Election of Speaker  All members having voted, I do now instruct the Clerk to proceed with the counting of the ballots after I have cast my ballot.

Election of Speaker  Before I suspend the sitting, I wish to remind hon. members that, when the counting has been completed, the bells to call the members back to the House will be sounded for about 10 minutes. The sitting is suspended to the call of the Chair. The sitting is suspended to the call of the Chair.

Election of Speaker  Pursuant to the Standing Orders, the House will now proceed to elect a Speaker. The names of the eligible candidates are listed in alphabetical order on the ballot. After the Clerk has unsealed the ballots, I will suggest to the House a procedure that will accelerate the voting process.

Election of Speaker  Before I suspend the sitting for 30 minutes, may I bring to the attention of hon. members that the bells calling the members back to the House will be rung for not more than five minutes. The sitting of the House is suspended to the call of the Chair in 30 minutes. Choose wisely.

Election of Speaker  I noticed that several speakers spoke about new members. I know there are many. I am certain that one of them will beat my record because they are starting out at an earlier age than I did. I would like to use an anecdote to give you a small piece of advice. As I already mentioned, when I was elected in 1984, cell phones, the Internet and faxes did not exist.

Election of Speaker  I now call upon the final speaker, Mr. Anthony Rota, the hon. member for Nipissing—Timiskaming, to address the House for not more than five minutes.

Election of Speaker  I will now call upon Alexandra Mendès, the hon. member for Brossard—Saint‑Lambert, to address the House for not more than five minutes.

Election of Speaker  I will now call on Ms. Elizabeth May, the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, to address the House for five minutes.

Election of Speaker  I will now call upon Mrs. Carol Hughes, the hon. member for Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, to address the House for five minutes.

Election of Speaker  I will now call upon Joël Godin, the hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, to address the House for not more than five minutes.

Election of Speaker  Before we move on to the second candidate, I would like to say a few words to my family from this exalted throne, because I forgot to do so when we started. My best to my whole family, my supporters and the voters in my riding, and especially to my partner of 27 years, who is currently battling cancer and is courageously staying the course.

Election of Speaker  Hello everyone. I am very happy to be with you today. This is the twelfth time that I have been elected and the fifth time that I have had the pleasure of presiding over the election of the Speaker. Before the election, a journalist asked me if I had thought long and hard about seeking election.

30th Anniversary of the Bloc Québécois  Madam Speaker, today is the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Bloc Québécois. Thirty years ago, on June 15, 1991, I hosted the founding convention in Sorel-Tracy. On that day, Quebec rallied behind a party, its party, that would defend its interests unequivocally. Every day since then, the Bloc Québécois has fought on all fronts for the Quebec nation.

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act  Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.

Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act  Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking everyone who participated in this debate, which is wrapping up tonight and will conclude tomorrow with a second reading vote. I would especially like to thank my leader for his support for Bill C-216 and for always putting agriculture at the top of his political agenda.