Congratulations, Mr. Speaker.
I congratulate the Speaker on his victory in the election. It is a sign of confidence from his colleagues on all sides of the chamber. I congratulate him, as well, on another election to represent his home community of Nipissing—Timiskaming.
Congratulations again on the hard work you do in your riding.
The Speaker represents the will of the chamber, and indeed the will of the people. This is the people's House, and too often, whether in northern Ontario or from one ocean to the other, people feel left out of these debates. The Speaker has been able to preside through the difficult time of the pandemic, making sure the light of our democracy did not flicker during this time.
This was a difficult year for our Parliament and for everyone here today. I truly appreciate the work you did during the pandemic.
There is a light on the horizon. Is it not wonderful to see a full chamber of the House of Commons again?
I would be lying if I did not say I was hoping for a few more seats on this side of the chamber, or to be on that side to be honest, but I want the Speaker to continue his work standing up for our democracy, not just to make sure we can participate in debates during the pandemic, but to make sure the will of Parliament is defended in court in Canada.
It was a testament to your leadership and loyalty to the House of Commons, and I certainly appreciated this, in the face of the cover-ups during the previous Parliament. I hope that this Parliament will be more open and transparent.
I will say this in a full House of Commons today, at the start of the 44th of Parliament, with you returning as Speaker, that we on all sides of this chamber owe it to all communities, all sectors and all Canadians to ensure their voices are heard in this chamber.
Whether it is families in Abbotsford right now worrying about their future, worrying about the rebuilding of that beautiful province, whether it is new Afghan interpreters being welcomed into communities after the efforts of veterans and non-profits across the country or whether it is small business owners worried about the future, we as a Parliament, on all sides, regardless of political stripe, regardless of where we come from to be here in Ottawa, every Canadian deserves a voice in this chamber.
As the Leader of the Opposition and on behalf of my members, I hope we can engage in respectful debates that are focused on the well-being of Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
On behalf of the Conservative opposition, Mr. Speaker, I wish you well and ask you to continue your resolute defence of our parliamentary democracy.