Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and the members of the Conservative caucus, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on your election as Speaker of the House of Commons.
Also, happy anniversary to you and Kelly. You get extra brownie points for that one.
Mr. Speaker, you now hold an office that is almost as old as Parliament itself. The earliest year for which a presiding officer has been identified is 1258. In that year, Peter de Montfort presided over the parliament held in Oxford.
The uninterrupted history of the office of Speaker began in 1376 when Sir Peter de la Mare presided over what is known as the “Good Parliament”. The next parliament was styled the “Bad Parliament”. Of course, the titles “Good” and “Bad” had nothing to do with the performance of the administrations of the day, but were more a reflection on the efforts of the members of those parliaments to keep the government in check.
Mr. Speaker, I can assure you that my colleagues and I, who make up Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition, will work hard to earn you the reputation of the Speaker of what historians will one day refer to as “the great Parliament”. That means that you can count on our co-operation at all times and in all circumstances.
On that same note, I would like to tell the Prime Minister, through you, Mr. Speaker, that he too can also count on our co-operation and support when he is acting in the best interest of Canadians.
What is more, if the Prime Minister is wondering what I am prepared to do if he does not act in the best interest of Canadians, then I would tell him to “just watch me”.
Congratulations once again, Mr. Speaker.