Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons election, 2011
Encyclopedia
An election for Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons was held on June 2, 2011, at the beginning of the first session of the 41st Canadian House of Commons, following the 2011 federal election. Andrew Scheer
won the election after six ballots, becoming the youngest Speaker (and first representing Saskatchewan
) in Canada's history. He replaced Peter Milliken
, who held office for a decade but stood down at the May 2, 2011 general election.
ministers and party leaders are eligible to run for the Speakership and are automatically placed on the ballot unless they withdraw their name. Any MP not wishing to put his or her name forward must issue a letter withdrawing from the ballot by the day before the vote. All MPs who do not remove their name from the ballot as of 6 pm the day before the election are listed as candidates on the ballot, in this case nine MPs. MPs who subsequently decide not to run or whose letters of withdrawal were, for whatever reason, not received have an additional opportunity to remove their names from consideration on the floor of the Commons. Candidates are then allowed a five minute speech to persuade their colleagues as to why they should be elected.
The election is presided over by the Dean of the House
(the longest continuously serving MP who is not in Cabinet), in this case Louis Plamondon
.
If after the initial ballot no candidate has a majority of votes, all candidates who received less than five percent of the vote are left off of the ballot. If no candidate received less than five percent of the vote, then the MP with the fewest votes is left off. Candidates are listed alphabetically and no indication is given of how many votes they received. This continues, with a one hour break between ballots, until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote and is declared elected.
The winner is escorted to the Speaker's chair by the Prime Minister
and Leader of the Official Opposition. The newly elected Speaker, by tradition, feigns reluctance as he or she is "dragged" to the chair in a practice dating from the days when British Speakers risked execution if the news they reported to the King was displeasing.
, did not intend to stand for election. The eight genuine candidates were as follows:
Andrew Scheer
Andrew Scheer is a Canadian Member of Parliament and the Speaker of the House of Commons. At the age of 32, he is the youngest person to serve in this capacity in Canadian parliamentarian history.-Early life and career:...
won the election after six ballots, becoming the youngest Speaker (and first representing Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
) in Canada's history. He replaced Peter Milliken
Peter Milliken
Peter Andrew Stewart Milliken, UE is a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until his retirement in 2011 and served as Speaker of the House for 10 years beginning in 2001. Milliken represented the Ontario riding of Kingston and the Islands as a...
, who held office for a decade but stood down at the May 2, 2011 general election.
Process
Speakers are elected by secret ballot of all MPs. All MPs except for CabinetCabinet of Canada
The Cabinet of Canada is a body of ministers of the Crown that, along with the Canadian monarch, and within the tenets of the Westminster system, forms the government of Canada...
ministers and party leaders are eligible to run for the Speakership and are automatically placed on the ballot unless they withdraw their name. Any MP not wishing to put his or her name forward must issue a letter withdrawing from the ballot by the day before the vote. All MPs who do not remove their name from the ballot as of 6 pm the day before the election are listed as candidates on the ballot, in this case nine MPs. MPs who subsequently decide not to run or whose letters of withdrawal were, for whatever reason, not received have an additional opportunity to remove their names from consideration on the floor of the Commons. Candidates are then allowed a five minute speech to persuade their colleagues as to why they should be elected.
The election is presided over by the Dean of the House
Dean of the House (Canada)
In Canada, the Dean of the House is the Member of the House of Commons with the longest unbroken record of service who is not a Cabinet Minister, party Leader, House Leader or Whip. The Dean is responsible for presiding over the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons at the beginning of...
(the longest continuously serving MP who is not in Cabinet), in this case Louis Plamondon
Louis Plamondon
Louis Plamondon is a politician in the Canadian province of Quebec and the current interim parliamentary leader of the Bloc Québécois ....
.
If after the initial ballot no candidate has a majority of votes, all candidates who received less than five percent of the vote are left off of the ballot. If no candidate received less than five percent of the vote, then the MP with the fewest votes is left off. Candidates are listed alphabetically and no indication is given of how many votes they received. This continues, with a one hour break between ballots, until one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote and is declared elected.
The winner is escorted to the Speaker's chair by the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
and Leader of the Official Opposition. The newly elected Speaker, by tradition, feigns reluctance as he or she is "dragged" to the chair in a practice dating from the days when British Speakers risked execution if the news they reported to the King was displeasing.
Candidates
Nine MPs were included on the list of candidates who had not withdrawn as of 6 pm the day before the election, but one, Justin TrudeauJustin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau, MP is a Canadian politician. He has represented the Montreal electoral division of Papineau in the Canadian House of Commons since 2008 as a member of the Liberal Party and currently serves as the party's critic for youth, post-secondary education, and amateur...
, did not intend to stand for election. The eight genuine candidates were as follows:
| Candidate | Riding | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dean Allison Dean Allison Dean Allison is a Canadian politician. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2004 federal election for the new riding of Niagara West—Glanbrook... |
Niagara West—Glanbrook Niagara West—Glanbrook Niagara West—Glanbrook is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.The riding was created in 2003 from parts of Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Aldershot,... , ON |
Conservative | Chair of the Foreign Affairs and International Development Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development The Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development is a committee in the Canadian House of Commons. It focuses on foreign affairs and international development... and Liaison Committees |
| Barry Devolin Barry Devolin Barry Devolin, MP is a Canadian politician. He is a current Member of Parliament serving the riding of Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock.... |
Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2001 was 111,343... , ON |
Conservative | 2008 Speakership candidate Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole |
| Ed Holder Ed Holder Edwin A. Holder is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of London West in the 2008 Canadian federal election. He is a member of the Conservative Party.-Electoral record:... |
London West London West London West is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 118,335.-Geography:The district includes the northwest part of the City of London.... , ON |
Conservative | |
| Lee Richardson | Calgary Centre Calgary Centre Calgary Centre is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. It is an 42 km² riding in the city of Calgary with 124,197 people. The riding consists of many young adults who have a relatively high average household income... , AB |
Conservative | Chair of the House Standing Committee on International Trade Canadian House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade The Standing Committee on International Trade is a committee in the Canadian House of Commons. It focuses on international trade. The committee is a new one for the 39th Parliament, having split off from the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade.-Studies:*Canada-Central... |
| Denise Savoie Denise Savoie Denise Savoie is a Canadian politician, currently serving as the federal Member of Parliament for Victoria. She was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2006 federal election as a candidate of the New Democratic Party.... |
Victoria Victoria (electoral district) Victoria is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1872 to 1904 and since 1925.... , BC |
New Democrat | Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole |
| Andrew Scheer Andrew Scheer Andrew Scheer is a Canadian Member of Parliament and the Speaker of the House of Commons. At the age of 32, he is the youngest person to serve in this capacity in Canadian parliamentarian history.-Early life and career:... |
Regina—Qu'Appelle Regina—Qu'Appelle Regina—Qu'Appelle is a federal electoral district in Saskatchewan, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1904 to 1968 and since 1988.-Geography:... , SK |
Conservative | Chair of Committees of the Whole 2008 Speakership candidate |
| Bruce Stanton Bruce Stanton Ronald Bruce Stanton is a Canadian politician and the current Member of Parliament for the riding of Simcoe North. He ran as a member of the Conservative Party in the 2006 federal election and won with 40.44% of the vote. Prior to being elected, he ran a family tourism business on Sparrow Lake... |
Simcoe North Simcoe North Simcoe North is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. It was established as a federal riding in 1867. Its population was 119,400 in 2006.-Demographics:Ethnic groups: 92.3% White, 5.9% Native Canadian... , ON |
Conservative | |
| Merv Tweed Merv Tweed Mervin C. Tweed, MP is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He currently sits as the Member of Parliament for Brandon—Souris. Prior to that he was a member of the Manitoba Legislature from 1995 to 2004, representing the constituency of Turtle Mountain.Tweed was born in Medora, Manitoba, and was... |
Brandon—Souris Brandon—Souris Brandon—Souris is a federal electoral district in Manitoba, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1953.-Demographics:-Geography:The district is in the southwestern corner of the Province of Manitoba... , MB |
Conservative | 2008 Speakership candidate. |
Results
Vote tallies after each round are not disclosed. Instead, the presiding officer announces the winner if one candidate obtains a majority or lists the members eligible for the next ballot (i.e., those not eliminated in the preceding ballot).| Key | Eliminated |
|---|
| Elected |
| Ballot | Candidates | Ballot | Candidates | Ballot | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Dean Allison Barry Devolin Ed Holder Lee Richardson Denise Savoie Andrew Scheer Bruce Stanton Merv Tweed |
2nd | Barry Devolin Ed Holder Lee Richardson Denise Savoie Andrew Scheer Merv Tweed |
3rd | Barry Devolin Lee Richardson Denise Savoie Andrew Scheer Merv Tweed |
| 4th | Lee Richardson Denise Savoie Andrew Scheer Merv Tweed |
5th | Lee Richardson Denise Savoie Andrew Scheer |
6th | Denise Savoie Andrew Scheer |