Two Conservative MPs intend on putting their names forward in the race to become the next Speaker of the House of Commons despite the Liberals being three seats shy of a majority.
Conservative MP for Acadie—Annapolis Chris d’Entremont told media that he would not be removing his name from consideration for the role, having served as deputy speaker in the last Parliament.
“In the last Parliament I had the opportunity to be deputy speaker and I had the opportunity to sit through some very crucial debates and votes,” said d’Entremont.
“When we go into the House of Commons, we are all equal and it’s important to protect the rights of those members so they can speak on behalf of their constituents. That’s kind of the basis for wanting to do this, the basis of what I can offer.”
Conservative MP for Calgary Shepard Tom Kmiec is also expected to seek the Speaker’s chair, although has not yet made a public announcement.
True North reached out to Kmiec for comment but did not receive a response.
Traditionally, the governing party elects one of its MPs as the Speaker of the House and selects an MP from the Official Opposition to serve as deputy speaker.
The Speaker is not permitted to vote on matters before the House unless there is a tie.
However, in the 2025 election, the Liberals won 169 seats in a House of 343 MPs, just three MPs shy of the 172 seats required for a majority. Electing a Liberal MP as speaker would further reduce their voting power.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has offered to leave her name in consideration for the speakership, expressing concerns over how Parliament has been managed under recent Liberal Speakers.
Since October 2023, Liberal MP Greg Fergus served as the 38th speaker of the House, though his tenure in the role was controversial.
In March 2024, the Conservative party tabled a motion to oust the speaker that was supported by the Bloc Québécois. The motion ultimately failed, as the NDP supported the Liberals in the vote.
Fergus has not commented on whether he intends to run for the speakership again.