Democracy is constantly evolving and it lives in this chamber And
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ultimately it is the quality of our democracy that represents the strength of our country the strength of our nations
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communities provinces and regions that together form our Canadian society It is rightly said that there can be no true
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freedom without order Likewise we can't be we can't be a
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we can't have a truly meaningful exchange of ideas without an orderly rules-based House of
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Commons Now there's nothing wrong with a clean even board rattling pmical body
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check in the corners I've been at the receiving end of a
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few Robust debate is fundamental to a robust democracy and a robust democracy
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is what makes for a resilient nation The problem is when sticks go
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high Canadians want to see sticks Canadians want to see though the
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elbows are for others not for us Canadians
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Canadians Canadians want to see sticks on the ice and it's the responsibility
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of the speaker to make this so Colleagues I'm an optimist I believe
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it possible to skillfully and convincingly dissect and refute an argument without recourse to personal
38:37
invective or intimidation I have seen all colleagues from all parties achieve this
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standard Over 20 years of parliamentary experience has prepared me for the challenge of finding the right balance
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between respect and order on the one hand and vigorous debate that clarifies
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the issues on the other Jifel colleague a colleagues I've
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had a great deal of experience in different roles over the last 20 years I've been on both sides of the house 10
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years in opposition including at a time when the future of my party seemed uncertain and 10 years in total on the
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governance side I know both sides of the coin and I'm very aware of the needs of
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colleagues on both sides of the house We need to remember that the speaker is also an
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administrator leading operations and services on the hill After my 20 years of experience I
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have a deep knowledge of all aspects of the administrative apparatus of the Hill and of its regulations Colleagues we
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have a duty a duty to Canadians and to ourselves a duty to cultivate our
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parliamentary democracy in an increasingly turbulent world where many argue that democracy is just too
39:56
inefficient and timeconsuming Canada has always been about values It
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was the will to affirm a distinct set of values on the upper half of the North American continent that led to the
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creation against all odds of this confederation of founding peoples and nations and diverse and proud
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regions Our neighbor to the south may be modern-day Rome in size and power We are
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Athens in culture values and democracy That is how we must see ourselves That
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is who we must be Thank you
40:41
both Before I suspend the sitting for 30
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minutes per deal I would just like to say to the entire
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team of volunteers that enabled me to be elected for the 13th time I'd like to
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thank them for this prestigious chair And I'd like to also thank
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my entire family and this speaker's
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throne that I love very much Well I'll have to lend it to the king tomorrow
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What a thing to think about But he will of course be welcome It will be on the Senate throne In
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fact now I will just say that the bells
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will ring for only five minutes Now the sitting is
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suspended to the call of the chair
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