Hon. members, I wish to express my humble gratitude to the House for the great honour it has conferred upon me by choosing me as the Speaker.
While I was waiting, I put down a few notes. I want to say thanks, merci beaucoup and meegwetch to all members.
I would first like to congratulate the four other candidates.
Congratulations and a heartfelt thanks to the member for Halifax West, who allowed me in the last session to be assistant deputy speaker. It was an honour then, and I owe a great deal to him personally.
Congratulations to the hon member for Simcoe North, who as deputy speaker was an amazing person to follow and to ask for guidance.
I congratulate the hon. member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, who served with me as assistant deputy speaker and did amazing work. Again, I thank her for letting her name stand.
I also wish to thank the hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier for putting his name forward. It is a true honour to have a fellow MP stand as a candidate, knowing that he has no experience in this position, because he wants to do more in the House. I thank him for putting his name forward.
Maybe I should not include my own name in that, but there were five very good choices. It was not easy, so I thank all members for taking the time in going through it and coming up with a decision that was very favourable. I thank them for coming out to do this.
I also want to thank the dean of the House, the hon. member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, for presiding over this election. He acquitted himself admirably. He is getting used to it, since he has done it for several years. Congratulations.
There is also another group that we can never thank enough, the table officers. Thank you for overseeing the election.
Again, I want to thank all members for giving me the biggest honour of my political career in being chosen as Speaker. I want to thank them for the confidence they have placed in me. I hope I will not disappoint them and that they remember I am here to serve them and make sure that everything runs well for all of us so that we can conduct the business of Parliament to ensure that it works well. My promise is to be fair, to be non-partisan and to do my best in the House, at members' service.
I ask members to indulge me for a moment. Some may not understand what I am about to say, but I am very proud to be the first Speaker of Italian descent to sit in this chair. I am sorry the translators will not be able to help with this.
[Member spoke in Italian]
We have children—not all of us—family and friends who regularly watch us on television.
I have promised that I will be fair to the best of my ability and will try to make sure that everything runs smoothly. I ask one favour of all members: to just think every time they get up and to make sure that our friends, family, children and parents are all proud of us when we are in the House. That is all I ask.
Speaking of children, my daughter would have been here today but she wrote her last exam this morning. I am very proud of her. She is graduating from university, so I am very thrilled. Samantha means the world to me. I just want to say to Samantha that I love her and am proud of her.
This is where it gets tough. I am looking up, although I know I am not supposed to look up at the gallery. I am allowed to now; I can do whatever I want. There is a very special lady sitting up there, my wife Chantal.
My wife, Chantal, is here. It is not always easy to be married to a member of Parliament or anyone in politics. It is hard not to take it personally when insults are hurled at the person we love.
I thank Chantal and all the spouses who know what political life in Canada is all about. I applaud them for staying married or remaining with their partners and I sincerely thank them on behalf of all of us here.
Now the time has come to work for our constituents, for Parliament and for Canada.
And the mace having been laid upon the table: