The Canadian Scene
New Alberta Speaker
On May 13, 2025, Calgary-Hays MLA Ric McIver was elected by his peers to serve as Alberta’s 15th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The election for a new Speaker was called when the former Speaker Nathan Cooper accepted a new role in Washington DC as a provincial trade representative for Alberta.
Following the election, Speaker McIver told Members that he was grateful for the honour. He added, “I’m committed to everybody on both sides, to honour the traditions of this place, to be nonpartisan, and to help us get through the business of the day every day. You know what? If we have a little fun, great. Not too much fun. Better fun than nastiness. When that happens, we’ll deal with that, too. It’s all part of what we do here. I’m just so grateful.”
Growing up in Woodstock, Ontario, Speaker McIver moved to Calgary in 1981 when he chose Alberta as his home. A proud husband, father and grandfather, as a Calgarian he is also an avid Flames fan.
Speaker McIver first entered public service in 2001, when he was elected to Calgary City Council. A member of council until 2010, he also served on the Police Commission and as Chair of the Calgary Housing Company, among many other committee assignments.
Speaker McIver’s entry into provincial politics came in 2012, when he was elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly representing Calgary-Hays. He has since been re-elected in 2015, 2019 and 2023.
A seasoned parliamentarian, Speaker McIver has sat both as a member of government, opposition, and interim party leader. He has been a member of several legislative committees and currently serves as the Chair of the Special Standing Committee on Members’ Services. In government, he served twice as Minister of Transportation; Infrastructure; Jobs, Skills, Training, and Labour; and twice as Minister of Municipal Affairs.
An active community member, Speaker McIver has been a Calgary Stampede volunteer for over 15 years.
Every year during Stampede season, he helps bring the rodeo excitement to every corner of the city with the Caravan Committee’s pancake breakfasts.
Whether he’s meeting with constituents or taking questions in the Legislature, Speaker McIver brings the same precision and practicality he once used as a butcher – proving that whether it’s cutting through red tape or carving up a side of beef, he knows his way around tough jobs.
New House of Commons Speaker
On May 26, 2025, Lac–Saint–Louis MP Francis Scarpaleggia was elected Speaker of the House of Commons in a secret ranked ballot. An MP since 2004, Speaker Scarpaleggia competed against five other MPs for the position, including Greg Fergus, who had been Speaker during the preceding parliament.
Speaker Scarpaleggia thanked MPs for their confidence, and joked that since this Parliament had just begun, he hoped they would afford him “a little grace period.”
Prior to the vote, Speaker Scarpaleggia pledged to preside over a chamber where passionate substantive debates could be held without resorting to personal insults or intimidation.
“Canada’s greatest asset is its democracy, and democracy lives and breathes here in this chamber,” he said. “It is rightly said that there can be no true freedom without order. Likewise, we can’t have a truly meaningful exchange of ideas without an orderly, rules-based House of Commons.”
Born in Montreal, Speaker Scarpaleggia obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree (honours) in economics at McGill University, a Master of Arts degree in economics at Columbia University, and a Master of Business Administration degree at Concordia University.
Prior to his time in politics, Speaker Scarpaleggia worked for Petro-Canada, Comterm, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and taught business administration at Montreal’s Dawson College. From 1994 to 2004 he served as legislative assistant to former Lac–Saint– Louis MP Clifford Lincoln.
As an MP, Speaker Scarpaleggia held several critic roles, was a member and chair of many committees, and served as Liberal Party Caucus Chair for 10 years.
Speaker Scarpaleggia is married and has two adult children.