Canadian Parliamentary Review – La Revue parlementaire canadienne
Canadian Commonwealth Association – L’ Association parlementaire du Commonwealth
Victoria-The Lakes MLA Keith Bain was elected Speaker of the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly on September 24. The long-time Progressive Conservative MLA, who was nominated by Premier Tim Houston, defeated New Democratic MLA Lisa Lachance. The vote took longer than usual as MLAs present lined up in groups to cast ballots in recognition of COVID-19 restrictions.
Continue reading “CPA Activities”On September 9, Nunavut’s Legislative Assembly elected Allan Rumbolt as its new Speaker. Speaker Rumbolt, who had been previously served as Deputy Speaker, replaced Paul Quassa. Mr. Quassa resigned as Speaker and MLA for Aggu on August 13.
First elected as MLA for Hudson Bay in 2008, Speaker Rumbolt won re-election in 2013 and 2017. In addition to his time as Deputy Speaker, he served as the co-chair of the Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Government Estimates and Operations and as a member of the Management and Services Board.
On November 30, 2020, Randy Weekes was elected Speaker of the Saskatchewan Legislature. The Saskatchewan Party MLA defeated five other challengers, including incumbent Speaker Mark Docherty, Greg Ottenbreit, Hugh Nerlien, Nadine Wilson and Lisa Lambert.
COVID-19 protocols meant the election had a very different look and feel than previous elections. Legislative officers sanitized the wooden ballot box after each round of voting and when Speaker Weekes addressed his colleagues after his victory he faced a rearranged Chamber. Only about half of the Assembly’s MLAs were present and they sat in spaced out desks behind plexiglass shields.
Progressive Conservative MLA for Kings Centre Bill Oliver was elected Speaker of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly on October 7, 2020. Speaker Oliver was acclaimed when the only other candidate, Ross Wetmore, PC MLA for Gagetown-Petitcodiac, withdrew his name from consideration shortly before the vote was set to take place.
First elected to the legislature in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2020, Speaker Oliver served as Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure in the previous parliament.
Appointment of Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
On March 2, the Legislative Assembly unanimously appointed Kate Ryan-Lloyd Clerk of the Legislative Assembly following the recommendation of a special committee. Since that time, there have been two additions to the newly-established Clerk’s Leadership Group. They are S. Suzie Seo, who assumed the functions of Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel on a permanent basis in April 2020, and Artour Sogomonian, who was appointed to the new position of Clerk Assistant, Parliamentary Services in May 2020.
Ms. Ryan-Lloyd has served the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia for many years, beginning in the Legislative Library, then the Parliamentary Committees Office and had served as Acting Clerk since November 2018.
New NWT Speaker
On October 24, Mackenzie Delta MLA Frederick Blake Jr. was acclaimed as Speaker of the Northwest Territories’ Legislative Assembly.
Speaker Blake said he planned to promote the value of NWT’s consensus style of government by aiming to travel more to smaller communities and particularly by focusing on visiting youth in schools.
CPA Regional Conference
Halifax played host to dozens of parliamentarians from across the country and other delegates and observers during the week-long annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Canadian Regional conference from July 14-19, 2019. Attendees noted the Maritimes’ welcoming hospitality and the strength of the panel topics.
Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) Meeting
Following Confederation, Indigenous Peoples in Canada
faced various restrictions which prevented many of them
Continue reading “Indigenous Parliamentarians Across Canada: By the Numbers”
New Nunavut Speaker
On May 28, 2019, Baker Lake MLA Simeon Mikkungwak was elected Speaker of the Nunavut Assembly. Mr. Mikkungwak, who was elected in a secret ballot over MLAs Paul Quassa, Tony Akoak and Pat Angnakak, replaces former Speaker Joe Enook who passed away in March. “Having served as Deputy Speaker for our late Speaker, I am deeply touched,” Mr. Mikkungwak said. “My colleagues, it’s evident that we will work well together on behalf of Nunavummiut. I also humble myself for being elected as Speaker.” First elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2017, in addition to his role as Deputy Speaker, Mr. Mikkungwak also served as Chairperson of the Committee of the Whole.
Prior to entering politics Mr. Mikkungwak worked