Dean of the House (Canada)
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox official post In Canada, the dean of the House (Template:Langx) 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.<ref>Election of the Speaker of the House. House of Commons. Canada. March 2006. Last accessed May 17, 2015. [1]</ref> This was started in 1986, though Speaker John Bosley presided at the time. 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 cannot act as presiding officer.<ref>Election of the Speaker of the House. House of Commons. Canada. March 2006. Last accessed July 1, 2009. [2]</ref> In 1994, following the 1993 Canadian federal election, Liberal member Len Hopkins filled this role as his caucus mate Herb Gray, then the longest-serving member, was in Cabinet under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.<ref>"Hansard", or Publications of the House of Commons, January 17, 1994, Debates (No. 1). Last accessed May 17, 2015. [3]</ref> Although Gray was in cabinet, he was still referred to as Dean both in Hansard<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and by the press.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gray was also the longest-serving dean of the House up until that point, holding the role for 14 years from 1988 until 2002.
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 at the 1984 election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2023, Plamondon eclipsed Gray as the longest-serving dean of the House, with 15 years in the role. The second-longest serving MP is currently Liberal Hedy Fry, who has served continuously since the 1993 election. Upon the resignation of Speaker Anthony Rota in 2023, Plamondon served for the sixth time as presiding officer in the election of the Speaker.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The chart below refers to longest-serving members, some of whom served in frontbench roles and, as such, did not preside over the election of the Speaker.
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