It was far from Scheer luck.
Instead, it was a calculated political campaign that landed Saskatchewan MP Andrew Scheer the plum parliamentary job of speaker of the House of Commons.
At 32, he is the youngest speaker in Canadian history.
His election June 2 came after six hours of secret voting in the House.
Speaker of the House is a prestigious and sometimes-difficult job that includes overseeing Commons proceedings, a parliamentary budget of more than $400 million and the largest Parliament Hill renovation project in almost a century
He defeated seven other candidates – six Conservatives and a New Democrat. The process took six votes.
Scheer ran a well-orchestrated election campaign not unlike the one that saw him re-elected May 2 to his fourth term as MP for Regina-Qu’Appelle. During the federal election, he had signaled an interest in running for speaker after Liberal Peter Millikan retired.
Scheer gave speeches to MPs, contacted caucuses, made promises and even had a campaign manager – fellow Regina MP Tom Lukiwski.
He was elected at age 25 as one of the youngest MPs but played on his experience as deputy speaker for the past three years.
He promised to not recognize MPs for questions if they violate Commons civility rules. Commons debates have become increasing raucous, personal and bitter in recent years of minority government.
“Rest assured that I will make sure that members who refuse to follow the rules of debate will not be allowed to speak until they have demonstrated the respect deserved by an institution as important as the House of Commons,” he said in his pre-vote speech to the House.
“Base name calling and questioning the motives of other (MPs) create a toxic environment, which I think is what Canadians feel let down about the most.”
The job comes with considerable benefits: a $233,247 salary, an apartment on Parliament Hill and an historic house on the Mackenzie King estate in the Gatineau Hills north of Ottawa that is the official speaker residence.
His wife, Jillian, and four young children will move from Regina to the Kingsmere estate.
Scheer’s election as Speaker marks the latest twist in what has been a meteoric political rise for the young MP.
He was raised and educated in Ottawa, moved to Regina in 2003 to follow his wife, whom he met at the University of Ottawa, became an insurance broker and a year later decided to challenge long-term NDP MP Lorne Nystrom in the federal election. He won in a race filled with ironies.
In 1968, Nystrom became one of the youngest MPs ever elected when he defeated an entrenched Conservative at age 22.
Thirty-six years later, Scheer became one of the youngest MPs by defeating Nystrom. His campaign manager was the son of the Progressive Conservative MP defeated in 1968.
In Ottawa, Scheer quickly became interested in House rules and was deputy speaker by 2008.
Prime minister Stephen Harper acknowledged Scheer’s path to the speaker’s chair after the election.
“I know this is something you have been preparing yourself for, through very hard work, for a very long time,” he said.
Scheer also is one of the few prairie MPs ever chosen for the position.
According to the Library of Parliament, just three previous speakers have been from the Prairies – two from Manitoba in the 1930s and 1940s and one briefly from Alberta in the 1960s.
