The suspense didn't last too long for Peter Schiefke, MP for Vaudreuil-Soulanges, who ran for Speaker of the House of Commons in Ottawa on Friday, September 29. On Tuesday, October 3, the federal political class proceeded to the vote and decided to give its confidence to Greg Fergus, Liberal MP for Hull\Aylmer.

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Peter Schiefke Announces Candidacy for Speaker of the House of Commons

A total of seven candidates were in the running: Sean Casey, Chris d'Entremont, Greg Fergus, Carol Hugues, Elizabeth May, Alexandra Mendès and Peter Schiefke.

The verdict came down at around 1.30pm this afternoon, and the new president took his seat in his new chair. It should be remembered that the person occupying this role has the basic remuneration of an MP, i.e. $194,000, plus a bonus of $92,000, for a total of $286,000. A chauffeur-driven limousine, a staffed office and an official residence in Gatineau Park are also among the benefits offered to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

When announcing his candidacy, Peter Schiefke explained his reasons for running:

"There is no greater honour than to stand for election as Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons. If elected, I pledge to uphold the values of fairness, impartiality and respect, ensuring that all Members of Parliament have a voice and that the democratic principles we hold dear are strengthened" he stressed.

Peter Schiefke also pledged "to reinforce the fundamental principles of democracy and to propose changes to the policies and regulations of the Speaker's Office to ensure that the events of September 23 will not be repeated, as well as to modify or remove policies and regulations that do not reflect the growth and change that Canada has experienced since Confederation 156 years ago", read his press release.