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November 19, 2003

38th Parliament, 1st Session

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Hansard Transcripts

Votes and Proceedings

Orders and Notices

Hansard Transcripts 2003-Nov-19 (PDF)

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

ASSEMBLÉE LÉGISLATIVE DE L'ONTARIO

Wednesday 19 November 2003 Mercredi 19 novembre 2003

ELECTION OF SPEAKER /

ÉLECTION DU PRÉSIDENT

MEMBERS' SEATING /

PLAN DE LA CHAMBRE

The First Session of the 38th Parliament of the province of Ontario opened at 3 pm for the dispatch of business pursuant to a proclamation of His Honour

James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of the province.

His Honour the Lieutenant Governor entered the chamber and took his seat upon the throne.

Hon James K. Bartleman (Lieutenant Governor): Pray be seated.

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): I am commanded by His Honour the Lieutenant Governor to state that he does not

see fit to declare the causes of the summoning of the present Legislature of this province until a Speaker of this House shall have been chosen according to law, but tomorrow, at 3 o'clock in the

afternoon, His Honour will declare the causes of the calling of this Legislature.

His Honour was then pleased to retire.

ELECTION OF SPEAKER /

ÉLECTION DU PRÉSIDENT

Clerk of the House (Mr Claude L. DesRosiers): Members of the Legislative Assembly, it is my duty to call upon you to elect one of your number to

preside over your deliberations as Speaker. Therefore, I ask for nominations for the office of Speaker.

M. Jean-Marc Lalonde (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell): C'est avec plaisir que je, Jean-Marc Lalonde, député de Glengarry-Prescott-Russell,

propose, appuyé par la députée de Toronto-Danforth, Marilyn Churley, que M. Alvin Curling, député de la circonscription de Scarborough-Rivière Rouge, prenne le

fauteuil en tant que Président de l'Assemblée législative.

It is with great honour that I, Jean-Marc Lalonde, MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, move, seconded by the member for Toronto-Danforth, Marilyn Churley, that

Alvin Curling, member for the riding of Scarborough-Rouge River, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for Scarborough-Rouge River accept the nomination?

Mr Alvin Curling (Scarborough-Rouge River): Yes.

Clerk of the House: Are there any more nominations?

Mr Norman W. Sterling (Lanark-Carleton): Mr Clerk, I would like to nominate a man of great integrity, a former Deputy Speaker. I would like to

nominate, seconded by Mr Cam Jackson, Michael Brown.

Clerk of the House: Does the member for Algoma-Manitoulin accept the nomination?

Mr Michael A. Brown (Algoma-Manitoulin): Mr Clerk, I decline.

Clerk of the House: Are there any further nominations?

Mr Howard Hampton (Kenora-Rainy River): I, Howard Hampton, member for Kenora-Rainy River, move, seconded by Rosario Marchese, member for

Trinity-Spadina, that Kuldip Kular, member of the electoral district of Bramalea-Gore-Malton-Springdale, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member from Bramalea-Gore-Malton-Springdale accept the nomination?

Mr Kuldip Kular (Bramalea-Gore-Malton-Springdale): I decline.

Clerk of the House: Are there any other nominations?

Mr Peter Kormos (Niagara Centre): I, Peter Kormos, New Democrat MPP for Niagara Centre, move, seconded by Gilles Bisson, New Democrat MPP for

Timmins-James Bay, that Mike Colle, Liberal member of the electoral district of Eglinton-Lawrence, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member from Eglinton-Lawrence accept the nomination?

Mr Mike Colle (Eglinton-Lawrence): I respectfully decline the nomination.

Mr Rosario Marchese (Trinity-Spadina): I, Rosario Marchese, move, seconded by Shelley Martel from Nickel Belt, that Caroline Di Cocco, member of

the electoral district of Sarnia-Lambton, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for Sarnia-Lambton accept the nomination?

Ms Caroline Di Cocco (Sarnia-Lambton): I decline.

Clerk of the House: Are there any more nominations?

Mr Hampton: I, Howard Hampton, move, seconded by Peter Kormos of Niagara Centre, that Shafiq Qaadri, member of the electoral district of

Etobicoke North, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for Etobicoke North accept the nomination?

Mr Shafiq Qaadri (Etobicoke North): I thank the honourable member for his extreme confidence, but I respectfully decline this nomination.

Clerk of the House: The honourable member.

Mr Kormos: I, Peter Kormos, New Democrat and member for Niagara Centre, move, seconded by Rosario Marchese, well-known New Democrat and member

for Trinity-Spadina, that Donna Cansfield, member of the electoral district of Etobicoke Centre, do take the chair of the House as Speaker and contest this important position to make it truly

democratic in its selection.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member from Etobicoke Centre accept the nomination?

Mrs Donna H. Cansfield (Etobicoke Centre): I thank you two for your confidence, but I respectfully decline.

Clerk of the House: Any further nominations?

Mr Marchese: I, Rosario Marchese, a good and proud New Democrat, move, seconded by Howard Hampton from Kenora-Rainy River, that Vic Dhillon,

member of the electoral district of Brampton West-Mississauga, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for Brampton West-Mississauga accept the nomination?

Mr Vic Dhillon (Brampton West-Mississauga): I do not.

Clerk of the House: Any further nominations?

Ms Shelley Martel (Nickel Belt): Mr Chair, I, Shelley Martel, NDP MPP for Nickel Belt, move, seconded by Rosario Marchese, NDP MPP for

Trinity-Spadina, that Mario Sergio, member of the electoral district of York West, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for York West accept the nomination?

Mr Mario Sergio (York West): It is an honour for any member to be Speaker, but I kindly decline.

Clerk of the House: Any further nominations?

Mr Kormos: Of course there are.

Interjections.

Mr Kormos: Please, please. This is important. I was here in 1990 when we first elected a Speaker. It would be nice to elect one again, rather

than have one appointed by the Premier.

I, Peter Kormos, move, seconded by Howard Hampton, leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party, that Kathleen Wynne, member of the electoral district of Don

Valley West, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for Don Valley West accept the nomination?

Ms Kathleen O. Wynne (Don Valley West): Thank you for the honour of your nomination, but I decline.

Clerk of the House: Further nominations?

Mr Kormos: In the interest of true electoral democracy, I, Peter Kormos, MPP for Niagara Centre and lifelong New Democrat, move, seconded by

Shelley Martel, member for Nickel Belt and heir of the NDP dynasty of Nickel Belt, that Dominic Agostino, member of the electoral district of Hamilton East, overlooked for cabinet, do take the

chair of the House as Speaker.

Clerk of the House: Does the honourable member for Hamilton East accept the nomination?

Mr Dominic Agostino (Hamilton East): I appreciate the confidence of the independent member from Niagara Centre, but I decline.

Clerk of the House: Further nominations?

Ms Martel: I, Shelley Martel, NDP MPP for Nickel Belt, seconded by Mr Gilles Bisson, NDP MPP for Timmins-James Bay -- two northerners -- move

that Michael Brown, another northerner, member of the electoral district of Algoma-Manitoulin, do take the chair of the House as Speaker. Northerners are supporting you.

Clerk of the House: The member for Algoma-Manitoulin has already declined the nomination.

Are there any further nominations?

There being no further nominations, I declare the nominations closed.

It is my honour to declare the honourable member for Scarborough-Rouge River elected as your Speaker.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): Thank you very much. It's indeed an honour. I first want to thank the member for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell,

who nominated me, and the member for Toronto-Danforth, who seconded that motion, to be the Speaker of the House.

To the people of Scarborough-Rouge River, who put me here, I want to thank them also for the commitment they have made, and to have demonstrated that I can

represent them and also represent the people of the province of Ontario. I want to thank them too.

I also want to thank my family who are here today, my daughters and my son and brothers. I simply want to say how much I appreciate their support over the long,

dragging years. I also want to thank some wonderful friends who are here today to witness this.

It's important, I know; it's a very important job. I know that this job cannot be done successfully unless I have the full co-operation of the entire House. I

know the responsibility is to be fair and to be disciplined in a manner to make sure that we carry out the duties of the people of Ontario. My job is to make sure that every individual member here

gets the opportunity to do so.

What an honour has been bestowed upon me. The challenges that are before us are huge. The government has set forth its agenda. The opposition and the independent

members do have their perspectives to be heard in this House, and it will be my delight and my honour to do so.

I would ask of you all to assist me during this time to make this House an example for the democratic arena that we have in the world. Thank you very much.

MEMBERS' SEATING /

PLAN DE LA CHAMBRE

Mr Peter Kormos (Niagara Centre): On a point of order, Mr Speaker: This is not the time to pose the argument, but with respect, I advise you

that it is our intention to raise at the earliest reasonable opportunity and to argue a point of order regarding the seating arrangements in this House, which we will put to you are not only

unconventional but defy parliamentary convention and tradition and constitute a contempt of this Parliament because they contradict that convention and tradition. We will be calling upon you to

address that.

As I say, I want to put you on notice in that regard. I don't want there to be any sense of acquiescence on the part of the seven New Democrats to this seating

arrangement.

M. Gilles Bisson (Timmins-Baie James): Sur un point d'ordre, monsieur le Président: Comme membre de l'Assemblée, comme

néo-démocrate, j'aimerais vous féliciter pour votre acclamation, mais j'aurais bien mieux aimé avoir une élection comme Président. Tout de même, on va travailler

avec vous comme notre Président.

The Speaker (Hon Alvin Curling): I want to thank the member. I've listened carefully and I'm looking forward to the point of order to be raised

at the appropriate time, as the member said.

Hon Dwight Duncan (Minister of Energy, Government House Leader): I move adjournment of the House.

The Speaker: Is it the pleasure of the House that we adjourn? Agreed. We're adjourned until 3 o'clock tomorrow.

The House adjourned at 1521.

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