The first day of the first session of the 42nd Parliament of the province of Ontario commenced at 1000 pursuant to a proclamation of Her Honour Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of the province.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor entered the chamber and took her seat upon the throne.

Hon. Elizabeth Dowdeswell (Lieutenant Governor): Pray be seated.

Hon. Todd Smith: I am commanded by Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor to state that she does not see fit to declare the causes of the summoning of the present Legislature of the province until a Speaker of the House shall have been chosen according to law, but tomorrow, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor will declare the causes of the calling of this Legislature.

Her Honour was then pleased to retire.

Election of Speaker / Élection du Président

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Honourable members, as provided for in the standing orders, it is now my duty as Clerk of the House to preside over the election of the Speaker. I am therefore asking for nominations for the position of Speaker.

Ms. Martow?

M^me Gila Martow: C’est avec un très grand plaisir que je, Gila Martow, députée de Thornhill, propose, appuyée par le député de Perth–Wellington, Randy Pettapiece, que Ted Arnott, député de la circonscription de Wellington–Halton Hills, prenne le fauteuil en tant que Président de l’Assemblée législative.

It’s with very big pleasure that I, Gila Martow, move, seconded by the member for Perth–Wellington, Randy Pettapiece, that Ted Arnott, member for the electoral district of Wellington–Halton Hills, do take the chair of the Speaker.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Ms. Martow, seconded by Mr. Pettapiece, has moved that Mr. Arnott do take the chair of the House as Speaker. Does Mr. Arnott accept the nomination?

Mr. Ted Arnott: To serve the House, I will.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Thank you. Are there any further nominations?

Ms. Christina Mitas: I, Christina Mitas, member for the electoral district of Scarborough Centre, move, seconded by Sam Oosterhoff, member for the electoral district of Niagara West, that Randy Hillier, member for the electoral district of Lanark–Frontenac–Kingston, do take the chair of the House as Speaker.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Ms. Mitas, seconded by Mr. Oosterhoff, has moved that Mr. Hillier do take the chair of the House as Speaker. Does Mr. Hillier accept the nomination?

Mr. Randy Hillier: I do.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Thank you. Are there any further nominations?

Ms. Donna Skelly: I, Donna Skelly, representative for Flamborough–Glanbrook, nominate Jane McKenna, who is the member for Burlington. It is seconded by Stephen Crawford.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Ms. Skelly has moved, seconded by Mr. Crawford, that Ms. McKenna do take the chair of the House as Speaker. Ms. McKenna, do you accept the nomination?

Ms. Jane McKenna: I do, thank you.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Are there any further nominations?

Mrs. Belinda Karahalios: I, Belinda Karahalios, member for Cambridge, do nominate Rick Nicholls, member for Chatham-Kent–Leamington, seconded by Will Bouma, member for Brantford–Brant.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Mrs. Karahalios, seconded by Mr. Bouma, has moved that Mr. Nicholls do take the chair of the House as Speaker. Does Mr. Nicholls accept the nomination?

Mr. Rick Nicholls: I enthusiastically accept the nomination. Thank you.

The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Are there any further nominations? Seeing none, I will declare nominations closed.

The candidates in this election for Speaker of the House are therefore Mr. Arnott, Mr. Hillier, Ms. McKenna and Mr. Nicholls.

In a few moments, we will put four voting booths on the table, two on each side, and inside the voting booth will be the list of candidates. In about a minute, I’m going to ask all of the members to please proceed to the far end of the chamber, move around behind the benches and come to the front of the chamber behind the Speaker’s dais. On either side there will be a table with Clerks. They will register your name and provide you with a blank ballot. Please bring the ballot to the voting booths on the table and mark your selection. You will have to write in the name of your preferred candidate. Fold the ballot in half and put it into the ballot box.

Once all members desiring to vote have voted, we will close the ballot. The Deputy Clerk and the Clerk of Procedural Services will go with a scrutineer from each of the two recognized parties to the Speaker’s corner office to count the votes. Once they have done so and they indicate to me that the count is complete, I will have the division bells rung for five minutes to alert members that the vote on the first ballot is ready to be announced. We will either have elected a Speaker at that point or a further ballot will be required, and we’ll proceed accordingly.

So we’ll get the voting booths on the table now and we’ll populate them with the list of candidates.

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The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Order, members, please.

Are there any members who have not been able to cast a vote? Has every member who wishes to vote been able to cast a vote? I will therefore declare the first round of balloting closed.

I’d please ask the Sergeant-at-Arms, accompanied by the Deputy Clerk; the Clerk of Procedural Services; the scrutineer for the government, the government House leader, Mr. Smith; and the scrutineer for the official opposition, the chief opposition whip, Mr. Vanthof, to please go to the Speaker’s corner office, where the first ballot will be counted.

As I said earlier, when I’ve received word that they have finished the counting, I will have the bells rung for five minutes to alert members that the first round is about to be announced. Thank you.

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The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Honourable members, I’ve been advised that the count of the first ballot has been completed.

I am now going to cause the bells to ring for five minutes to ensure that all members who wish to be here for the announcement of the results of the first ballot are present.

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The Clerk of the Assembly (Mr. Todd Decker): Order. The Deputy Clerk is now going to give me the result of the first ballot.

Honourable members, you have elected a Speaker. It’s my honour to inform you that Ted Arnott, the member for Wellington–Halton Hills, has been elected as Speaker.

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Pray be seated. That is the first and last standing ovation that this Speaker will receive in this Parliament.

I do want to express my thanks, first of all, to my constituents in Wellington, Waterloo–Wellington and Wellington–Halton Hills who have supported me and allowed me to serve in the House. My first priority has always been to my constituents. That doesn’t change with today’s event.

I also want to express my appreciation to Gila Martow, the member for Thornhill, as well as Randy Pettapiece, the member for Perth–Wellington, who moved and seconded my nomination.

I want to express my appreciation to the other candidates who contested this election—I see Rick, I see Randy and I see Jane—all of whom would have been outstanding Speakers, and they’re great friends.

I want to thank all of you for your support as I undertake this new responsibility. I’m well aware of the challenges and the responsibility that are entailed by being the Speaker, and I truly want to be fair and impartial as I discharge the duties of this office.

The Speaker is indeed the servant of the House, just as I’m the servant of my constituents and as you are all the servants of your constituents. I want to extend the same courtesy in service that I have given my constituents over the years to all of you as members, because we serve you as individual members as well as collectively.

Thank you very, very much for the honour that you’re giving me today, and I hope that I’m up to this challenge.

I want to close with a brief poem that we often recite in this House:

“Help us to use power wisely and well. Inspire us to decisions which establish and maintain a land of prosperity and righteousness where freedom prevails and where justice rules.”

Applause.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): I recognize the government House leader.

Hon. Todd Smith: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and congratulations. I move adjournment of the House.

The Speaker (Hon. Ted Arnott): Mr. Smith has moved the adjournment of the House. Is it the pleasure of the House that the motion carry? Carried.

This House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m.

The House adjourned at 1041.