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Decorum issue dominates Speaker vote TheStar.com - Canada - Decorum issue dominates Speaker vote

TOM HANSON/THE CANADIAN PRESS

Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers, right, holds the ballot box while MP Louis Plamondon inspects it as members of the House of Commons prepare to vote on a new Speaker in Ottawa Nov. 18, 2008.

Liberal Milliken re-elected amid calls for greater civility in House of Commons

November 19, 2008

Joanna Smith
Bruce Campion-Smith
Ottawa Bureau

OTTAWA-They called for change, but in the end they stuck with experience and a side of optimism.

Peter Milliken, the Liberal MP from Kingston and the Islands who has been Speaker of the House of Commons since 2001, was re-elected by fellow MPs to the prestigious and demanding post yesterday.

It took five ballots for Milliken, challenged by seven other MPs, to win back his job. Many of the challengers campaigned on promises of restoring order and civility to the Commons, the scene of rancorous, partisan exchanges in recent years.

The Commons convened yesterday for the first time since the Oct. 14 election. The government's throne speech will be read today.

In the new minority Parliament, the Conservatives hold 143 seats, the Liberals 77, the Bloc Québécois 49 and the New Democratic Party 37. There are two independent MPs - André Arthur (Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier) and Bill Casey (Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley).

In his thank-you to colleagues yesterday, Milliken, 62, referred to the situation in the Commons.

"I hope that we can arrange to make the chamber more orderly, and I know that the new members will urge their noisier colleagues to tone things down so we can have a quieter, more productive chamber. That is our hope," he said to loud cheers and applause.

The eight MPs vying for the post bemoaned the decline in decorum.

"There is no other place that I can think of where people are routinely exposed to the kind of verbal abuse that takes place in this Parliament," Conservative MP Barry Devolin (Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock) told colleagues as he made his pitch to replace Milliken.

In his pitch, Milliken said no amount of scolding would improve the tone of debates if MPs are unwilling to co-operate.

"I agree that decorum has gone down somewhat, but I don't believe that is uncommon in a minority Parliament because there is a lot of competition going on in the House," he said. "The Speaker who is elected must be able to count on honourable members to share in the responsibility for maintaining order."

When Prime Minister Stephen Harper rose to congratulate Milliken he said the desire for change had been noted.

"Your colleagues have said that they want to see more order here in the House and I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that you will make sure that our debates are productive and civilized," Harper said.

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion also called for more civility.

"At a time where Canada has a minority government (and) Canada is facing economic turmoil, we need to have co-operation more than ever," he told Milliken after congratulating him.

"We need to have decorum. We need to have mutual respect. We all count on you to help this House with that, but this is a responsibility too that we all share."

New Democrat Leader Jack Layton expressed optimism.

"We've got to do a better job on behalf of Canadians to represent the kind of dignified and respectful debate that they look for in the House of Commons," Layton said. "I believe that there may be a new sense that we're intent on doing that. I want to encourage you to use the powers that you have at your disposal to make sure that happens."

Besides Milliken and Devolin, also running for the post were: New Democrat Joe Comartin (Windsor-Tecumseh); Conservative MPs Andrew Scheer (Regina-Qu'Appelle), Merv Tweed (Brandon-Souris), Rob Anders (Calgary West); and Royal Galipeau (Ottawa-Orléans) and Liberal Mauril Belanger (Ottawa-Vanier).