Hello,
The federal election may be over, but some MPs are involved in a new campaign. At least five are making the case to other MPs to be elected to the high-profile role of Speaker of the House of Commons when the House sits again on Nov. 22.
The job’s responsibilities include managing proceedings in the Commons, taking a role in administration, and ceremonial and diplomatic duties. Perks include access to an official residence in the Gatineau Hills, an apartment with a pull-out bed on Parliament Hill, and an additional $88,700 atop an MP’s base $185,800 salary. There’s more detail here from the House of Commons website on the responsibilities of the Speaker.
But the incumbent wants another shot at the job.
Anthony Rota (Nipissing-Timiskaming, Liberal), who has been Speaker since 2019, is seeking re-election, and says he has been campaigning virtually, reaching out to the other 337 MPs in the chamber.
In an interview today with The Globe and Mail, he said he has had the experience of managing the Commons through the challenges of the pandemic, and is ready to lead in the next phase. “Coming out of COVID-19 restrictions will require someone with experience,” he said.
The former assistant deputy speaker said he does not think controversy over a move by the Board of Internal Economy, which governs Parliament, to order mandatory full vaccinations for MPs and others to enter the Parliamentary precinct will work against him. The decision has been criticized by the Conservatives.
In his defence, Mr. Rota said he only chairs the board and decisions, including that one, are made by MPs who sit on the board. Asked if the board might have gone too far, Mr. Rota said, “You’ll have to ask the whips who represent the parties on the board.”
On his prospects, Mr. Rota laughed and said, “I wouldn’t be putting my name down if I didn’t think I couldn’t be re-elected.”
The other candidates are:
Marc Dalton (Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge, Conservative) - In a letter to members, Mr. Dalton cites his experience in the B.C. Legislature as a deputy chair of the committee of the whole – basically an assistant speaker. He notes he is Métis, and grew up in a bilingual family. He says he hopes the days of hybrid sittings and Zoom committee meetings are over. “But whatever lays ahead, I am confident that, if elected, my role as Speaker of the House will help us positively navigate these trying times.”
Joël Godin (Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier, Conservative) - A representative of Mr. Godin’s office said he is making his case for support directly to MPs in person or by telephone, so there is no letter to provide. He ran for the position previously in 2019.
Carol Hughes (Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, NDP) - Ms. Hughes’ office did not respond to a request for comment. Ms. Hughes ran previously in 2019.
Alexandra Mendès (Brossard-Saint-Lambert, Liberal) - In a statement to MPs, Ms. Mendès notes that, if elected, she would be only the second woman to serve as speaker, and cites her previous experience as assistant deputy speaker of the House and her active membership with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. “As your Speaker, I will be non-partisan and ensure that you have the opportunity to present your views and those of your constituents in a respectful and constructive manner,” she said.
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TODAY’S HEADLINES
COP26
The Globe and Mail is tracking developments at the COP26 environmental conference here.
CANADIANS AT THE CONFERENCE - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the spotlight at the COP26 conference in Glasgow, but other party representatives are there as well. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is on hand in the Scottish city, as is Conservative MP Dan Albas. Green Party MP Elizabeth May and Green MP-elect Mike Morrice are also attending.
MEANWHILE
MINIMUM WAGE HIKE IN ONTARIO - Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government is increasing the province’s minimum wage to $15 an hour on Jan. 1, after previously cancelling the wage hike when it took office three years ago.
WARNING FROM CHINA - Representatives of the Chinese government warned current and former Canadian officials at a recent meeting that Ottawa should not send any more military vessels through the Taiwan Strait, saying it is a provocative move that threatens peace.
TALKS BEGIN ON INDIGENOUS COMPENSATION - Confidential talks have begun on compensation for Indigenous children unnecessarily taken into the child welfare system, aimed at reaching an out-of-court settlement worth billions before the end of the year.
SURVEY OF VOTERS - Elections Canada was curious to know how many Canadians believed in conspiracy theories in the lead-up to the recent federal vote, so commissioned its first standalone survey into the level of trust Canadians had in the electoral process. The results are here.
STEFANSON CLOSER TO BEING PREMIER - Heather Stefanson, elected leader of the Manitoba’s governing Progressive Conservatives, is to be sworn in as Premier today even as runner-up Shelly Glover moves to challenge the results and has asked the Lieutenant-Governor to delay Ms. Stefanson’s swearing-in ceremony.
FALCON FIRES STAFFER - Former B.C. finance minister Kevin Falcon, now seeking the leadership of the BC Liberals, has fired one of his campaign staffers accused of verbally harassing the campaign manager of rival Michael Lee in an incident in downtown Vancouver last week. From Global News. Story here.
HOW IT WENT WRONG FOR KENNEY - In Maclean’s, writer Jason Markusoff takes a deep dive into the political challenges facing Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. “Barring a miraculous turnaround, his days as premier appear numbered. Even his loyalists say so. And his political demise , later this year or early next, would mark a stunning reversal of fortune.”
PAUL BLINDSIDED - CBC reports that Green Party Leader Annamie Paul told a party meeting recently she was blindsided by the decision to put her leadership to a membership vote without informing her first. Story here.
THIS AND THAT
B.C. PREMIER RECOVERING - B.C. Premier John Horgan is, according to a statement from his office, “recovering well” from surgery and participating virtually in meetings and briefings this week. Last week, Mr. Horgan said the discovery of a growth in his throat required immediate biopsy surgery, which was done on Friday. “In the coming days, the Premier will update British Columbians on further details, including any potential treatment that may be required,” the statement said.
HARPER GALA - Former prime minister Stephen Harper will be participating in a fireside chat and dinner held by B’nai Brith Canada in Montreal on Nov. 18.
CHAMPAGNE HITS THE ROAD - Federal Innovation Minister François-Phillipe Champagne will be travelling to Washington, D.C., and Monterrey, Mexico, today through Saturday to meet with his American and Mexican counterparts, as well as with stakeholders across sectors of the economy.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
At the COP26 conference in Glasgow, the Prime Minister attended a Canadian leadership event on carbon pricing and delivered remarks. According to an advisory from the Prime Minister’s Office, he attended a “Build Back Better World” session, followed by a reception for Commonwealth leaders given by the Prince of Wales and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He then attended a methane pledge event and the leaders’ ocean panel discussion, followed by a media availability. His last event for today was a reception for world leaders and CEOs.
LEADERS
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh attends the COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow, Scotland.
No schedules released for other party leaders.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on the need to wake up as the global warming alarm clock is ringing: “The co-operative spirit of Paris contrasts, so far, with the reality of Glasgow. The challenge of global warming requires international co-operation on a scale that’s never been seen before, but the two largest emitters, China and the United States, are on most days engaged in acrimonious competition. U.S. President Joe Biden, whose own climate agenda is stuck in Congress, arrived in Glasgow with a lecture that China, the world’s No. 1 emitter, and Russia, at No. 4, are not doing enough, and that their foot-dragging led to lacklustre climate action out of last weekend’s G20 summit in Rome. Neither Xi Jinping of China nor Vladimir Putin of Russia bothered to show up in Glasgow.”
André Picard (The Globe and Mail) on whether Quebec’s push to force family doctors to see more patients is the right way to fix primary care: “Quebec Premier François Legault is exasperated with the province’s family doctors. Back in 2018, when his Coalition Avenir Québec was running for office, they promised that every citizen would have a family doctor by the end of their mandate. The “chicken in every pot” promise was a popular one, helping propel the CAQ to victory. Back then, there were 400,000 Quebeckers without a family doc. Today the number is 857,000. (The province has a centralized Guichet d’accès à un médecin de famille, or GAMF, where residents can register and be assigned a doctor, at least theoretically.) So Mr. Legault is on the warpath.”
Sally Armstrong and Julian Sher (Contributed to The Globe and Mail) on how Afghan refugees are being unfairly blocked from coming to Canada: “With much fanfare, Ottawa vowed to bring in 40,000 people from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept back into power in August. More than two months later, only about 2,500 Afghans have made it here. Many of those fall under “special immigration measures” that allowed fast-tracking for Afghans who had a “significant and/or enduring relationship” with the Canadian government or army – such as embassy staff and military interpreters. Afghans who worked for Canadian media organizations were also considered. The problem is that this narrow definition does not take into account those who “interpreted” the war for Canadians back home – the women and men who for the past two decades were the sources in our newspapers and on our TV screens, telling us the sometimes ugly truths of what we liked to call “the good war” in Afghanistan.”
Vaughn Palmer (The Vancouver Sun) on how the former leader of the B.C. Greens is defending the BC NDP climate plan: “Former B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver has emerged as one of the strongest defenders of the NDP government’s climate plan, taking on all comers on social media. “This is what climate leadership looks like,” declared Weaver, a climate scientist, on his Twitter account after Monday’s release of the second phase of the government plan. “It is a generational plan for future prosperity, providing new opportunities for people and businesses. And it is a plan that signals to the world that B.C. is going to lead the way in the transition to a low-carbon future.” Premier John Horgan, who worked with Weaver on the first phase of the plan during three years of NDP-Green power-sharing, retweeted the posting. “I’m grateful for the progress we made together on a continent-leading plan,” wrote the premier.”
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