44th Parl. 1st Sess.

October 3, 2023 10:00AM

Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and to the Minister of Health, Lib.)

Oct/3/23 10:17:37 a.m.
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Mr. Chair, thank you. Colleagues, today, like all days, we pay our respects to the Anishinabe Algonquin people on whose unceded land we stand. Regardless of what part of the country we come from, what political party we belong to or what our political ideas are, the fact is that each of us, every one of us in this chamber, frankly, has a lot more in common than we often care to admit. We all remember the first time we walked through the doors of the House of Commons as newly sworn-in members of Parliament. As I am sure everyone here would agree, it was and still remains the proudest day of my life, after the births of my children and grandchildren. It was also the culmination of my lifelong love for Parliament. At the age of 14, I subscribed to and read Hansard. In 1988, I sat right there at the foot of the Speaker's chair as a parliamentary page, where I was awed by the majesty of this sanctum of democracy, and where I learned that every MP, from every party and every region, impressed me with their love for this country and wanting to do better by their people. I still feel that way 35 years later, as I stand here before you asking for your vote to become Speaker of the House of Commons. What brought us here today requires a response. Words matter. Symbols matter. This I know. As your Speaker, I would restore, and quickly bring back, honour to the chamber. The events that bring us together today need to be addressed. The words we use matter. Symbols matter. I know this all too well. As your Speaker, I will act swiftly to restore the honour of the House. What motivates me, and what I vow to work night and day to promote and advance, can be summed up in one word: respect. This is about respect for our democracy and its institutions, respect for our constituents and their intelligence, respect for parliamentary traditions, respect for the rights and privileges of parliamentarians. Finally, there is respect for each other, in the way we treat each other and the way we talk to Canadians. In other words, this is all about decorum. I would be a Speaker who was firm, thoughtful, collaborative, consistent and, certainly, fair. As my record in the House demonstrates, as your Speaker, respect will be my credo. It is what would guide me as a steward of the rights and privileges of all elected members in Parliament and beyond the parliamentary precinct; in fostering and supporting open, frank, honest and respectful debate in the House; and in administering the services and employees of the House. That is why I am committed to vigorously defending and protecting parliamentary privileges. I am also committed to being a tireless advocate of the best ideas, no matter where they come from, to improve the services and resources we need, both individually and collectively, in order to better serve our constituents and everyone who lives in Canada. Colleagues, if there is one thing I would ask you to remember, it is that Canadians look to the House to address their concerns, respond to their needs, set the example and show leadership. At its best, Parliament has lived up to and embodied these high principles. Therefore, I ask you for your support, as Speaker, to work with me in making respect our goal in what we do here every single day when we take our seats in this hallowed chamber.

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House Hansard - 228