What is the Speaker of the House of Commons?
Answer
The presiding officer of the House of Commons, elected by all MPs by secret ballot at the start of each Parliament, who manages debates and enforces parliamentary procedure.
Explanation
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the House and the chief administrator of its operations. The Speaker is elected by all 343 Members of Parliament by secret ballot at the start of each new Parliament (or when a vacancy occurs). The election is conducted under the Standing Orders of the House, with successive ballots to eliminate the lowest-vote candidates until one candidate has a majority. The Speaker is conventionally drawn from the governing party, but is expected to exercise the role impartially.
The current Speaker is Greg Fergus, elected October 3, 2023, the first Black Speaker in Canadian history. His tenure has continued through the 44th Parliament and the 45th Parliament that began after the April 2025 federal election. Recent Speakers include Anthony Rota (2019 to 2023, resigned after a controversial introduction of a Ukrainian veteran of Nazi Germany's SS Galicia Division), Geoff Regan (2015 to 2019), Andrew Scheer (2011 to 2015, the youngest Speaker), and Peter Milliken (2001 to 2011, the longest-serving Speaker in Canadian history).
The Speaker's duties include presiding over the House during sittings, ruling on points of order and procedural questions, calling on members to speak, maintaining decorum and order, voting only to break ties (the Speaker's casting vote), administering the internal affairs of the House through the Board of Internal Economy, and representing the House in formal ceremonies and visits. The Speaker is supported by the Clerk of the House (the senior parliamentary procedural officer, currently Eric Janse), the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the parliamentary Procedural Services.
The Speaker's chair (a large carved wooden chair originally crafted in 1916 and rebuilt several times after fires) sits at the head of the House of Commons Chamber. The Speaker wears a black robe, a tricorn hat, and a wig (the wig has been retained from British tradition though Canadian Speakers can choose to wear or not wear it; recent Speakers have generally not worn the wig). The Speaker has an official residence (The Farm, in Kingsmere, Quebec) plus a parliamentary office. The Speaker receives a salary of about $304,000 (2025), about $100,000 above the standard MP salary.
Why this matters for your test
The Speaker is the presiding officer of the House of Commons and a foundational parliamentary role. Recognising the secret-ballot election and the impartial role expectation gives candidates two specific anchors.
Source: House of Commons Procedural Services; Office of the Speaker
