December 3, 2015
Ottawa, Ontario

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the election of the new Speaker of the House of Commons:

“I want to extend my warm congratulations to my colleague, Geoff Regan, on being elected as the new Speaker of the House of Commons.

“The results of today’s vote demonstrate clearly the confidence that Members of Parliament have in his ability to oversee the Lower Chamber in a manner that is thoughtful, respectful to all parties, and accountable to the people of Canada.

“It is the Speaker's solemn duty to interpret parliamentary rules and traditions impartially, to maintain order in the House of Commons, and to defend the rights and privileges of Members, including the right to speak freely.

“I think that it is very important that we all work together to restore trust in the House of Commons – and all democratic institutions – that serve the needs of Canadians. In the coming weeks, we will work hard on promoting greater openness and transparency across government.

“We have already taken important steps towards this goal, including by making ministerial mandate letters public which set out expectations for the conduct of Ministers and their roles and responsibilities. We will be undertaking further reforms in short order.

“I congratulate Geoff Regan again on his election to the position and look forward to working with him – and all Members of the House of Commons – during the 42nd Parliament to build a better Canada.”

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