The new Speaker, Starbucks and ice cream

By Mitchel Raphael - Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 10:33 AM - 5 Comments

While Andrew Scheer (below) became the new Speaker, other Conservatives tried their best to win over votes.

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Merv Tweed had cups of Starbucks coffee with his face on them. Rod Bruinooge (below) helps hand out the java jolt.

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Who will be the next Speaker of the House?

By Aaron Wherry - Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 11:02 AM - 44 Comments

Greetings from the press gallery of the House of Commons, where we will shortly commence with live coverage of the 41st Parliament’s Speaker election. MPs are presently filing into the chamber, acquainting and reacquainting themselves with each other. The proceedings will commence around 11 o’clock.

There are presently eight candidates seeking the post: Dean Allison, Barry Devolin, Ed Holder, Lee Richardson, Denise Savoie, Andrew Scheer, Bruce Stanton and Merv Tweed. Officially, Justin Trudeau will appear on the first ballot, but that is owing to his having not notified the clerk in time that he did not wish to be in the running (MPs must officially opt out of the Speaker’s election).

Very shortly the Usher of the Black Rod will arrive to inform the House that its collective presence is required at the Senate. The Speaker of the Senate will then inform the House that it should choose a Speaker if it wishes to proceed with business. The House will reconvene and Louis Plamondon, as the longest serving MP in the House, will take the chair. The candidates for Speaker will then be called to stand and briefly state their respective cases. Continue…

For your consideration: Barry Devolin

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, May 30, 2011 at 5:32 PM - 4 Comments

Next in our series on the prospective speakers, Barry Devolin, the MP for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock. His answers are after the jump.

Previously we heard from Lee Richardson, Bruce Stanton and Denise Savoie. Continue…

'I’m asking my fellow MPs to imagine a Parliament that functions well'

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, May 20, 2011 at 1:58 PM - 5 Comments

The NDP’s Denise Savoie has officially entered the race to be the next Speaker of the House. From the news release:

“I’m running for Speaker with a singular focus on raising the tone and quality of debate in Parliament, to restore the trust that Canadians deserve to have in their politicians and democratic institutions,” said Savoie.

 As Assistant Deputy Speaker in the last Parliament Savoie launched a number of explicitly non-partisan initiatives aimed at fostering constructive and informed discussion on important topics, including workshops on climate change and the first all-party Parliamentary Arts Caucus. “I’m asking my fellow MPs to imagine a Parliament that functions well – where debate is not focused on scoring points, but rather on creating better, more inclusive public policy,” said Savoie.

As a fluently bilingual Franco-Manitoban who has lived in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and now in British Columbia, Savoie brings a pan-Canadian perspective to the Speaker’s Chair.

Of the seven MPs who are now in the race—Savoie, Andrew Scheer, Lee Richardson, Ed Holder, Barry Devolin, Merv Tweed and Dean Allison—five voted in favour of Michael Chong’s motion on Question Period reform. Mr. Scheer was in the Speaker’s chair at the time of the vote and Mr. Holder’s vote was paired.

Place your bets

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 11:37 AM - 29 Comments

The Canadian Press widens the current field to replace Peter Milliken as Speaker to six MPs, all of them Conservatives.

Ever-cheerful Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer, who has worked alongside Peter Milliken as deputy speaker and assistant deputy speaker, is again trying his luck. He’s also the only functionally bilingual candidate among the Conservative MPs in the running. The NDP has said it believes the Speaker should be bilingual. ”I think back in 2004 I was quite the heckler, quite the partisan guy, and spending so many years in the chair has really taught me the importance of impartiality for the chair occupants but also a better personal understanding of what motivates other members of other parties,” said Scheer, who turns 31 on the weekend. ”(It’s) the idea that while you certainly might believe that your ideas and your policies are the best for Canada, not to take anything away from the opposition MPs who truly do want the same thing that you want — for Canada to be the best country in the world.”

The next Speaker of the House

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, May 13, 2011 at 8:55 AM - 2 Comments

Conservative MPs Andrew Scheer (who served as deputy speaker during the last Parliament) and Barry Devolin (who served as an assistant speaker) will apparently seek to replace Peter Milliken as Speaker of the House of Commons. NDP MP Joe Comartin, who sought the Speaker’s chair in 2008, apparently won’t do so this time around.

Mr. Comartin had publicly recommended Michael Chong for the post, but Mr. Chong’s not interested. Via email, he explains as follows. Continue…

Three hundred and eight elections

By Aaron Wherry - Wednesday, April 6, 2011 at 9:23 PM - 48 Comments

The Liberal candidate in Manicougan has been dismissed over offensive remarks about Aboriginals. London West incumbent Ed Holder doesn’t want to debate health care. Calgary East incumbent Deepak Obhrai doesn’t want to debate his opponents at all. There is journalism drama in Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock and sign drama in South Shore-St. Margaret’s. The candidates explain what matters most in Oakville and the candidates in Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon meet the Rotarians.

Conservative candidate Mark Strahl was asked about his “tainted” nomination and his apparent lack of “real world” business experience. Liberal candidate Diane Janzen was asked how she could be “truly a Liberal” with her Christian faith and her small-c conservatism. New Democratic candidate Gwen O’Mahony was asked about her party’s opposition to the purchase of fighter jets when Canadians are sending their sons and daughters “into harm’s way” overseas.

Signs of life for Michael Ignatieff

By Paul Wells - Friday, February 26, 2010 at 9:00 AM - 116 Comments

So where were we? Ah yes. “It being 8:03 p.m.,” acting speaker Barry Devolin told the Commons on Dec. 10, “pursuant to an order made earlier today, the House stands adjourned until Monday, Jan. 25, 2010, at 11 a.m., pursuant to Standing Orders 28(2) and 24(1).

Devolin believed that to be true when he spoke. But 20 days later the Governor General prorogued the second session of the 40th Parliament, so your MPs are going to try it all over again when they return for the third session on March 3.

A lot has happened since then. It’s been a while since I threw a bunch of polling numbers at you, so maybe you’ll indulge me today. Before Christmas I interviewed one of Michael Ignatieff’s new helpers who had moved into the Office of the Leader of the Opposition along with the Liberal boss’s new chief of staff, Peter Donolo. This person said the Liberals’ immediate goal was to move to within a point or two of the Conservatives by spring. I nodded politely. Good luck with that.

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Always look on the bright side of life

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 4:04 PM - 39 Comments

Conservative MP Barry Devolin finds the teachable moment.

Devolin added that Canadians should use this current controversy over prorogue as a way of learning more about their Canadian parliamentary system. ”It’s kind of interesting that it’s like a civics lesson for the whole country, because we’re learning about how Parliament works which I think is a good thing in the long run,” he said.

Apropos of nothing

By Aaron Wherry - Friday, May 15, 2009 at 2:57 PM - 62 Comments

Excluding those born outside Canada, the following Conservative MPs have lived, studied or worked outside the country.

Jim Flaherty, Lisa Raitt, Brian Jean, Russ Hiebert, Jason Kenney, Maurice Vellacott, Mike Allen, Ray Boughen, Barry Devolin, Garry Breitkreuz, Ed Holder, Randy Kamp, Pierre Lemieux, Ben Lobb, Phil McColeman, Cathy McLeod, Scott Reid, Greg Rickford, Andrew Saxton and John Weston.

Lede of the year

By Aaron Wherry - Monday, March 23, 2009 at 10:44 PM - 15 Comments

David Akin produces an early contender.

In Richmond, B.C., senior citizens are getting $18,500 from the federal government to hold a few “intergenerational” movie nights.

Granted, the most interesting finding may come at paragraph 12.

Is that a confidence motion I see before me?

By kadyomalley - Monday, December 1, 2008 at 11:40 AM - 57 Comments

Well, on CPAC, that is.

The Bloc Quebecois just proposed an amendment to Government Business #1 – which proposed that the House “take note” of the the possibly-soon-to-go-down-in-Canadian-political-history-as-the-worst-idea-EVER economic and fiscal update. The Bloc, however, appears to feel that the motion would be more reflective of, you know, reality if the motion were rewritten to condemn the EFU instead, which sounds an awful lot like a matter of confidence to ITQ. Poor Barry Devolin – who is currently in the Chair for what must be just his second or third day as a deputy speaker – looked utterly gobsmacked, although to his credit, he didn’t leap out of the Chair, toss off his robes and run screaming from the House, so maybe he does have a future in this gig. He took the motion under advisement, so I guess we’ll have to wait until Peter Milliken shows up to find out if this motion can go forward. If it does, the House may decide the fate of the Conservative minority government much sooner than expected.

The day in words that will soon be forgotten

By Aaron Wherry - Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 7:43 PM - 3 Comments

Some months ago, the Prime Minister spoke to the nation in sorrowful tones. Parliament, he mourned, was a disgrace. A blight upon our nation that desperately needed change. The sort of change that is only achievable through democracy.

So charged, voters promptly elected a Parliament of roughly the same standing, with each of the four party leaders (at least until May) in place. And having heard that message of change, that Parliament promptly chose the same Speaker who had presided over its previous incarnation.

Anyway. For the record, the first heckling of the 40th Parliament was heard before said Speaker had even been chosen—various Conservative members growling at Liberal Mauril Belanger, who dared during his speech to suggest that the next Speaker might limit the ability of MPs to mail out partisan flyers at public expense.

Herein, a collection of the day’s more solemn tributes to democratic responsibility. Continue…

The Race for Kingsmere: It all comes down to this …

By kadyomalley - Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 9:00 AM - 175 Comments

The Election of the Speaker – and of course ITQ will be liveblogging it. Wild horses with bees in their mouths couldn’t keep us away.

9:37:17 AM

Oh my goodness, y’all, Parliament is back! Okay, not *officially* — not until either later this morning, or tomorrow afternoon at 2pm, depending on when you start counting — and believe me, that question has been the source of no small amount of debate in the Hot Room. But when I rolled into Centre Block a few minutes ago, I was greeted by the peal of the bells, which brought on such a wave of nostalgia that I had to restrain myself from doing a little jig on the spot, which would have almost certainly gotten me flagged by security.

9:51:15 AM

I’m in the Chamber, by the way — which, at the moment, is offiically just a big room with drab drapery, since the Mace isn’t on the Table, and I don’t think the day has officially begun. That hasn’t stopped MPs from pouring in from the foyer – those that haven’t been trapped by reporters demanding to know who they plan to support, at least. From where I’m sitting, I can see Joe Comartin working the crowd – he’s shaking hands with someone I don’t recognize on the government side of the House – but he’s the only candidate in sight at the moment. Amongst the rest of the throng currently milling behind the curtains and in the centre aisle, there is much shaking of hands, patting of backs and what sound like entirely expressions of delight at seeing each other for the first time in months – at least, for some of them.

Oh, there’s Mauril Belanger, who just gave a Gallic but somehow humble shrug to an unseen person somewhere just outside of my viewing range. (I’m in the press gallery behind the Speaker’s Chair, to his right – so, closer to the government than the opposition.)

The room is really filling up now — and so are the galleries, but I should point out that there is a very important ritual that has to take place before the vote begins: the MPs have to flock down the hall, en masse, to the Senate to officially receive their marching orders from the Governor General, who will ask them to elect a Speaker before she can deliver the Speech from the Throne, whereupon they all walk back. It’s alternately known as the Running of the Bulls or the Herding of the Cats, depending on how exuberant and/or recalcitrant the Commonsers are on any given day.

10:01:37 AM

Oh, Gordon O’Connor. What an enigma your decision to run in the last election continues to be. Bob Rae is already in full Avuncular Uncle (But Don’t Push Him Because He’ll Destroy You In Debate) Mode. Scott Brison is being kissed – European-style, both cheeks – by a BQ MP, and Michael Ignatieff is looking shorter than I remember, which always happens when you’re away from them for a while, like preteen second cousins – except they get smaller, not bigger.

10:05:00 AM

Okay, the room is settling down, and the Clerk reads the Proclamation from the Governor General – actually, the GG’s secretary, but never mind that, and sits back down, at which point the Sgt-at-Arms – who seems to be worried that he’s forgotten how to do his ceremonial duty – opens the door for the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod – who really does look like a character out of Tenniel, I should note; a good pick for that very reason – who proceeds to invite the MPs “to attend the Governor General in the Chamber of the Senate” – like, nowish. Some burbling from the crowd, and the Table Officers get to put on their special goin’-to-Senate hats, and they’re off.

Man, I’ve missed this.

10:11:18 AM

And now, I shall tattle on the MPs who are just too *cool* to walk down the hall:

Continue…

The Race for Kingsmere: Barry Devolin is a man with a plan – a 3 point plan, to be precise.

By kadyomalley - Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 12:49 PM - 15 Comments

Behold the ‘whatever’ that he considers ‘necessary’ to transform the House from a partisan echo chamber to a forum for civilized and productive debate.

(By the way, if any of you other candidates have platforms to promote, feel free to send them along to ITQ – or, if you don’t have a formal proposal, but are feeling adventurous, come join the debate in the comment threads!)

From the desk of Speaker hopeful Barry Devolin, courtesy of the press gallery newswire:

“DEVOLIN HAS 3 POINT PLAN TO IMPROVE DECORUM IN THE HOUSE”

November 12, 2008

OTTAWA – Barry Devolin, Member of Parliament for Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock and candidate for Speaker of the House of Commons, today announced details of his 3 Point Plan to improve decorum in the House.
“Ever since I was first elected, I have heard Members of Parliament talk about raising the level of debate in the House,” said Devolin. “I believe there is an appetite for change among Members of Parliament from all parties. This is not a partisan issue.”
“The tone of debate in the House is set by the Speaker, the same as the tone of play in a hockey game is set by the referee,” explained Devolin. “If you want a new tone, you need to find a new referee.”

Devolin’s plan is based on 3 points.

1. Assemble a team for the Speaker’s chair committed to improving decorum.
“My first act as Speaker will be to ask House Leaders to appoint three Members of Parliament committed to working with me to improve decorum to serve as Deputy Speaker, and as Deputy and Assistant Deputy Chairpersons of Committees of the Whole. To be successful, we need consistency in the chair.”

2. Start on the periphery of House activities; then move towards the centre – Question
Period.
“I believe the best time to introduce a new tone in the House is during the least stressful activities, such as private members’ business or routine debate. Subsequently, this more respectful tone could be expanded to include more stressful activities, such as Question Period. Starting with Question Period won’t work.”

3. Establish a Special Committee to develop a “Members’ Code of Mutual Respect”.
“I will ask the House Leaders to appoint a caucus member each to a Special Committee, to be chaired by the Deputy Speaker, which will draft a statement of reasonable expectations for Members’ conduct in the House. This special committee will consult with Members while drafting a high level, one page document to be tabled when the House returns in January.”
“Every M.P. deserves respect from their colleagues, the same as they would get in any other workplace in Canada,” said Devolin. “I look forward to the day when I can be proud to welcome a group of school children to attend Question Period.”

"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "Which is to be master — that's all." (An ITQ Poll!)

By kadyomalley - Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 9:38 AM - 14 Comments

With Andrew Scheer officially throwing his bicorn associate deputy speaker’s hat into the ring, we now have at least five MPs vying for the chance to sit in the Big Chair, which may actually be a Canadian parliamentary record for a race in which the incumbent Speaker is running for reelection, although I’m sure someone will correct me in the comment if that’s wrong. (I mean actively vying, not just those who will leave their names on the list out of forgetfulness, or just for kicks.)

So, leaving aside the needlessly complicated conspiracy theory that it’s all a cunning Conservative plot to retake the riding of Kingston and the Islands, who would ITQ readers most like to see don the robes and attempt to bring about order in the House? Merv Tweed, who has “continuously been faced with the honourable task of being fair, neutral, and open to debate” during his tenure as committee chair? His fellow former committee chair Barry Devolin, who pledges to do “whatever is necessary to make House proceedings civil and constructive”? The NDP’s Joe Comartin – so far, the only opposition MP to challenge Milliken for the job – who has “consistently strived to be well-informed, fair, and just”? If you got a ballot next Tuesday, who would you pick?

Oh, it's on: Two more MPs join the Race for Kingsmere

By kadyomalley - Friday, November 7, 2008 at 5:13 PM - 15 Comments

Does this suggest a split within the Conservative caucus? Have he and Merv Tweed established a Rae-Ignatieff-style pact of nonaggression? Most importantly, whither Andrew Scheer? 

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