With Canada’s 46th Parliament set to begin in earnest, MPs will gather Tuesday for their first order of business: selecting a new Speaker of the House. The procedural necessity carries heightened significance following last month’s narrow Conservative victory that delivered Pierre Poilievre a minority government mandate.
Inside the soaring Gothic Revival chamber, parliamentarians from all parties will cast ranked ballots to determine who will preside over what promises to be a contentious and delicately balanced Parliament. The role requires not just procedural expertise but diplomatic finesse in managing heated debates between the governing Conservatives and opposition parties determined to influence the legislative agenda.
“The Speaker’s chair isn’t just about maintaining order—it’s about preserving the dignity of parliamentary debate during what will likely be a challenging minority government situation,” said Lori Turnbull, Director of the School of Public Administration at Dalhousie University. “Whoever wins needs both technical knowledge and the personal authority to command respect across party lines.”
Five candidates have formally declared their intention to run, including veteran Liberal MP Anthony Rota, who previously held the position but resigned in 2023 following controversy over recognizing a Ukrainian veteran with Nazi ties during President Zelensky’s visit. Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont, who served as Deputy Speaker in the previous Parliament, enters as a frontrunner with cross-partisan support.
The NDP’s Carol Hughes and Green Party’s Elizabeth May, both respected parliamentary veterans, have also thrown their hats into the ring, arguing their experience across multiple Parliaments would serve the chamber well. A surprise late entry came from newly-elected Conservative MP Marie-Claude Savard, a former broadcaster from Quebec City who has positioned herself as a fresh voice.
“The Speaker selection process is one of Parliament’s rare moments of genuine unpredictability,” explained Emmanuelle Latraverse, political analyst and veteran parliamentary correspondent. “With ranked ballots and a secret vote, party discipline temporarily dissolves, and MPs consider who can best manage what will undoubtedly be challenging debates ahead.”
The selection comes as Poilievre’s government prepares to unveil its first Speech from the Throne on Wednesday, which will outline the Conservative agenda focused on housing affordability, cost-of-living measures, and crime reduction. With 175 seats in a 338-seat House, the government will need support from at least one opposition party to pass legislation.
The parliamentary mathematics makes the Speaker’s procedural rulings potentially decisive on close votes. By convention, the Speaker votes only to break ties and traditionally votes to continue debate rather than decide final outcomes. According to data from the Library of Parliament, the previous Parliament saw the Speaker cast deciding votes seven times—the highest number in recent Canadian history.
Behind the ceremonial aspects lies an essential role that shapes how Parliament functions. The Speaker manages debate time, recognizes MPs to speak, rules on points of order, and represents Parliament to the Crown and internationally. The position comes with a salary boost (to $274,500) and residence at Kingsmere in the Gatineau Hills.
“Many Canadians don’t realize the Speaker’s influence extends well beyond the chamber,” said Penny Collenette, former Liberal organizer and adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa. “They control parliamentary resources, security operations, and make critical decisions about which opposition motions proceed and which questions are deemed in order during Question Period.”
The vote takes place through a secret ranked ballot system where MPs indicate their preferences. The lowest-performing candidate drops off after each round until someone secures majority support. MPs traditionally “drag” the winner to the chair—a symbolic nod to historical times when Speakers risked royal displeasure by delivering Parliament’s messages to the monarch.
In the corridors of Parliament Hill, where I spoke with several MPs on condition of anonymity, cross-partisan voting strategies are already emerging. Several Liberal MPs indicated they might support d’Entremont as a moderate Conservative voice, while some Conservatives expressed openness to Hughes as someone who understands parliamentary procedure inside and out.
“We need someone who can take the temperature down a few degrees,” said a third-term Liberal MP who requested anonymity to speak candidly. “The last Parliament was toxic. Whoever sits in that chair needs to foster respect while maintaining order.”
Recent polling from Abacus Data suggests 64% of Canadians believe improving decorum in Parliament should be a priority—a sentiment echoed by MPs across party lines when speaking privately.
Once the Speaker is selected, attention will quickly shift to Wednesday’s Throne Speech and the government’s legislative priorities. The NDP has already signaled it might support Conservative cost-of-living initiatives while opposing changes to environmental regulations. The Bloc Québécois, meanwhile, has demanded greater autonomy for Quebec on immigration matters as its price for cooperation.
For everyday Canadians watching these procedural beginnings, the Speaker selection offers the first glimpse into how this Parliament might function. Will partisan divisions dominate, or can the institution find ways to address pressing national challenges through collaboration?
As MPs gather Tuesday morning, they’ll make their first consequential decision of this Parliament—one that will shape how our democracy functions for potentially years to come.
