OTTAWA — Quebec Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia was elected Speaker of the House of Commons on Monday — after an unusually dramatic race that saw the only Conservative contenders drop out of the running at the last minute.
Conservative MPs Chris d'Entremont and John Nater both put their names forward but withdrew on the House floor before the election began Monday morning.
The Liberals currently have 169 seats in the minority Parliament, leaving them three seats shy of the 172 required for a majority.
Electing a Liberal MP as a Speaker takes another vote away from the governing party, adding to the difficulties it faces in pushing its agenda through Parliament.
Members cast their ballots Monday morning by preferential secret ballot in a vote presided over by Louis Plamondon, currently the longest-serving MP.
In his speech to the House making his pitch for the job, Scarpaleggia compared adjudicating parliamentary proceedings to hockey. There's nothing wrong with a “board-rattling, polemical bodycheck in the corners,” he said, but the “problem is when sticks go high.”
Liberal MP Greg Fergus, the last Speaker, sought to win the role back, although critics accused him in the last Parliament of being overly partisan.
In his speech, he cast himself as an experienced hand but also admitted the last Parliament was difficult.
“Tempers ran high and co-operation was low," he said. "To be frank, it would have been a difficult time for anyone in that role."
Fergus was elected Speaker in late 2023 after Anthony Rota resigned. Fergus presided over an often dysfunctional House and the government was unable to pass legislation for months due to effective obstruction.
Rota left the speakership under a cloud after, during a visit to Parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he recognized a Second World War veteran who turned out to have fought for a Nazi division.
Liberals Sean Casey, Rob Oliphant, Sherry Romanado and Alexandra Mendès also put their names forward to run.
Casey cautioned the current state of decorum in the House of Commons "is not OK" and argued there should have been "more expulsions" from the House in recent years.
Mendès was diagnosed with cancer in January but said her oncologist has assessed her as fit for the role.
The House Speaker plays an important role in keeping Parliament functioning smoothly — especially in minority situations like this one, which can quickly become unruly and upend the government's agenda.
The job also comes with a diplomatic component and some significant perks — including a $309,000 annual salary, a driver, a sizable hospitality budget and an official residence on a rustic country estate in Gatineau Park.
Electing a new Speaker was the House of Commons' only item of business for Monday, the day before King Charles III officially opens Parliament by reading the throne speech — a very rare event.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2025.
Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press
