Parliament elects Saskatchewan Conservative as new Speaker

Members of Parliament in Ottawa elected a new Speaker of the House of Commons on Thursday, selecting Conservative MP Andrew Scheer. Scheer, 32, is the youngest person ever to sit in the Speaker’s chair, and the first Conservative to do so in nearly 20 years. Seven other MPs put their names forward in the contest to become the parliamentary Speaker, a job that includes a country estate and a $233,000 annual salary. After seven hours and six rounds of voting, Scheer was declared winner. Prime Minister Stephen Harper likened the Speaker’s job to that of a hockey referee, telling Scheer that it will be his job to “ensure that no one crosses the line or goes offside. Most important, we will do our best to ensure there are no fights for you to break up.”

The Toronto Star