Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP loses the Speaker race

Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP Marc Dalton has lost the House Speaker’s race.

The House Speaker’s race concluded on Nov. 22, when the Members of Parliament returned to the House of Commons for the first time in five months.

Choosing the Speaker was the first order of business for the MPs and in a secret ballot in a vote of all MPs, Rota was re-elected.

Dalton, who had thrown his hat in the ring for the House Speaker’s elections, along with five other MPs including incumbent Anthony Rota, addressed the House before the votes were cast.

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“First of all, I would like to thank each of you on your election during the election in September. It is a great honour for me to be able to work here in the Parliament of Canada and to be able to work here with you regardless of your political party. I want to take a moment to thank the residents of Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge for re-electing me and giving me the priviledge and the responsibility to be their voice in our Nation’s Capital,” he said.

Dalton also spoke about B.C. being in a state of emergency due to the recent floods and pointed towards the devastation the residents of the province were in. He added that he was confident “as we begin this new Parliament, all members of this House, will want to work together to help British Columbia to get back on its feet.”

The Pitt Meadows-Maple Ridge MP then went on to explain his background and why he was a great choice for the Speaker. He also pointed towards the variety of things he would undertake, such as preservation of French language, having an open door policy, having a healthy work culture, seeking ways to honour the Indigenous and advance reconciliation.

Apart from Dalton, Rota was up against two other Conservative MPs — Chris d’Entremont and Joel Godin — as well as fellow Liberal MP Alexandra Mendes and New Democrat Carol Hughes. All the MPs had a chance to speak to their candidacy for the role of Speaker of the House.

However, Rota was widely expected to win re-election after his smooth handling of the hybrid format through the first three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rota pretended to reluctantly accept the Speaker’s role and in a playful display, was dragged by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau grabbing one arm and Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole, grabbing the other arm.

In his brief acceptance speech, Rota thanked everyone for electing him and concluded saying, “Now that we have a Speaker, it’s time to get back to work.”

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