Dean of the House (Canada)

In Canada, the Dean of the House (French: doyen de la Chambre) is the sitting Member of the House of Commons with the longest unbroken record of service. The Dean is responsible for presiding over the election of the Speaker of the House of Commons at the beginning of each Parliament. The position is the equivalent of the Father of the House in the British House of Commons.

Following a General election, or, the resignation or death of the sitting Speaker, the house meets to elect a new Speaker.[1] This was started in 1986, however at the time, Speaker John Bosley presided. The first time the modern election system for speaker was used was in 1994.

During these elections, the Dean of the House takes the role of presiding officer. If the longest serving member is a Cabinet Minister, party Leader, House Leader or Whip, they are not able to act as presiding officer.[2] In 1994, following the 1993 election, Len Hopkins filled this role as Herb Gray, the longest serving member, was in Cabinet.[3] Although Gray was in cabinet, he was still referred to as Dean both in Hansard[4] and by the press.[5]

The current Dean of the House is Bloc Québécois MP Louis Plamondon, who was first elected to the Commons as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party in 1984.[6]

The chart below refers to longest serving members, some of whom served in front-bench roles and, as such, did not preside over the election of the Speaker.

List of longest serving members
Member Party Entered House Became longest serving member Left House
John Costigan Liberal-Conservative (until 1906) 1867 1896 1907
Liberal (after 1906)
John Graham Haggart Conservative 1872 1907 1913
Wilfrid Laurier[note 1] Liberal 1874 1913 1919
John Reid Conservative 1891 1919 1921
William MacLean Unionist 1892 1921 1926
Rodolphe Lemieux Liberal 1896 1926 1930
Charles Marcil Liberal 1900 1930 1937
Ernest Lapointe Liberal 1904 1937 1941
Arthur Cardin Liberal (until 1942) 1911 1941 1946
Independent (after 1942)
Charles Gavan Power Liberal 1917 1946 1955
William Earl Rowe Progressive Conservative 1925 1955 1963
Azellus Denis Liberal 1935 1963 1964
Paul Martin Sr. Liberal 1935 1964 1968
John Diefenbaker Progressive Conservative 1940 1968 1979
Walter Dinsdale Progressive Conservative 1951 1979 1982
Robert Coates Progressive Conservative 1957 1982 1988
Herb Gray[note 2] Liberal 1962 1988 2002
Charles Caccia Liberal 1968 2002 2004
Bill Blaikie New Democrat 1979 2004 2008
Louis Plamondon Progressive Conservative (until 1990) 1984 2008 incumbent
Bloc Québécois (1990–2018)
Québec Debout (2018)
Bloc Québécois (2018–present)

Notes
  1. Served as party leader during his tenure as longest serving member
  2. Served as a cabinet minister during his tenure as longest serving member

References
  1. Election of the Speaker of the House. House of Commons. Canada. March 2006. Last accessed May 17, 2015.
  2. Election of the Speaker of the House. House of Commons. Canada. March 2006. Last accessed July 1, 2009.
  3. "Hansard", or Publications of the House of Commons, January 17, 1994, Debates (No. 1). Last accessed May 17, 2015.
  4. "Hansard #135 37-1". January 20, 2002. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  5. "Longtime former MP Herb Gray dies at 82". Windsor Star. April 21, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2018.
  6. Campion-Smith, Bruce (May 16, 2007). "Veteran MP set to retire". The Toronto Star.


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