Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate you on behalf of the New Democratic caucus, which has more members this time around.
I hope you will give me the opportunity to say a few words.
First of all, Mr. Speaker, I would like, I am sure on behalf of all of the House, to thank the dean of the House, the hon. member for Elmwood--Transcona, for the excellent way in which he conducted the procedures we witnessed here today. I also want to add my voice of thanks, and that of our party, to the member for Sudbury and the member for Hull--Aylmer for presenting their names and creating our first democratic moment here in the House of Commons.
Mr. Speaker, with regard to your success in becoming the Speaker of the House again, this in many ways is due not only to your deep respect for the institution, your understanding of your role as a servant of the House about which you spoke very eloquently, of decisions that you have made in the past, but also a deep sense that we all have of you, that you are a person of integrity, that you are a person who is able to deal with each and every one of us as equals in a friendly and straightforward fashion. We appreciate that very much.
I would like to say a few words to my fellow members who are here, because we have the responsibility to maintain certain ethics in the House.
I am sure that you heard from Canadians from coast to coast to coast in the last months about their disappointment in the way in which discussion was taking place in this House. I recall some of the words that Ed Broadbent said in his last major speech here. He called on all of us to recognize the inherent dignity of each and every person in the House and to recognize that Canadians by the thousands had selected each one of us to be here to represent them and to raise their concerns in the House.
I hope very much that all of the members here will, and I certainly will make this commitment on my own behalf and on behalf of my party, and I look to the other leaders to work with us on this, in order that we can do much better to present to Canadians a democratic process of debate of which we can all be proud.
Mr. Speaker, I realize that you need our help as you cannot do it all on your own. Thus, we will work respectfully with you at all times.
Congratulations and good luck.