Mr. Chair, allow me to congratulate the people of the Richelieu valley on expressing their continued confidence in you for the eighth time. Thanks to them, you are the dean of the House of Commons.
I am honoured by the continuing confidence of the good and wise people of Ottawa—Orléans who have returned me to this House. This is the first time in 136 years that they have re-elected a Conservative MP.
We are all political creatures here and most of us enjoy campaigning. That is the process that brought us here. This morning seven of us are facing the rest of you, the most astute electors in the country.
Quite honestly, I stand before you in the spirit of modesty, not ambition.
I am keenly aware that 181 of you have more experience in this House than I do. I have followed with keen interest the intense campaigns for the speakership, and I note the value now given to decorum. I, too, endorse the concept. I agree that the lack of decorum in the 38th and 39th Parliaments did not inspire Canadians. One evening from that chair, I reminded the House that Boy Scouts were in the gallery. They look to us as role models. “Decorum” may rhyme with “vacuum”, but it does not thrive in one.
Respect for the Standing Orders is very important; so are the traditions. Yet, the Speaker does not make the rules; the House does. The Speaker is simply a servant of the House.
How can the Speaker enforce the Standing Orders? He cannot. Rather, he must inspire all of his colleagues and tell them that proper conduct is in their best interest.
Canada has had 34 Speakers since Confederation. I have known 11 of them. I worked for the 27th and the 30th, and worked with the 34th.
The most adept of them all was the late Lucien Lamoureux, who presided over the acrimonious debates of the 26th, 27th and 29th Parliaments, all of which were minority Parliaments.
What was special about Speaker Lamoureux? First he served as Deputy Speaker, so he knew the Standing Orders and he understood our traditions. He was rigorously impartial.
He possessed a fine command of the nuances of both French and English.
Above all, he graciously imposed his authority with humour often of the self-deprecating kind.
What do I offer? A small measure of the same, I hope.
In the last Parliament, 235 of you participated in my election as a deputy Speaker. You then witnessed decorum first hand. You witnessed the straight application of the rules, but with a light touch. You never saw me embarrass a rookie MP with the rule book.
Rather, I invited members who needed guidance to speak to me while the camera was pointed elsewhere. Above all, while members were speaking, I gave them my full attention. Occasionally, I asked others to do the same.
The oldest tradition tied to the speakership is that the likely Speaker resists the invitation. As much as we must respect our traditions, we also must understand them.
The first tradition that those of us who seek your confidence should respect is that we should not covet the office. You will understand, therefore, that I did not campaign for it. My respect of this tradition is paramount, perhaps at my own peril.
I hope that my affection and utmost respect for this place provides you with a certain measure of assurance that I do understand my responsibilities as your servant.
Those hoping for decorum may take comfort in that.