House of Commons Re-elects Milliken as Speaker

Parliament is back in session and the first order of business was the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Peter Milliken, the Liberal member of parliament for Kingston and the Islands who has been Speaker since 2001, was re-elected, but he had to fight for it this time. Seven other MPs challenged him and it took five secret ballots before he won.

While most MPs acknowledge Peter Milliken's expertise and knowledge of parliamentary procedure, there is general concern that the House of Commons has grown uncivil and unruly and some MPs feel Milliken has been too soft in enforcing the rules. In his speech before the vote, Milliken pointed out that much of the recent rowdiness in the House is just the nature of a minority government. "In my view, no amount of interference or chastisement of members will impose order that does not exist unless the members themselves wish to have order in the House," he said.

The job of Speaker is definitely worth the fight though. It brings an extra $74,400 in salary in addition to $155,400 as a member of parliament, use of the Kingsmere estate in the Gatineau Hills, an apartment behind the House of Commons chamber, a large hospitality budget, and a car and driver.

Photo: Courtesy City of Ottawa

More About the Speaker and the House of Commons
Biography of Peter Milliken
Role of the Speaker of the House of Commons
House of Commons in Canada
Canadian Parliament Glossary