10.25.2011 06:03 PM

Speaking Frankly

Members of Parliament, and provincial Parliaments, should be permitted to decide who should preside over their debates as Speaker.  Only rookies like Andrea Horwath and Tim Hudak would ever tell their caucus members how to vote in something like that.

So, it’s come back and bitten Hudak on the ass. It amuses me no end, as you knew it would.

But do you, or I, know who MPPs will pick to be their Speaker?  Nope.

And that’s as it should be.  Members will decide, without the likes of Horwath and Hudak bossing them around, and that’s how it should be, too.

14 Comments

  1. MCBellecourt says:

    It further amuses me to see that one of the PC MPPs is throwing his hat into the ring. Gotta love politics!

  2. Woody says:

    This is great. So Klees will be the power broker, not Horwath.

  3. Sean says:

    its going to be a LONG, LONG 4 years for Hudak… if he even lasts ’till the end of this year.

  4. DL says:

    Klees is a rabidly rightwing social conservative…he would probably demand that McGuinty defund abortions before he would back the Liberals on anything.

  5. Ted says:

    Hello, Wound? Let me introduce you to my friend, Salt: “Klees informed Hudak of his decision Monday, but sources told the Star he actually called Horwath before his own leader.”

  6. Ted H says:

    It is my understanding of the Speaker’s role, that he or she votes not specifically for the government or the opposition but rather “to continue debate”. If Mr. Klees becomes Speaker, a confidence motion against the Liberal Government could never succeed.

  7. Bruce M says:

    Klees sells his principals and his vote. Screw the people of his riding, 70% of who vote for the party, not the person. Klees is offered a significant salary boost before sailing into retirement, a boost of tens of thousands of dollars a year, every year, for the rest of his life. His career was done anyway, so why not sell the only thing you have: A career’s worth of effort creating a legacy in favour of buckets of pension cash.
    That is what people will remember. And the party that bought him.

  8. Joe says:

    This is crazy. The Liberals have the opportunity to form an effective majority and they’re not even going to whip who the caucus votes for?! Isn’t effecting good public policy (without having to make silly overtures to the NDP) what really matters here? Certainly it matters more than sparing the feelings of a few backbenchers who had their eyes on the Speaker’s chair. I will be very disappointed if the Liberals turn their backs on this opportunity.

  9. W.B. says:

    Standing for speaker has always been considered an honourable path for certain members of a parliament, and should not attract the kind of crude, nasty, self serving criticism we see from Bruce M. There are some members such as Peter Milliken and many others who find this role fits their talents and personality.
    I fail to understand why Hudak and Horwath find 4 years of chaos, brinkmanship, and game playing preferable to a stable government. They will still have all the time in the spotlight to criticize and propose alternatives they could ever want. And in a more reasonable and thoughtful atmosphere.
    They remind me of the Republicans who are so partisan, they vote against Obama measures they agree with just to weaken him: partisanship before patriotism.

    • Patrick Deberg says:

      partisanship before patriotism.

      This is exactly what has transpired to bring politics to it’s knees. Frank just might be doing the best thing for ontario. But it is so toxic now to put your country before ideology that little can be done. I think what you are seeing here is the last vesteges of true service withering away,

  10. Patricia Morfee says:

    This disturbs me because the present speaker, Steve Peters is from my riding of Elgin-Middlesex, who chose not to run after being Alderman, Mayor and Ontario MPP. We have great respect for Steve here. He would probably have won if he had run again. Unfortunately, he did not and we have a first time Conservative rookie. Steve was well respected as Speaker and brought many new ideas to the legislature. He preferred Ontario grown food and drink at Queen’s Park and was a great representative of our area. My husband and I were proud to work on his campaign and admired him for his dedication. He also got along well with the federal MP of our area. We are sorry he is not there for us as our area is hurting because of loss of many jobs. We know any new endeavour he takes on will be the better to have him. Hopefully the next speaker will be thought as responsible as Steve.

  11. TheSilentObserver says:

    This goes partially towards asking one of my post-election queries that the internet and major news outlets couldn’t answer for me, which is who is running for speaker. Klees obviously makes quite the splash, though I heard on a brief CBC interview with Garfield Wilson (I think), that four strong liberal contenders are soon to put their names forwards. Anybody know who they could be? As well, I would like to know when the legislature finally reconvines. What I’ve read from the last session seemed to suggest it took quite a while. Again, anybody able to help me out?

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