The Speaker

Ted Arnott was first elected to the Legislature at age 27 in 1990 as the MPP for the riding of Wellington and has since been re-elected seven times. Once the youngest MPP in the Ontario PC Party caucus, he is now one of the longest-serving MPPs in the Legislature. Ted became Ontario’s 42nd Speaker on July 11, 2018, and was re-elected on August 8, 2022.

During his time at the Legislature, Ted has served as a deputy presiding officer, parliamentary assistant to several ministers, and critic to several ministers, among other parliamentary roles.

Ted lives in Fergus with his wife, Lisa. They have three adult sons, who are making their own contributions in public service.

At Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ted received a bachelor of arts degree with a major in political science and, later, a diploma in business administration.

Like most students, he worked in a variety of jobs: construction labourer, factory worker, and retail store clerk. After graduating, Ted worked in the office of Jack Johnson, MPP for Wellington.

At age 16, Ted received a special certificate of commendation from the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, which recognized him for rendering “assistance which was instrumental in saving the life of a drowning man.”

In 2004, Wilfrid Laurier University named Ted as a graduate who is “making a difference around the world.”

Ted is well-known for his efforts on behalf of volunteer firefighters. In 2009, the Fire Fighters’ Association of Ontario made him an honorary  member. He is also an honorary member of the Association of Ontario Road Supervisors.

As presiding officer of the House, the Speaker’s role is at the heart of Ontario’s parliamentary system. The Speaker serves the House by overseeing its meetings, enforcing its rules, and maintaining order and decorum. The role requires the Speaker to be fair and impartial and to make sure that the House is able to conduct debates respectfully.

The Speaker is the head of the Office of the Legislative Assembly, a non-partisan office that supports the work of all MPPs. The Speaker also has a ceremonial and diplomatic role: welcoming visiting dignitaries to the Legislative Building and representing the Legislature across Canada and abroad.

The Speaker is the neutral, non-partisan presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly. Although the Speaker is an MPP, they don’t serve any political party or the Crown; they are responsible to the House as a whole. 

The Speaker doesn’t need to give up their party membership when they are elected, but they don’t attend caucus meetings or political events. They also don’t cast votes in the House unless there is a tie, and they don’t participate in debates. 

In the Chamber

The Speaker enforces and interprets the House’s rules as laid out in the standing orders, and their rulings can’t be appealed. When there is a situation that the standing orders don’t cover, the Speaker makes a decision based on precedent. 

It is part of their job to maintain order and decorum in the House. If an MPP is disrupting order—for example, by using unparliamentary language or making personal attacks on other MPPs—the Speaker can “call them to order.” If the MPP continues to disregard the Speaker’s authority, the Speaker can “name” them, removing them from the Chamber.

Out of the Chamber

The Speaker is the head of the Office of the Legislative Assembly, which provides MPPs with non-partisan support and services, and also chairs the Board of Internal Economy, which controls that office’s finances.

The Speaker also serves a ceremonial and diplomatic role as the Legislature’s representative, whether welcoming dignitaries to the Legislative Building, or representing the Legislature across Canada and abroad.

Election of the Speaker

At the start of a Parliament, before any other work is done, the MPPs elect a Speaker by secret ballot. Any MPP (except for party leaders and cabinet ministers) can nominate any other MPP. 

Once a Speaker has been elected by majority vote, the MPPs who nominated them and seconded their nomination will escort them to the dais, where the Speaker’s chair is. 

It’s a long-standing tradition that the new Speaker feigns resistance as they are escorted, in honour of the dangerous history of the role. In the early days of the British House of Commons, the Speaker could be beheaded if the monarch didn’t like the news they brought from Parliament.

Find current and archived statements from the Hon. Ted Arnott.

• September 8, 2022: Speaker's statement on the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
• April 9, 2021: Statement on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Ontario’s MPPs have elected their Speakers by secret ballot since 1990. Speakers before 1990 were appointed by the governing party.

Ted Arnott, MPP for Wellington-Halton Hills, was elected Speaker on July 11, 2018, and was re-elected on August 8, 2022. He is the 42nd Speaker since 1867.