Bonjour, colleagues. Good afternoon. Tansi.
It is great to be here with you all today.
First, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you on your victory in September's general election. It is a great honour to work with you here in Canada's Parliament no matter which party you belong to.
I send my congratulations to everyone on their election to Parliament, especially the 49 newly elected members of Parliament.
I would like to thank the residents of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge for re-electing me and giving me the privilege and responsibility to be their voice in our nation’s capital.
Members, as I speak, British Columbia is in a state of emergency. Much of our infrastructure has collapsed. Critical transportation links to the Lower Mainland have been cut off. Lives have been lost. Communities are isolated. Gas is being rationed, and shelves in many places are bare. I am confident that as we begin this new Parliament, all members of this House will want to work together to help British Columbia get back on its feet.
I am a teacher by profession. One of the first times I came to Ottawa was for the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, which was actually started by a previous speaker. Teachers come from across Canada to get a behind-the-scenes look at what happens here in Parliament, meeting with MPs, senators, media and clerks.
This experience left quite a mark on me and gave me the will and the ambition to become a member of Parliament. I started at the provincial level by running for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia.
One of the responsibilities I had was Deputy Chair of Committee of the Whole, which is the equivalent of Assistant Deputy Speaker, providing me valuable experience for the speakership.
Colleagues, I was raised in a Royal Canadian Air Force family, born in Germany and grew up on bases across Canada: Chibougamau and Valcartier, Quebec; Beaverlodge and Red Deer, Alberta; Clinton, Ontario; and Vancouver Island. I have been to every province and two of the territories. I also served as a communications reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces. I love our country, and I am dedicated to the nation of Canada.
I am Métis on my father's side. My indigenous ancestry is deeply meaningful to me. I am a member of the Métis Nation B.C. and, more locally, Golden Ears Métis Society.
There are about two million first nations, Inuit and Métis people in Canada. This has been a year of grieving for indigenous peoples as we become more aware of the abuses of the Indian residential schools. I have aunts and uncles who attended these schools as day students. As Speaker, I would seek ways to honour our indigenous peoples and look for opportunities to advance reconciliation within Parliament.
I am a Beaudouin on my mother's side. Our roots go back to the early days of New France, and we are one of the first families of Quebec and Canada. My francophone side is very important to me. When I was an MLA, I represented British Columbia at the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie. Before the last election, I sat on the Standing Committee on Official Languages. I understand the desire to protect the French language. As Speaker, I would support the rights and privileges of all members to express themselves in French.
There are some very important issues facing us that will soon be before the Speaker. I was troubled by recent reports about the toxic workplace and lack of impartiality in the office of the Clerk. First, everyone deserves a safe, respectful, fair and functional workplace. This is the pinnacle of workplaces and thus must uphold the highest standards as an example. Second, all members deserve a Speaker and Clerk who act with complete impartiality. These matters need swift, thorough and transparent investigations.
If elected Speaker, I will have an open-door policy and look for ways to connect with all members. I view the role of the Speaker as an opportunity to serve members, not to be dictatorial or prescriptive, but to protect the rights and privileges of members of Parliament. The speakership is an extremely important position in our parliamentary democracy and for upholding our liberties. I salute the excellent candidates who are vying to be Speaker today. I would be deeply honoured to be members' first choice.
Thank you very much for listening.